Defending justice and the Costa Mesan way

He wasn’t bitten by a radio-active spider, nor does he use phone

booths as dressing rooms.

But like popular fictional characters who exist in the pages of

comic books, Costa Mesa resident Paul Wilbur said he feels a genuine

calling to protect his true-life neighbors.

He does not claim to be a superhero, but does boast a credo that

would be fitting of a caped-crusader.

“I am just an intern serving my [City] Council and their appointed

commissioners and the citizens of this city to bring forward those

issues that sometimes seem to be forgotten or misplaced or

misrepresented,” Wilbur said.

Wilbur can recite various government codes faster than a speeding

bullet. He can leap wide streams of logic in a single bound. And his

will and perseverance are stronger than a locomotive.

Some of the city “evils” Wilbur has battled are the Lighthouse

Church on Magnolia Avenue (which he claims has violated city planning

ordinances for decades), the Orange Coast College swap meet (which he

says is taking away valuable revenue from legitimate Costa Mesa

businesses) and Councilman Gary Monahan, who is arguably Wilbur’s

arch-nemesis.

His arsenal is files of public records, use permits, planning

documents, copies of government code sections, staff reports, city

memos and correspondences. One push of the send button, one call to a

lawyer or city official launches an attack on his target du jour.

The father of three sued the city for allegedly allowing illegal

uses at the Kline School and Lighthouse Church, the site of the

horrible tragedy in which a man killed two toddlers in 1999. Wilbur,

who lives next door to the church, has complained for years that the

school is operating its preschool illegally and stores its trash cans

improperly and that its peeling paint violates city codes.

His legal challenge of the city’s decision to allow various

activities on the church’s parking lot was recently dropped, when it

proved fruitless in court.

Wilbur also succeeded in a last-minute attempt to thwart the

return of a two-day swap meet at Orange Coast College by appealing

the Planning Commission’s approval five minutes before the deadline.

He said he was doing it for the citizens.

During the appeal process, council members took up some of

Wilbur’s concerns and asked planning staff to provide answers. The

issue is still undecided, and swap meet vendors are still waiting to

get back to selling their wares on Saturdays.

Former Mayor Linda Dixon, who was strongly, yet unsuccessfully

supported by Wilbur in the past election, said he brings an

“interesting perspective to the issues.”

She touted the swap meet as one of his most poignant battles.

“He really challenges the council and staff with his concerns and

often makes some very valid points,” Dixon said.

Wilbur’s most recent strike was aimed at Monahan, who Wilbur said

is violating term limit laws by serving a third term on the City

Council. Wilbur contends the city’s term limit ordinance does not

address the guarantee of “open seats,” which voters thought they were

voting for.

He has the power to speak using big, official-sounding words and

making them sound like another language. His speaks so rapidly, yet

so intelligently, you almost feel stupid for not understanding a word

that just came out of his mouth. One quick look around the room and

you realize you are not alone.

“By only applying the code to consecutive terms and placing no

limitation on the number of terms a person may serve, the

prospectively shall only apply to consecutive terms already served or

elected at the time the ordinance is passed,” Wilbur wrote in his

challenge to Monahan’s re-election.

Huh?

When asked to explain again for us mere mortals, Wilbur lets out

an exasperated sigh and says the same thing, using even more

confusing terms. Some defenders of justice have X-ray vision, and

some obviously have the uncanny ability to remember and recite

multifarious legal terminology.

Monahan said he doesn’t need to understand his arguments. He wrote

Wilbur off long ago.

“He is a nut,” Monahan says flatly.

The third-term councilman said he cleared his recent campaign with

the city attorney before he sought reelection and was told it was

perfectly legal.

Assistant City Atty. Tom Wood said Wilbur merely has his “own

unique interpretation” of the law. Wood affirmed the limit does not

apply to persons who were midway through their term of office when

the law was passed -- which Monahan was.

“He’s got a personal vendetta against me, and if he wants to waste

his money taking it to court, so be it,” Monahan said.

Wilbur said he will not rest in his tireless pursuit to rid the

city of wrong-doing, but it is unknown if he will file another

lawsuit against the city over the incumbent councilman.

It is no small job defending the city from itself, Wilbur said,

but his daughters take pleasure in knowing their father is involved.

They watch him on television during council meetings and follow in

dad’s footsteps by monitoring city politics.

“My daughters enjoy watching City Council meetings,” Wilbur said.

“They just miss their father, who has to work extra hard to provide

and do an added service that truly needs to be done and volunteer as

an intern.”

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

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