GARDEN GROVE : Malathion Lawsuit Funding Considered

A decision on whether to allocate $15,000 to proceed with a lawsuit against the state to attempt to stop the aerial spraying of malathion will be considered by the City Council tonight.

City Manager George Tindall is recommending that the council appropriate the money to hire a consulting attorney and buy another computer for the city attorney’s office for work connected with the lawsuit filed jointly in January by Garden Grove, Westminster and Huntington Beach.

On Jan. 25, most of Garden Grove, as well as portions of neighboring cities, was sprayed with malathion in the battle against the Mediterranean fruit fly, despite the legal efforts of attorneys from those three cities. More spraying is scheduled for Feb. 15.

Garden Grove is also seeking to enlist the financial assistance of other Orange and Los Angeles county cities in the lawsuit.

Also on the council’s agenda tonight are proposed increases in fees for police services, including misuse of the 911 emergency phone system and incarceration of people for public intoxication. The increases reflect a recalculation of the per-minute rate for police services from 99 cents to $1.08.

The council also will consider a revised bingo ordinance that would allow high schools to host bingo games, an amendment to the city’s peep-show ordinance and an ordinance declaring a moratorium on the establishment of new dance halls.