COSTA MESA : Residents Plan Drive to Recall Glasgow

Residents are organizing a drive to recall Councilman Ed Glasgow, who was investigated but not prosecuted by the district attorney’s office for receiving printouts of computer messages between the city manager and police chief.

City Atty. Thomas Kathe held a meeting in his office this week for people seeking information on the legal steps needed to get a recall started.

Kathe did not return phone calls Thursday or Friday.

Businesswoman Iris Timmons said she has obtained the necessary recall petition forms from the city but will wait to solicit voters’ signatures until the City Council decides whether it will censure Glasgow.

“If they don’t (censure him), that will weaken our case,” Timmons said.

Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis said, however, that the council has not discussed censuring Glasgow and she doesn’t know if it will.

Council members met in closed session Monday to receive the report from the district attorney’s office but took no formal action when they emerged from the meeting.

Glasgow, meanwhile, continues to deny any wrongdoing and refuses to step down. Elected in 1988, he has two years remaining in his term.

Although he has refused comment to reporters, Glasgow spoke at length during Monday’s City Council meeting about the investigation and his reasons for accepting the computer printouts from retired Costa Mesa Police Lt. John A. Regan. Regan allegedly monitored messages between City Manager Allan L. Roeder and Police Chief David L. Snowden for six months.

Glasgow explained that Regan thought Snowden was misusing his office. Regan allegedly gave the printouts to Glasgow so he, as an elected representative, could do something about Snowden’s activities, Glasgow said.

“He wanted a friend who he could bring this to so it would be resolved,” he said.

Glasgow also showed the printouts to former Councilman Orville Amburgey, who told Roeder that his computer messages were being monitored.

An internal investigation into Regan’s accusations against Snowden turned up no evidence of wrongdoing, according to the district attorney’s report. The district attorney also decided against prosecuting Regan on possible misdemeanor charges because his position as records commander for the Police Department may have legally allowed him to monitor computer messages.

Glasgow did not return phone calls this week.

If Glasgow’s opponents pursue a recall election, they will have to collect signatures from 20%, or about 8,500, of the registered voters in the city.