LAKE FOREST : City OKs Joining Base Reuse Agency

Pledging to represent South County, the City Council voted Tuesday to become part of an intergovernmental agency that will decide the fate of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Although council members expressed disappointment that more cities are not included in the executive group that will have final say over base reuse, they voted to join so that at least one South County city would be represented even though Irvine is on the agency board.

“If we can protect our quality of life, it’s going to protect the citizens living around Lake Forest,” said Mayor Marcia Rudolph. “As unhappy as we were having only one vote, we felt it was critical that South County be at the table.”

The council’s vote was conditional upon a final review of the bylaws for the Joint Powers Authority, which will also include the County Board of Supervisors.

The group’s first meeting will take place Wednesday morning at the county Hall of Administration in Santa Ana.

Under the plan, the board of directors will have voting power over development plans for the air base, which the Pentagon tentatively plans to close by 1997.

The board will include the five county supervisors, who each will have one vote. The city of Irvine will get three votes and Lake Forest one vote.

The El Toro agency will also have an advisory committee that will include representatives from the 31 Orange County cities, seven business groups and seven South County unincorporated communities.