Council sets rules for accepting gifts

After a lengthy discussion, the City Council unanimously agreed to

imitate state law and put a $340 cap on any gift that an elected or

appointed city official can accept.

This gift ban ordinance will be added to both the Municipal Code

and the city’s Code of Ethics, a set of standards drafted in 1993

that establishes a code of conduct for city officials to follow.

This resolution prohibits city officials from accepting more than

$340 from one source in the course of a year.

“For example, if one of the benefactors invited you to a dinner,

and dinner was worth $35, you would still have $305 left over from

that particular benefactor,” said City Atty. Jennifer McGrath.

The original Code of Ethics prohibited city officials from

accepting gifts at all. It was revisited when some expressed

confusion about what qualified as a gift. Under the former provision,

it was easy to violate the code without knowing it, McGrath said.

“It even prohibited favors,” she added.

The council discussed making a distinction between accepting gifts

from those that the official is doing business with and anyone else,

but decided against it, since it’s often difficult to determine both

what qualifies as doing business with the city and what qualifies as

a gift.

Councilwoman Debbie Cook suggested a limit of $50, but the council

opted to raise the bar after acknowledging that expensive dinners

could also be considered gifts.

“I think this is very important, not only for Council members, but

for anyone else who’s involved in the city,” said Councilman Gil

Coerper.

Judge approves sale of Edison pipeline

An administrative law judge recommended that a state commission

approve Southern California Edison’s decision to sell off three giant

oil storage tanks and a network of underground pipelines, which run

under Huntington Beach.

Edison announced that it was selling its entire Southern

California delivery system in March of 2002. Pacific Energy Partners

submitted an application to buy the network later that month for the

purchase price of $158.2 million.

The sale still needs approval from the California Public Utilities

Commission.

“This is a very exciting acquisition for Pacific and we’re looking

forward to having the commission act and to complete this purchase,”

said Irvin Tool, President and CEO of Pacific Energy Partners, LP.

The storage tanks, which are located in Southeast Huntington Beach

near the Ascon/ NESI toxic waste dump, hold 467,000 gallons of crude

oil. There is also one smaller 26,000-gallon tank. The oil, which is

partially refined, can be upgraded to be used for gasoline, diesel

fuel and jet fuel.

The pipelines run north on Newland Street, head west on Garfield

Avenue, north on Edwards Street, west on Warner Street and north on

Bolsa Chica Street.

They are being sold as part of a larger oil delivery network that

includes 120-miles of pipeline and a nine-million gallons of storage

capacity.

Through the pipeline, oil can be transported as needed from a

refinery to Huntington Beach and back to the refinery.

Tool predicts that the application will reach the state commission

within the next two months.

Project Self Sufficiency graduates 30

More than 30 single parents will be recognized at Project

Self-Sufficiency’s annual ceremony next month.

Project Self-Sufficiency is a nonprofit organization that assists

low-income, single parents in breaking free from government

assistance. The foundation, conceived in 1985, raises funding for

services such as child care, transportation, tuition and job

training.

The program graduated five parents with nursing degrees and three

with bachelors degrees, and will be awarding $45,000 in educational

scholarships.

Scholarship money was raised by the foundation, local business,

groups trusts and individual community members.

HBTV-3 will televise the event and Lucci’s Deli will cater the

dinner.

The ceremony will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. St. Wilfrid’s Church

Community Hall on Tuesday, June 17.