Safe and Healthy Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities

October 14, 1999

Contact: Leonard Kranser, CSHC Communications Director 949-499-5567 or Jeff Metzger, CSHC Chairman 949-454-1196

Registrar Certifies Safe and Healthy Communities Petitions

The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative cleared a major hurdle today on its way to the March 7, 2000 ballot. The Orange County Registrar of Voters officially certified that the petitions, turned in on August 31, 1999, contained valid signatures from the required number of registered voters to qualify for the ballot.

Volunteers turned in 192,000 signatures - more than two and a half times the necessary number. This grass-roots effort successfully completed the largest petition gathering campaign in Orange County history.

A lawsuit, brought by the City of Newport Beach and other opponents of the initiative, sought to prevent the Registrar from counting the petitions. That attempt failed when a Superior Court Judge postponed acting on the suit until next month.

The initiative now goes to the Board of Supervisors. They can take one of three actions: 1) Adopt the initiative, in which case it will take effect without a public vote; 2) Place the initiative on the March 7 ballot without further delay; or 3) Direct the preparation of an economic impact report which must be completed within 30 days, after which they are required to place the initiative on the March 7 ballot.

Jeffrey Metzger, Chairman for Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities, said, "The three member majority on the Board will stall as long as possible because this initiative forces them to give up decision making power to the people. However, now that it has been certified by the Registrar, they are bound by state law to either adopt the initiative or place it on the ballot for voter approval. Our 5,000 volunteers have achieved a great victory."

The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative requires two-thirds voter support for new or expanded airports, large jails in residential areas, or hazardous landfills. It will reform the planning process in Orange County by mandating that the environmental impacts, costs, and alternatives to major harmful projects must be made public before they are approved by the voters.

The initiative committee has an Internet website at http://www.safe-and-healthy.org with the text of the voters' rights measure. A campaign office is opening at 25381 Alicia Parkway, Suite O in Laguna Hills.

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