EDUCATION Coast college trustees hold off...

EDUCATION

Coast college trustees

hold off on raises

The teacher’s union of the Coast Community College District

prevailed in preventing the board of trustees from automatically

granting a 14% raise for seven top administrators Wednesday.

Union President Tina Bruning forced the raise to be withdrawn by

articulating concerns that it was badly timed with the state’s budget

crisis and would violate the public trust after a $370-million

facilities improvement bond was passed last month.

Martha Fluor replaced Judy Franco as school board president

Tuesday night after new trustees Tom Egan and Linda Sneen took their

seats on the dais.

And a superior court judge ruled Thursday that a property tax case

could be expanded to a class-action lawsuit, which could cost the

school district millions of dollars in the future. The lawsuit

involves the practice of recapturing, raising property assessment

above the 2% limit mandated by Proposition 13 after a home loses

value and then rebounds. The practice was found to be

unconstitutional last December, and if the lawsuit survives expected

appeals, the county would have to refund millions of dollars to

taxpayers who were affected and would lose this source of revenue.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Car hits Newport Harbor student before school

A 14-year-old girl suffered minor injuries after she was hit by a

car at the corner of Tustin Ave and 20th Street on Wednesday morning

on her way to school. The Newport Harbor High School student was

taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana to make sure she did not

suffer internal injuries.

Officials said the driver of the car, 39-year-old Eric Kinnsch of

Costa Mesa, did not see the stop sign at the intersection or the

teenager crossing the street because his windows were fogged up. He

was cited for failing to stop at a stop sign and for driving at an

unsafe speed.

Kinnsch was traveling at 20 to 25 mph, but it was considered

unsafe because of the dangerous driving condition presented by the

fogged up windows. The girl did not seem to have suffered any broken

bones or internal injuries, police said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.

COSTA MESA

City Council asks for

OCC swap meet traffic fix

Orange Coast College swap meet supporters must exchange increased

traffic flow for an added day of operations to secure an endorsement

of the shopping venue, council members reiterated last week.

The City Council made it very clear they would not support any

increased vending time at the college swap meet unless school

officials could provide a detailed plan designed to stop the traffic

jams around the venue.

Mayor Karen Robinson said it was unacceptable to expect council

members to sign off on a proposal that did not provide adequate

evidence on how parking problems would be alleviated. Council members

demanded a specific traffic management plan before they would even

consider allowing Saturday sales to return.

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

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

NEWPORT BEACH

One ficus tree survives

on Balboa Peninsula

One of the original 25 ficus trees in Balboa Village will remain,

thanks to a settlement reached by the city and the Balboa Arbor

Society.

The ficus tree in front of Balboa Inn will stay, the one in front

of the pharmacy will be removed, all the stumps will be taken out and

the city will move ahead with its plans to renovate the village on

the Balboa Peninsula.

The city reached a settlement with the Balboa Arbor Society late

Tuesday that includes concessions for both sides. The arbor society

won from officials a promise that the city will review its tree

policy and consider drafting a tree ordinance.

Balboa Island Councilman Steve Bromberg was named the city’s new

mayor on Tuesday, with former mayor Tod Ridgeway taking one step back

to the post of vice mayor. Two new council members, Don Webb and Dick

Nichols, took the oath of office before taking their seats on the

dais.

The city and the county both approved changes to the John Wayne

Settlement Agreement extension that they say will secure flight caps

through 2015. Though some say the changes allow for too much added

noise, officials say the deal is well worthwhile.

A phony phone message that emerged in the last City Council

election apparently wasn’t the first. Pat Beek, a council candidate

in 2000, said that during her campaign, someone was circulating a

recorded phone message designed to confuse voters about who the

Greenlight candidate was in that race.

A plan to make space for the Balboa Theater at the building next

door was formally abandoned after lease negotiations for the Orange

Julius building fell through. Theater officials say they will now

turn their focus toward fund-raising to help build a basement at

their current site to accommodate restrooms and rehearsal space.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.