Coastal Chairman Faces Stormy Fight Over Job

For the past week, Peter Douglas has been in the eye of a political storm with critics pressing to oust him as executive director of the California Coastal Commission and allies rallying to his defense.

Whether Douglas’ six-year stewardship will continue is likely to be decided today by the commission at its meeting in Huntington Beach.

On the eve of the showdown, lawmakers have taken steps that could influence the outcome of the vote on Douglas, who was a legislative aide before joining the commission staff as chief deputy director in 1977.

Douglas’ supporters said they expect him to survive, but one commissioner, who asked not to be identified, predicted that the outcome “could flip either way.”

The embattled Douglas--who is generally supported by environmentalists but criticized by development interests--said he has not counted votes on the 12-member coastal protection panel.

What distinguishes today’s evaluation from a routine job review is that the commission could strip him of his $70,000-a-year position.

“This perhaps is a more thorough review,” said Commissioner Dorril Wright, who said the panel must determine whether Douglas is the best executive to lead it.

Wright, a Port Hueneme city councilman appointed to the commission by former Gov. George Deukmejian, said the heart of the issue for some commissioners is Douglas’ management style, especially whether he has misrepresented the panel’s positions on coastal issues.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, whose commission appointees reportedly are spearheading the move to oust Douglas, this week removed from the commission a pro-Douglas appointee, Robert Franco, a Del Rey Oaks city councilman.

On Thursday, the San Francisco Democrat, who has not replaced Franco, urged the commission to fully review Douglas’ performance but stopped short of calling for his removal. Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) embraced Douglas, saying: “I think he’s done a good job and he’s been independent.”

On Wednesday, the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Roberti, appointed Huntington Beach City Councilwoman Linda Moulton-Patterson to a vacancy on the board. She said she would back Douglas.

After the move to oust him was made public last week, Douglas received a vote of confidence from 25 Assembly members. The lawmakers--24 Democrats and one Republican--called Douglas “well-suited” to help the state cope with intensifying pressure for coastal development.

The power to name coastal commissioners is split among the Senate Rules Committee, Speaker Brown and Gov. Pete Wilson, who has yet to replace any of Deukmejian’s appointees.

Last week, Commissioner Gary Giacomini said the move to oust Douglas was being championed by Commissioner David Malcolm, a Chula Vista councilman appointed to the board by Brown. Malcolm this week refused to spell out his position on Douglas, maintaining that the executive director was merely facing a standard job review.

With Malcolm’s support, the commission last month dropped its opposition to controversial legislation that would allow the Walt Disney Co. to build a theme resort on landfill at the Port of Long Beach. Douglas strongly opposed the measure.

Giacomini said that the attempt to oust Douglas was connected to the Disney legislation. Douglas said he has no reason to believe that the Port Disney proposal is related to what is happening to him. Disney officials have denied any involvement in Douglas’ job review.

Douglas, who was at the helm of the commission when Deukmejian sought to dismantle the agency, defended his style. “I encourage people to take risks. . . . I don’t look over people’s shoulder and micro-manage what people do.”