ANAHEIM : Disneyland Chief Talks With Trustees

Disneyland President Jack Lindquist told the Anaheim City School District board this week that the Walt Disney Co. is willing to try and resolve the concerns of the district over the proposed Disneyland resort.

Speaking at the district’s board meeting Tuesday night, Lindquist said the entertainment giant wanted to “begin a dialogue” so the two sides would not be at odds over the massive $3-billion project.

The school district has contended that Disney and the city failed to fully examine the impacts the project would have on schools. The district’s main concerns are that the project would create overcrowding in the schools, forcing the need for new facilities that the district cannot afford.

Before the meeting, Board of Education members held a closed-door session to consider the possibility of a legal challenge to the project. The district’s attorney, John Brown, declined to say what, if anything, the board decided. The district has until July 24 to file suit against the project.

After Lindquist’s speech, Brown said he looks forward to “substantive” discussions with Disney on how the effects on the district could be alleviated.

The City Council approved the project’s plans last month, but the city and the company are still negotiating an agreement on how much the city will spend on improvements to the area’s streets, sewers and other infrastructure. That could cost the city up to $1 billion.

Mayor Tom Daly said Tuesday that Gov. Pete Wilson called him Friday to ask about the proposed Disney expansion. He said the discussion was very general.

“He just wanted to know the status of the project and our ongoing discussions with the school district,” Daly said. “It was simply a courtesy call. He was not urging any action on my part or the city’s part.”

The council Tuesday also approved an agreement with Disney that requires the company to pay the city’s legal fees if it is sued over the expansion. The company would be required to pay filing fees, court fees and, if the city and the company lost a suit and were ordered to, the attorney fees of the expansion opponents.

In return, the city agreed not to settle out of court with any expansion opponent that sues without Disney’s permission.

City officials say such agreements are standard on any major development.