La Palma : Tipton’s Resignation on Council’s Agenda

The City Council on Tuesday is expected to accept the resignation of Councilman Kenneth Tipton, who announced he was quitting last month, six days after the council voted 4 to 1 to censure him for repeatedly embarrassing the city.

The council will then decide if it will appoint someone to complete Tipton’s term, which expires in November, or hold a special election. The council has 30 days after accepting the resignation in which to make a decision.

Tipton, often the adversary of fellow council members, also has been involved in a long-running battle with neighbors Dag and Pat Fossen, the latest dispute involving a muddy driveway that leads to the Fossens’ house.

The Dec. 17 vote to censure came after Tipton claimed he could not keep a court date because he was out of town on city business--something his colleagues disputed.

A week after announcing his resignation, Tipton was jailed for one day after he was found in contempt of court by Orange County Superior Court Judge John H. Smith Jr. Tipton had failed to pave the easement between his house and the Fossens’ to the judge’s satisfaction.