WET ISSUE? Irvine City Council members had...

WET ISSUE? Irvine City Council members had been casting their votes electronically on a trial basis for several months. But when they decided to make it a permanent policy this week, how did they vote? By voice vote. . . . With the continuing heavy rains, a leaky roof in council chambers forced them to sit at makeshift tables, away from their push-button gadgets. At this rate, quipped Mayor Michael Ward, they may soon need flashlights.

THE CLIENT: Battered by the bond fiasco, the Capistrano Unified School District found one way to slash spending: It’s dumped an outside legal firm at $22,000-plus per month and hired Leonard M. Shulman, an attorney expert in bankruptcy law, at just a fraction of that. . . . Shulman, introduced at a trustees meeting this week, happens to have a personal interest in keeping its schools financially healthy: He has three children who attend classes in the district.

TICKET TO RIDE: Donna Soto-Morettini, an Orange County native and UC Irvine graduate, has landed the job as head of both the drama and dance departments at the new Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in England--a pet project of Paul McCartney (F1). . . . If the ex-Beatle has it his way, she won’t be the only American at the school, scheduled to open in September. A school spokesman says that McCartney is encouraging American students to apply because of his lifelong love of American rock ‘n’ roll.

NOT BAD SEATS: For the Factory, an up-and-coming alternative band from Costa Mesa, Saturday night could be its big chance. The band opens for Dada at the Coach House (OC Live!) in San Juan Capistrano, and record representatives will be in attendance. . . . “We’ve taken this thing a lot farther than we expected,” says Geordi McGrath, the band’s co-founder. . . . About Saturday night’s show, he says: “We would have gone to that gig anyway. But it’s good to have free passes.”