Wilson Clears Air With El Toro Airport Foes

In a three-hour private meeting Saturday, County Supervisor Tom Wilson convinced leading opponents of the proposed El Toro airport that he was firmly in their camp and would continue to fight the airport proposal in his own style.

“We finished the meeting with a standing ovation for Tom, and I believe it was unanimous,” said Wayne Rayfield, chairman of the anti-airport El Toro Coalition. The meeting, attended by about 15 community leaders, was at the San Juan Capistrano home of businessman Ron Cedillos, who last week had questioned Wilson’s commitment to the anti-airport cause because of a controversial vote he cast.

“I’m not sure what happened or how it happened,” Wilson said of the flap, which caused concern among several other airport opponents. “I’m just glad we were able to get together and get it fixed.”

Wilson said the meeting gave him an opportunity to explain how he operates and what his plans are. “I talked about my strategy, my modus operandi, my style in opposing El Toro aviation,” he said, “and it’s going to work.”

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Cedillos last week stopped payment on a $500 campaign contribution to Wilson and announced he was canceling plans for a fund-raiser because Wilson had sided with the three supervisors who support an El Toro airport in backing County Counsel Laurence M. Watson.

Supervisor Todd Spitzer, an airport foe, had contended that Watson violated board policy by hiring outside attorney Michael Gatzke without getting authorization from the board. Gatzke was hired to handle some El Toro litigation.

At a closed door supervisors session, Watson defended himself by producing a state deputy attorney general’s informal opinion that said he acted within board policy. Wilson said that opinion persuaded him to vote with the majority in ratifying Watson’s action.

However, Wilson said Saturday he would ask the board in the next two or three weeks to review its policy on hiring outside counsel with an eye toward changing it.

Cedillos could not be reached for comment Saturday. Rayfield, who chaired the meeting and acted as spokesman for the group, said Cedillos was among those who applauded Wilson at the end of the meeting.

“The thing that helped set the constructive tone of the meeting is Tom said in no uncertain words that he is adamantly opposed to the airport,” Rayfield said.

He called the concern over Wilson’s vote “a lack of understanding” and said that it “may have gotten more attention than it deserved.”

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Among those attending the Saturday meeting were Larry Agran, former Irvine mayor and director of the anti-airport group Project ‘99, and Bill Kogerman, executive director of Taxpayers for Responsible Planning.

Kogerman said the meeting was “a good catharsis” and convinced those who had misgivings about Wilson’s vote to continue backing the supervisor.

“He has our support,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll look at the future and see what happens.”

Wilson, who on Friday suggested Spitzer may have promoted some of the opposition to him, would not elaborate Saturday.

“Any time a piece of information hits the streets, it can be manipulated. It can sometimes get misconstrued,” he said. “I think it’s always better when the parties directly involved get together face to face.”