The year of the lawyers

And so the tumultuous 2002 is over. It was a year in which

Huntington Beach saw much controversy, including a seemingly endless

stream of lawsuits, some new, others ongoing.

The year began in a Santa Ana courtroom with a barely former mayor

and councilman pleading guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges. But

it was far from the last courtroom drama witnessed by Surf City

residents.

One major battle captured national attention: an anti-abortion

group’s lawsuit claiming the city was violating 1st Amendment rights

when it banned aerial advertising over the city.

Another suit against the city was filed by resident Joseph

Jeffrey, who said the council’s decision to put off a vote on

splitting the city into five City Council districts was overstepping

its rights.

Leaders at Praise Christian Center also took the city to court

claiming discrimination after the congregation was booted out of its

sanctuary for not meeting city codes.

During the election races, two of the four attorneys hoping to

lead the city, Deputy City Atty. Jennifer McGrath and city attorney

candidate Ron Davis took the election battle to the courtroom over

the word “for.”

Several other ongoing lawsuits also hit the news in 2002. The city

settled a two-year lawsuit with the Flamingo, the strip club on Beach

Boulevard, when it closed its doors in April.

No decision has been reached in the city’s suit against the Police

Officers Assn. over the cleanup of the old gun range effectively

stalled discussions of moving the city’s dog park there, or in the

suit by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., the statewide group that

sponsored 1978’s landmark Proposition 13, against Huntington Beach to

stop a city practice of overriding that measure’s 1% cap on property

tax.

But there has been more to the year than lawsuits, including some

momentous victories.

The Orange County Sanitation District board voted to move to full

secondary treatment of the sewage dumped 4 1/2 miles offshore,

righting a wrong that has plagued the coast for years.

Huge developments were made in 2002 in the 30-year Bolsa Chica

battle. Whether the strides were good or bad, an end may be in sight.

The city made huge strides in cleaning up urban runoff in the

Downtown area by installing devices underground to capture debris.

Voters passed a $370-million bond to repair the Coast Community

College District’s ailing campuses.

The Huntington Center Mall, which has long been an eyesore, began

its metamorphosis and will soon emerge as the beautiful, viable Bella

Terra.

The list goes on and on, but one thing is certain -- it’s never

dull in Surf City. May 2003 bring a longer list of triumphs and a

shorter list of scandals and costly lawsuits. Good luck to our city

leaders and elected officials.