What Some Former County Employees Are Doing Now

The following are some of the county employees or elected officials who now seek to influence county government either on their own behalf, for their new employers or for their clients.

BRIAN MAY, a former aide to Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder. He is a lobbyist who recently won a county contract for a civil engineering firm. Until recently, May’s wife, Ruby, also a former Wieder aide, worked with her husband as a lobbyist.

BRYAN SPEEGLE, former director of advance planning for the county. Joined Culbertson & Adams, a consulting firm founded by former county employees, in June, 1987. According to county records, just before Speegle left, he received a letter from Culbertson & Adams thanking him for suggestions later incorporated in a development agreement between the county and the firm’s client--the Santa Margarita Co. However, county officials say such letters are received routinely from consultants and developers. Speegle was until July a registered “influence broker” under the county regulations applying to anyone contributing more than $452 over a 12-mont period to any Supervisor and who is employed or contracts with others as a lobbyist. Culbertson and Adams has two County Environmental Management Agency consulting contracts totaling $70,053.

TOM DALY, former aide to Supervisor Don R. Roth. He quit in June to become executive director of the Orange County Building Industry Assn., a major donor to the campaigns of county supervisors. He recently began lobbying county officials to reject Orange County Fire Chief Larry J. Holms’ proposal to require fire sprinklers in all new residential construction, which the building industry says adds unnecessarily to the high cost of housing. Daly, who also is an Anaheim city councilman, said he has only talked to members of the county staff so far about Holms’ proposal, but adds that he intends to lobby the supervisors, including Roth, his former boss.

NANCY COSS-FITZWATER, formerly in charge of government relations at the County Transportation Commission. She now works in a similar capacity at the Irvine Co. According to commission Executive Director Stanley Oftelie, she continues to exchange information and views about pending state and federal legislation with her successor at commission, Monte Ward. Coss-Fitzwater was Ward’s boss at the Transportation Commission. Oftelie contends that there is no conflict of interest in such contacts, because anyone can write or call the commission to submit views on legislation, and because the transportation agency already has frequent contact with the Irvine Co., which helps fund some transportation improvements sought by the commission. (Oftelie himself is a former aide to retired supervisor Ralph Clark.)

RALPH CLARK, who retired from the Board of Supervisors in 1984. He occasionally has lobbied for companies seeking local government contracts, including a firm that bid on the contract for the county’s freeway emergency call boxes. Supervisor Roger R. Stanton said Clark called him recently about a matter involving the Orange County Transit District, which Clark helped found and chaired for many years, but Stanton said he could not recall whether Clark was acting on behalf of a client or not. Clark did not return a reporter’s phone calls.

BRUCE NESTANDE, former state assemblyman and county supervisor. He is now vice president of Costa Mesa-based Arnel Development Co., continues to serve as an influential member of the California Transportation Commission. Nestande attempted to broker a last-minute settlement last year between slow-growth activists and the supervisors that would have avoided the costly, bitter election battle in which a slow-growth ballot measure was defeated 56% to 44%. He also lobbied supervisors on behalf of the proposed half-cent sales tax for traffic improvements that is now Measure M on the Nov. 7 ballot countywide. Nestande chaired a growth management committee created by the supervisors and now chairs the pro-Measure M campaign.

PETER HERMAN, who currently works for Hon Development Co. He once was considered so powerful while an aide to Board Chairman Thomas F. Riley that he was dubbed the “sixth supervisor.” Herman has talked to Riley and his staff about a planned Hon development in South County, but was recently asked by Riley aide Tom Matthews to stop coming around. “I told him in person that I didn’t appreciate him coming in like that and that certainly the company had others who could talk to us instead.” Herman says he believed that he was best suited to talk to Riley because of his familiarity with the supervisor.

DAN MILLER, former aide to Supervisor Roger R. Stanton. He now works for the management consulting firm of Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, which has had several contracts with the county, its transportation agencies, the county grand jury and city governments.

Miller also is a former member of the county administrative staff, where he dealt with county budget and financial matters. Miller said he has met with county supervisors or their staffs several times to discuss his firm’s business. He doesn’t consider that lobbying, however, because he said such contacts are usually initiated by county officials who have various questions about current or pending work.

May, Clark, and Speegle could not be reached for comment. Gibson deferred to his boss, who told The Times that an interview with Gibson would be OK, but then Gibson did not return The Times’ phone calls.

May, Clark, and Speegle could not be reached for comment. Gibson deferred to his boss, who told The Times that an interview with Gibson would be OK, but then Gibson did not return The Times’ phone calls.