2 Port Terms Extended; Push for ‘Mix’ Rejected

The San Diego City Council extended the terms of two of its appointees to the Board of Port Commissioners on Tuesday, but rejected Councilman Bob Filner’s proposal that it agree to fill the next vacancy with a woman or a minority member.

Instead, the council agreed to have its Rules Committee review city policy on the appointments after Mayor Maureen O’Connor said she wants to explore the idea of having council members occupy seats on the seven-member board of the powerful agency.

All seven port commissioners, who, among other things, are responsible for building the $160-million bay-front convention center, are white males. San Diego appoints three members to the panel. The cities of Imperial Beach, Coronado, National City and Chula Vista appoint one member each.

Larsen, Rick Reappointed

With only Filner dissenting, the council appointed Daniel Larsen to a second four-year term and gave William Rick a third four-year term, with the understanding that he will resign when the convention center is completed late this year. In extending Rick’s term, the council waived a city policy limiting commissioners to two consecutive terms.

The city’s third appointee, Louis Wolfsheimer, also has said he will resign when the convention center is completed.

Although other council members described Rick’s engineering skills and experience with the convention center construction as crucial to its completion, Filner noted that Rick and Larsen’s reappointments conflict with a City Charter provision that suggests that the council take race, sex and area of residence into account when making appointments.

“I believe that a port commission composed of seven white males does not reflect the people of San Diego,” he said.

Filner also questioned Rick and Larsen about whether they will agree with the council’s decision last week to rename the convention center after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and why they have taken no action on a 9-0 council vote last year urging commissioners to expand the size of a planned bay-front park in Barrio Logan. Larsen said he was unaware of the latter decision.

A Sensitive Time

All three San Diego appointees to the Port District have publicly agreed to support the council position on the naming of the center, but Filner’s questions come at a sensitive time in the city’s lobbying for a fourth vote need to seal the change.

Wes Pratt, the council’s lone black member and leader of the lobbying to honor King, said he agrees with the intent of Filner’s suggestion, but did not cast a vote of support.

“I think we will be addressing those concerns in an appropriate fashion and in an appropriate forum,” he said.

O’Connor, who served as a port commissioner but was not reappointed when she voted to oppose the construction of the convention center, told Filner that council members have the power to select three commissioners but cannot dictate how the commissioners will vote on every issue.