Cubreporter (Cubreporter)
Username: Cubreporter
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 10:47 pm: | |
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Irvine rejects jury's report on park
City staff is asked to draft a response to criticism over Great Park and 'correct the facts.'
By SONYA SMITH
The Orange County Register
IRVINE - The City Council voted Tuesday night to reject the advice contained in an Orange County grand jury report that criticized the governance of the Great Park.
The 4-1 decision approved a motion by Councilman Larry Agran, who asked that city staff members draft a response to the report and "correct the facts." The response will explain how the Great Park is governed, describe how contracts are granted, reject the report's recommendation that the county sue for control of the Great Park and earmark $300,000 for any lawsuit.
Councilwoman Christina Shea voted no.
"We spend millions of dollars to market a plan to Orange County and then hijacked the park in one council meeting" earlier this year, Shea said before the vote.
Agran told his fellow council members that the county "had their chance to annex the land."
"Would you trust them for a minute to build the Great Park?" he asked.
The grand jury's report, released June 20, said the city has betrayed the public trust by assuming control of the Great Park and that the county should consider suing to regain some authority.
The report is titled "The Orange County Great Park: Whose Park is It?" and subtitled "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
The grand jury is a watchdog group and lacks any power to enforce its recommendations. The city is required to respond within 90 days.
CONTACT US: 949-553-2911 or sosmith@ocregister.com
Orange County Register
Freedom Communications, Inc.
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