The Political Landscape:

Do you have something you want to ask the mayor of Newport Beach or say to him?

You’ll have your chance from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Carroll Beek Community Center on Balboa Island, 115 Agate Ave.

Residents are encouraged to swing by and chat with Mayor Keith Curry. This is one of several “office hours” Curry is offering with the public one Saturday morning a month through October. For the complete schedule of his appearances, go to newportbeachca.gov/citycouncil.

Misstep with LEGACY AVIATION

Former Costa Mesa Councilwoman Heather Somers once served on the board for AirFair, an organization committed to blocking expansion at John Wayne Airport.

When Legacy Aviation approached the city March 9 with a plan to build a luxury jet hangar at the airport, she was among the first to stand up and support the proposal on behalf of AirFair.

The day after Legacy’s presentation to the City Council, Somers resigned from her position at AirFair.

Somers resigned because she was getting ready to accept a job with Legacy Aviation, she said.

“I resigned because I didn’t want there to be an appearance of conflict of interest,” she said.

When Somers spoke to the City Council in favor of Legacy Aviation’s proposal, she hadn’t consulted with the rest of AirFair’s board, even though she said the organization supports the idea, said Melinda Seely, AirFair board president.

“I did overstate what I thought the board was going to do,” Somers said.

Later in the month, when AirFair’s board met, the members unanimously voted against supporting Legacy Aviation’s proposal out of concerns about expansion of the JWA, the board contended.

“I think she misunderstood,” Seely said. “She believed that she had the OK to speak on behalf of AirFair, but at the time she spoke to the City Council, the AirFair board of directors hadn’t heard anything about Legacy Aviation’s proposal.”

FAIR BOARD TIMING DOESN’T AGREE WITH PUBLIC

Residents are complaining that the Orange County Fair Board meets at 10 a.m., generally on irregular Thursdays, while the Costa Mesa City Council meets in the evenings when the general public can attend.

“You know that’s impossible for someone like me and 95% of my board that works to be able to attend a meeting like that,” said Jeff Wilcox, president of the Mesa del Mar Community Assn., whose residents are close neighbors to the fairgrounds.

“I know it’s done intentionally that way. They virtually give nobody a chance to be at their meetings.”

But Fair Board Chairwoman Kristina Dodge said the time of the meeting has been long established and was not scheduled to dissuade attendance.

“It’s not the most convenient for me either,” Dodge said. “When I tried to change it, I found resistance in that change. It’s a traditional habit, not locked in stone.”