Safe and Healthy Communities

November 19, 1999

Contact: Leonard Kranser, CSHC Communications Director 949-499-5567 or 5544 or Jeff Metzger, CSHC Chairman 949-454-1196

The unsuccessful attempt against the initiative was filed by the City of Newport Beach, The George Argyros-backed Citizens for Jobs and the Economy, the Newport Beach-based Airport Working Group, the Orange County Airport Alliance, former County Supervisor Bruce Nestande, and political consultant David Ellis. It was financed, in part, with $25,000 of taxpayer money, appropriated by the City Council of Newport Beach.

Commenting on the outcome of the lawsuit, Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities Chairman Jeff Metzger said, “It is outrageous that they wasted their money, and ours, in a futile attempt to keep the voters from having their say on the initiative. They are obviously afraid that it is going to pass. It will take power away from political insiders and give it to the people.”

The initiative now goes to the Board of Supervisors who have ordered a fiscal impact report, prepared by county staff. Based on the previous record of the Board, initiative backers doubt that it will be fair or objective. County staffers have been working for more than a month, critiquing the initiative’s impacts on their operations.

As part of the impact report, Sheriff Mike Carona submitted a letter that appears to overlook the fact that the initiative imposes no restrictions on the construction of any new jails if they are located more than 1/2 mile from residential neighborhoods.

CSHC Committee member Mike Ward said, “County staff is under Jan Mittermeier, who works for three pro-airport supervisors who want this initiative defeated. Their side was the only one allowed to participate in writing this report.” “They will use it as a taxpayer-funded campaign device. I expect the report will be very misleading, as evidenced by the Sheriff’s letter,” said Ward.

The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative gives voters the right to decide on major publicly-funded projects that negatively impact the quality of life in Orange County. It requires county planners to complete environmental impact reports and hold public hearings before asking voters to approve new or expanded airports, hazardous landfills, or major jails within 1/2 mile of residential neighborhoods.