Environmentalist to Replace Jack Kelly on Council

Ending six weeks of political fighting between environmentalists and supporters of development, the City Council on Monday named environmentalist Ralph Bauer to replace the late Councilman Jack Kelly.

Bauer, 62, the leader of an organization adamantly opposed to plans for development in the Bolsa Chica area, was chosen by a 5-1 vote to complete the remaining two years on Kelly’s term. It took the council 10 straw votes to reach a consensus. Councilman Jim Silva and Earle Robitaille consistently opposed several environmentalist candidates, but when a four-vote majority was reached for Bauer, Robitaille also voted for him on the final, official tally. Silva cast the lone opposing vote.

Bauer, who holds a doctorate from UCLA, is a retired research chemist. He currently is head of CoOP, a new organization that has announced opposition to the Koll Co. plans for 4,884 new houses on land circling the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve.

Bauer also is a former board member of both the Ocean View Elementary and Huntington Beach Union High School districts. He has been on many committees and commissions in the city, and he played a key role in this fall’s election of two new environmentalists to the City Council, Dave Sullivan and Victor Leipzig.

His appointment now strengthens the council’s swing to an environmental majority, now totaling five on the seven-member council. Before Kelly’s death and the election, the environmentalists had a 4-3 majority.

During interviews which were open to the public Monday afternoon, Bauer told the council that he thought he had a broad background in business, education and public service. When asked his views about proposed development near the Bolsa Chica, he said the Koll Co. plan needs modification.

“I think we can find a solution which may be somewhere in between,” he said.

On the subject of city redevelopment, Bauer was mildly critical of contracts given to some developers.

“Some of the contracts granted may have been too generous,” Bauer said.

The vote came after a flurry of political battles. Kelly, who died Nov. 7, was considered an advocate of development, and his supporters wanted someone with a similar philosophy to succeed him. Environmental groups in the city adamantly opposed the appointment of anyone they considered pro-development.

The voting procedure Monday night called for straw votes, with council members free to vote either on the six finalists or for any write-in candidate.

Even though Planning Commissioner Susie Newman was not a finalist and was not interviewed Monday, both Robitaille and Silva voted for her on the first straw ballot.

Earlier attempts to appoint Newman to the seat had been twice blocked by environmentalists on the City Council. Her supporters contended that since she finished a close fourth in the Nov. 3 election to fill three council seats, it was logical to appoint her.

But opponents of Newman, who was appointed to the Planning Commission by Kelly, said they considered her too pro-development. Her opponents also criticized Newman’s campaign literature, in which she said she would “instruct police” to “arrest anyone who looks like a gang member.” Critics said such tactics were inflammatory and unconstitutional.

Robitaille consistently voted for Newman on all 10 straw ballots, but Silva also voted for several other people.

At one point Monday night, Robitaille moved to hold a special election to name Kelly’s replacement, but was voted down 4 to 2.

The audience, which had watched the tense proceedings during the 10 ballots, burst into applause when Bauer finally was named.

A total of 34 people, including Newman, had applied for the vacant seat. Newman withdrew from competition last week, charging that the council majority had “a fix in” and had made “a debacle” of the selection process.

The council last Friday narrowed the field to six finalists. In addition to Bauer, the other finalists were Planning Commissioner Jan Shomaker, former Planning Commissioners Mark Porter and Geri Ortega, former Councilman Peter M. Green and Planning Commissioner Shirley Dettloff.