A kindler, gentler council

When I started at the Pilot nearly four years ago, Homer Bludau

had just come aboard as Newport Beach city manager.

His predecessor, Kevin Murphy, had resigned after a high-profile,

albeit backroom, no confidence decision by his bosses on the dais.

That 4-3 vote as much as anything, I suspect, was behind the

constant description I heard of the council as a dysfunctional group

that did not get along very well.

The group was divisive enough that in November 1999, as then-Mayor

Dennis O’Neil was leaving the mayor’s seat, I sat down with him to

discuss his year in charge, and it was a central topic of

conversation.

“It was my belief,” O’Neil said then, “at that time that there was

a lack of cohesiveness.

“I believe I’ve had a calming effect, an ability to bring the

council together,” he said. “And I think that’s an achievement.”

O’Neil’s colleague, former Councilman Tom Thomson, said: “I think

Dennis brought a tremendous amount of stability to the council. And

he’s very well respected in the community. I think he’s been a

tremendous mayor.”

That stability did not last too long. John Noyes, who followed

O’Neil as mayor, shocked his colleagues when he announced he would

not run for reelection, an announcement made a night before an

in-depth story on his past was published.

In 2000, the Greenlight movement picked up steam, providing a

voice of contentious on numerous issues and getting one man,

Councilman John Heffernan, elected to the council.

Heffernan’s role as the “1 in the 6-1 votes” during his first two

years has been well-documented. His unhappiness seemed clear when he

openly considered resigning for his position.

Perhaps the high water mark for discontent was 2002, the year that

Tod Ridgeway was mayor. I’ve applauded Ridgeway before for using his

bully pulpit and speaking his mind on issues (often Greenlight

related). Doing so, of course, meant more discord with those in the

community who disagreed with him.

Then there was that one other cause for disharmony: the election.

But since November’s election, the tales coming out of the council

have been different. Heffernan, who for two years was always the

outsider, is getting along better with the council, especially new

Mayor Steve Bromberg. And Bromberg, a mediator by trade in his law

profession, is taking a page out of O’Neil’s book, trying to provide,

as O’Neil put it, “a calming effect” on the seven-man body.

On Tuesday night, I went to the council meeting to see for myself

if change was in the air. Despite what I’ve been told was a snoozer

of a council meeting, it certainly does seem that the council, for

the most part, is functioning fairly well.

The first thing I noticed: “Greenlight” Councilmen Heffernan and

Dick Nichols (a newcomer to the council this year, along with

longtime city employee Don Webb) are on opposite ends of the dais.

One can read into that almost anything, though.

I had heard that Nichols, who has shocked some with quick

pronouncements such as proposing that playing fields be built on a

part of the Back Bay, has been relegated to Heffernan’s old role as

the “outsider.” It is not surprising, given his backing by Greenlight

and his lack of familiarity with the city, as opposed to Webb.

Surprisingly, while I expected Nichols might receive an obvious

“cold shoulder” from his fellow councilman, there was interaction

between Nichols and Webb and, later, Nichols and Bromberg before the

meeting.

The biggest change, though, certainly seems to be with Heffernan.

He was undoubtedly the most vocal of the councilmen Tuesday night,

pulling five of the 15 “consent calendar” items for discussion. He

went so far that even he recognized he was taking up much time,

finally apologizing for taking the “lion’s share.”

And then came the point that may sum up how this council is

different than previous ones.

To Heffernan’s apology, Bromberg replied -- purely as an aside --

“You’re fine, you’re fine.”

It is hard to imagine Heffernan being told he was “fine” during

his early days on the council. Or being told so in a “you’re one of

the gang,” joking manner.

There were other moments, too, when two or three of the councilmen

were laughing together at some issue or another.

All this is not to say that the council is a perfect family,

lacking any discord. The tolerance of Nichols is in no way sweeping,

for instance. But, given Bromberg’s mediation, it does not seem

overtly distracting, either.

That mediation offers reason to be hopeful that this group of

seven men can focus on the many important issues looming over Newport

Beach, from the general plan update to continuing problems with water

quality to the future of airports in the area. To his credit,

Bromberg appears to have embraced a mayor-ship akin to what O’Neil

had in mind four years ago.

Still, not everyone in the city is going to be happy with this

council or what decisions it makes on the tough issues. But the ranks

of the critics could dwindle if Bromberg reaches out, with that same

style he showed Tuesday, beyond the dais.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at [email protected].