I must have Dave-ja vu

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

If in doubt, don’t vote.

This is simple, elected officials. If you don’t want to go the way

of former Mayor and Councilman Dave Garofalo, indicted as a felon on

conflict of interest charges, you must be very prudent.

Incredibly, though, it seems the painful Garofalo lesson has been

forgotten. Yet another Huntington Beach City Council member has been

called out for voting on an ordinance that related to her business

dealings.

Councilwoman Pam Julien Houchen, a Huntington Beach real estate

agent, initiated negotiations that led to the lease of a Downtown

office to the National Professional Paintball League, where it has

set up the league’s national headquarters. Her take-home commission

on the deal was $4,000.

Her husband, Bryan, remodeled the offices at a cost of about

$20,000, which is not a profit, but a contract price.

California law bars elected officials from voting on issues that

benefit anyone who has paid them more than $500 in the year preceding

the vote.

Now, hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

When City Atty. Jennifer McGrath and Police Chief Kenneth Small

brought an ordinance to the City Council on Dec. 16 and then again on

Jan. 6 to amend the municipal code relating to the discharging of

weapons in the city, Houchen should have connected it to the

paintball event and her client and abstained.

She didn’t, and the change passed on a 7-0 vote with no

discussion.

Although the question of whether to vote was never brought to her

office, McGrath said, she would have told Houchen that she could vote

and says the councilwoman has done nothing wrong.

“Because the permit process applies citywide, it has broader

application, so I don’t think there is any conflict,” McGrath said.

It may not have been wrong legally, but it sure doesn’t look good

now.

Anyone who has watched the City Council, however, has, as I have,

seen Houchen abstain on numerous things. That leads me to believe

that it didn’t occur to her. She does not have the highly suspect

track record of Garofalo.

Legally, in terms of the ordinance, Houchen seems to be in the

clear. The question remains, did she at all influence the permitting

process.

One councilwoman, as she said, cannot influence the permitting

process.

But did she lobby for the paintball tournament to be held in the

city. She was quoted as saying what a great thing it would be for the

city ... .

It just looks bad.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the Fair Political

Practices Commission has to say.

* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)

965-7170 or by e-mail at danette.goulet@latimes.com.