Costa Mesa mayor seeks answer to possible conflict

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Responding to an increasing amount of public pressure,

Mayor Libby Cowan has filed for an official ruling about her alleged

conflict of interest surrounding an El Toro airport.

Many residents supporting an international airport at the closed El

Toro Marine base question Cowan’s objectivity on the subject because she

works for the city of Irvine, one of the airport’s main opponents.

“Our mayor works for the city of Irvine. Does anyone else think this

is a major conflict of interest?” resident Katie Arthur asked at a

meeting in August.

Acknowledging their seemingly growing concern, Cowan sent a letter to

the Fair Political Practices Commission, explaining her position as the

community services superintendent with the city of Irvine -- and her

position as mayor of Costa Mesa -- and asked the commission to make a

ruling.

“I’ll abide by that,” Cowan said.

Cowan said she did not know when the commission would make its

decision.

In her position with Irvine, the mayor oversees the operations of the

civic center. Her position has nothing to do with the Great Park

initiative -- Irvine’s preferred alternative to an airport on the base --

said John McAllister, Cowan’s supervisor in the department of community

services.

The mayor believes the focus on her alleged conflict of interest is an

attempt by the Airport Working Group, which supports an El Toro airport,

to create momentum for its cause.

“It’s just a way to get the juices flowing, but it is very

unproductive,” Cowan said.

Group spokesman Dave Ellis disagreed.

“There’s not orchestrated [group] policy or strategy to influence or

educate or discuss anything with Ms. Cowan,” he said. “We have passionate

members who feel the need to get some answers out of her. We have the

right to be passionate about issues.”

Cowan said she wished airport activists could be as understanding

about her dual role as mayor and Irvine employee as her colleagues in the

South County city.

McAllister said Cowan can request to be taken off any project she

thinks may interfere with her mayoral position. As long as she is

performing other job duties, he has no problem with it, he said.

Irvine Mayor Larry Agran said it is absurd to accuse Cowan of a

conflict of interest. He said he has never discussed the airport with her

and doesn’t know -- or care to know -- her position on an airport at El

Toro.

“We are all professionals here, and we conduct ourselves as such,”

Agran said.

As far as the mayor’s position on the airport, Cowan said she has

taken a “low key” approach.

“I’m not particularly passionate about the airport issue. It is

something I feel more comfortable leaving to other council members to

lead the charge, like [Chris] Steel and [Gary] Monahan,” Cowan said.

She admitted her lack of gusto may have something to do with the fact

that she works for Irvine, but said she would rather avoid conflict to

keep the relationship amiable for other projects the two cities will work

on together.

Costa Mesa is on record as supporting an El Toro airport. Resolutions,

such as the one supporting an airport at El Toro, remain in effect until

they are officially changed, Cowan said.

But airport activists such as Ralph and Margaret Morgan and Rachel

Hamilton-Perez said that is not good enough. They want to know where each

council member stands on the issue, they said.

Cowan said they must be careful of what they ask for. If the

commission does decide Cowan has a conflict, she will have to remove

herself from the process and there will be one less vote to support an

airport at El Toro, she said.

Her removal could put the council in a deadlock position. Monahan and

Steel are very much in favor of an airport, but Councilwoman Linda Dixon

opposes it. That leaves Councilwoman Karen Robinson, who is now

undecided, in a crucial position.

“Don’t ask the question if you don’t know the answer,” Cowan said,

cautioning the Airport Working Group.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .