Mayor Vetoes Alternate on Harbor Board

Saying that the proposed changes would give special privileges to King Harbor interests, Mayor Barbara Doerr this week vetoed an ordinance that would give harbor and pier lessees an alternate representative on the influential Harbor Review Board.

The ordinance, which also would change the name of the panel to the Harbor Commission, was introduced by Councilwoman Kay Horrell last week in an effort to ensure regular participation in the board’s deliberations by representatives of the harbor and pier lessees.

The ordinance had won unanimous approval of the five-member City Council. A motion to override the veto, which requires four votes, was tabled until next week.

One Representative

The 17 leaseholders, who rent portions of King Harbor from the city, have one representative on the seven-member board. The board acts as a planning commission for King Harbor, ruling on proposed developments and renovations and making recommendations to the City Council on issues that the council hears on appeal.

Horrell said harbor interests often go unrepresented on the board because the lessees’ representative, Mary Davis, owner of the Portofino Inn, is required to abstain from deliberations involving issues in which she has an economic interest.

Under the proposed ordinance, an unnamed alternate would join Davis at Harbor Review Board meetings and would participate in the board’s deliberations. The alternate would vote only when Davis disqualified herself.

Special Interest Group

But in announcing her veto, Doerr branded the lessees a special-interest group who use their economic power to influence city politics. She said she opposes giving “more flexibility” to their representative on the board.

Doerr said it would give an unfair advantage to the lessees to provide them with an alternate who can participate in deliberations while the other board members must act alone.

Horrell, who said the alternate idea came from City Atty. Gordon Phillips, acknowledged that the lessees constitute a special-interest group, but denied that that was a problem.

“They have their own unique set of circumstances down there,” Horrell said. “You just can’t get away from that.”