2 Added to El Toro Base Reuse Panel

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed two relative unknowns from Lake Forest and Irvine to an advisory board helping plot the future of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, after the mayors of the two cities refused to join.

The action caps months of wrangling over who will represent South County cities on the El Toro Airport Citizens Review Commission.

The new commissioners are Jack W. Rippy of Lake Forest and L. David Markley of Irvine. Rippy is a retired Marine colonel who has experience both as a pilot and a military lawyer. Markley works in the aviation industry and served in the Air Force.

The appointments were approved on a 3-0 vote. Supervisor Jim Silva did not attend the meeting and Supervisor Marian Bergeson abstained.

“I’m not able to support these appointments, not because of their qualifications, but because they do not represent a broad constituency,” Bergeson said.

The advisory commission was formed last year after voters narrowly approved Measure A, an initiative that called for construction of a commercial airport at the 4,700-acre El Toro Marine base. The base is scheduled to close in 1999.

Measure A gave supervisors the authority to create the 13-member commission, which consists of business and labor leaders, aviation experts and representatives from the cities and community groups.

Irvine Mayor Mike Ward and Lake Forest Mayor Richard T. Dixon have repeatedly declined to join the panel in part because they fear the county is determined to build a commercial airport at the base despite strong opposition from South County residents.

Many South County residents fear an air cargo facility at El Toro would create noise, traffic and environmental problems. They have placed an initiative, Measure S, on the March 26 ballot that would repeal Measure A and place restrictions on construction of an airport.

In other action Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted to join with Orange County judges in seeking special state legislation that would provide local courts with adequate funding through the end of the year.

Judges have complained that since the bankruptcy, the county is not providing enough money to continue full court operations.