Council to Consider Ousting Port Official : Ventura: Robert Starr, who failed to disclose his role in a 1968 bribery case, says he will not quit. City will seek an attorney to gather evidence.

The Ventura City Council has voted to look into the possibility of removing Ventura Port District Commissioner Robert (Nick) Starr from his position because he failed to disclose his role in a 24-year-old bribery case when he was appointed by the council.

The council decided Monday to search for an attorney to gather evidence against Starr, who was convicted in 1968 of bribe-taking while he was a Los Angeles Harbor commissioner. The case was later overturned on appeal.

“I don’t think this is going to go away,” said Councilwoman Cathy Bean, who has repeatedly called for Starr to resign since the case became public about a month ago. “This is something nobody likes to face.”

On Tuesday, Starr said he will not quit and does not consider his omission grounds for removal. He said he plans to ask that Bean and Councilman Gary Tuttle refrain from voting on his removal “based on their prejudicial statements.”

Before voting, Tuttle said he thought the council had a legitimate reason for ousting Starr and asked his fellow council members if anyone would have appointed the 59-year-old property manager if they had known of his prior conviction.

No one answered Tuttle’s question, which Starr on Tuesday called a “venomous attack.”

City Atty. Peter D. Bulens said Tuttle and Bean are not required to disqualify themselves from voting on the issue, and both council members said they intend to continue pushing for Starr’s removal.

The council will vote next week on what kind of evidence they want the attorney to look for. Some council members want the investigation to be limited to the bribery case, while others want to examine all of Starr’s past business dealings.

Bulens said an outside lawyer would have to be hired to investigate Starr because his office is already advising the council about the removal proceedings.

Although the council appoints commissioners to the Port District board, it cannot arbitrarily remove someone, according to state law. Cause for removal is generally something a person did or did not do that affects his ability to perform the job, Bulens said.

Based on the evidence gathered, the council will decide whether to hold a public hearing to remove Starr. The hearing would be similar to a trial, and at least five votes from the seven-member council are needed. The whole process could take up to two months, Bulens said.

Starr said he plans to appeal the case to the 2nd District Court of Appeal if the council removes him on the grounds of failing to say anything about his conviction.

Starr said he did not mention the bribery case because he assumed city officials had run a check on him when they appointed him in June.

The issue has split the council in the past few weeks. Councilmen Jim Monahan and Jack Tingstrom are supporting Starr, while Tuttle and Bean are strongly opposing him. Councilmen Todd Collart and Tom Buford and Mayor Greg Carson have also expressed reservations about Starr, but have not been as vocal.

Starr’s presence is also dividing the Port District board. Board Chairman Richard Hambleton and Commissioner William Crew, saying they are concerned that Starr’s image could tarnish the district and hamper negotiations with businesses, have said they will resign if Starr stays.

Commissioner Gary Jacobs was not available for comment Tuesday.

Vice Chairman Ernest Thorpe said the timing of the disclosures is bad, since the district is struggling to get out from under several lawsuits that have plagued it since the mid-1980s. Most of the suits concern the Port District’s management of Ventura Harbor Village.

“We’re on the verge of finally cleaning up a lot of the residue problems,” he said. “It would not be a good time for a change. I’m trying to talk the other commissioners into staying.”

On Tuesday, Crew said he and the other commissioners were waiting to see what the council does before deciding whether to resign.

“That’s not meant to be a threat, it’s just a statement of fact,” Crew said. “I’m encouraged by what the council is doing.”