IRVINE : New Council Hits Agran 2 Last Times

In a parting shot at former Mayor Larry Agran, a newly elected City Council majority on Friday overturned the two last actions taken earlier this week by Agran and fellow outgoing council members.

During what was supposed to be a simple swearing-in ceremony, Sally Anne Sheridan took office as mayor Friday, then, with new council members Art Bloomer and Barry J. Hammond backing her, moved to rescind two Agran-led actions passed during a hastily called special meeting Tuesday. Both had been aimed at helping one of Agran’s allies fill an open council seat.

The seat opened up when Sheridan resigned to become mayor.

The new, more conservative council majority wants a conservative on the council. Agran wants his friend Mary Ann Gaido to fill the open seat.

Gaido, the runner-up in the June 5 election, would have taken the seat automatically Friday if a group of conservative residents had not circulated a petition calling for the seat to be filled by a special November election. Under city law, the open seat goes to the runner-up unless 7% of the city’s registered voters petitiom otherwise.

A petition with 4,736 signatures was submitted, and the city clerk certified that the petition contained enough valid signatures to force an election.

During Tuesday’s special council meeting, Agran led two council members on a vote to make the petitions public, to allow Gaido to inspect the petition for flaws.

Agran also persuaded his colleagues Tuesday to release Stephen Coontz, a San Juan Capistrano attorney, from any further work for the city. Coontz had been hired to help resolve conflicts in the city’s election law, and therefore had become an expert in it.

If Coontz’s relationship with the city was severed, Gaido, who served on the council from 1976 to 1984, could hire him to help her sue to win a council seat.

On Friday, the council rescinded both actions. In a prepared statement, Sheridan called Agran’s actions Tuesday an attempt to “subvert” the right of residents to call a special election. Agran could not be reached for comment.

Now, Coontz cannot ethically represent Gaido in a suit, City Atty. Roger Grable said.

But the council’s action came one day too late.

After Tuesday’s vote, Gaido immediately hired Coontz and inspected the petition’s signatures. Thursday, Gaido announced that they found enough flawed signatures to invalidate the petition. She is demanding that the council invalidate the petitions. If not, she said Friday, she likely will sue the city to take the open council seat.

“The seat is mine, absent a valid Measure D petition,” said Gaido, who served on the council from 1976 to 1984.

The council will discuss the matter Tuesday at its next regular meeting.