HUNTINGTON BEACH : Measure D Backer Quits Shelter Post

Former state Assembly candidate Peter Von Elten, who is campaigning in support of a City Council-sponsored ballot measure that rivals a citizens’ initiative, announced his resignation from the Huntington Youth Shelter’s board of directors Friday in a dispute over how the citizens’ measure may affect the shelter’s planned facility for runaway teens.

Von Elten’s surprise announcement came during a news conference called by Measure D proponents such as Von Elten to assail Measure C, the rival citizens’ slow-growth initiative.

Measure C is a proposed city charter amendment that would forbid the city from selling or leasing any park or beach land without voter approval. Measure D, which a City Council majority placed on the ballot to compete with the citizens’ initiative, would require a citywide vote before any sales, but would allow the leasing of beaches and parkland.

During the news conference, Tom Duchene, chairman of the Yes on Measure D campaign, charged that passage of Measure C would block the development of the new youth shelter.

But Measure C proponents dismissed Duchene’s allegation, saying a recent opinion issued by City Atty. Gail C. Hutton disproves the charge.

Von Elten said he would resign immediately from the shelter’s advisory board because, as a nonprofit organization, the youth shelter cannot formally endorse any political campaign and his involvement with Measure D might be misconstrued as such an endorsement.

Geri Ortega, chairwoman of the Planning Commission and a leading supporter of Measure C, had complained of Von Elten’s dual role as campaigner and shelter board member.

“I in no way intended to use my membership on the board as jeopardizing the youth shelter . . . which I consider an extremely worthwhile effort,” Von Elten said. “I was told today that by permitting my board membership title to be in any way fixed to this campaign, it could put (the shelter) in jeopardy, and I will not allow that to happen.”

Von Elten first said he was attending the news conference as a spokesman for the youth shelter, but during his formal comments announced that, “I’m here today as a citizen . . . (and) as a supporter” of Measure D.

Carolyn Kanode, co-founder of the Huntington Youth Shelter, said she was surprised by Von Elten’s resignation. She also attempted to distance the organization from the political dispute.

“The shelter board has officially taken a neutral stance on this,” Kanode said. “. . . We’re just this little group that started (the youth shelter effort) three years ago.”

Measure C prohibits building any structure that is at least 3,000 square feet in size or costing more than $100,000 without voter approval. Measure D’s Duchene argued that this means that the new youth shelter, planned for Huntington Central Park, could be built only by a vote of the people. Previously, councilmen who placed Measure D on the ballot similarly argued that the citizens’ initiative would require voter approval before the city could expand the Rodgers Senior Citizens Center.

However, Hutton ruled in a legal opinion that Measure C, if approved, would not affect the center’s expansion. The opinion, in part, said that since the city had an existing contract with the seniors center, to which the city is bound, that pact would override any new city-charter provision.

The Huntington Youth Shelter last year agreed to a contract with the city, Kanode said.