DANA POINT : City Acts to Fight Offshore Drilling

In a move to combat offshore oil drilling, the City Council on Tuesday took the first step toward prohibiting oil-drilling support facilities within city limits.

The council unanimously supported drafting a ballot initiative that, if approved by city voters, would prohibit facilities as well as equipment such as transmission lines or oil tanks anywhere in Dana Point.

“I look at this as a real opportunity for us,” said Councilwoman Karen Lloreda. “By using land-use designations, we can show that there is no appropriate place within our city for these support facilities.”

The zoning measures would be designed after a similar measure that passed overwhelmingly in November, 1990, in Laguna Beach, said Mayor Mike Eggers. He called the council action a “protection mode.”

“This is about the only way local jurisdictions have any impact on offshore drilling,” Eggers said. “Most offshore oil leases are in federal or state waters.”

A voter-approved initiative would be a stronger and longer-lasting piece of legislation than a city ordinance approved by a council vote, Eggers said.

“If we only adopted an ordinance, that could be rescinded by three council members acting as a council majority somewhere down the road,” Eggers said.

Lloreda agreed.

“We do have a couple of options, to go for an election or have a city ordinance,” Lloreda said. “The ordinance is less costly for the city, but our city attorney has indicated that the initiative process gives the city a little firmer ground to stand on.”

Lloreda said she would like to see the ballot initiative drawn up and approved by the council in time to have it placed on the June general election ballot.

“I don’t want to put it off any longer than we have to,” Lloreda said. “I just want to be safe.”

A special election for the initiative is estimated to cost about $14,000, according to a city report. The cost of placing an initiative on the general election ballot was specified only as “substantially less than $14,000,” in the report.

Lloreda and Eggers both said the initiative would have little problem being passed by city voters.

“I know I am definitely against offshore oil drilling,” Lloreda said. “I don’t think there would be a problem getting the people’s support on it.”