Conflict-of-Interest Probe Focuses on Former Ventura Mayor Tingstrom

Local prosecutors are investigating whether a City Council member improperly tried to influence city officials two years ago on behalf of a golf course management company doing business with the city, officials said Saturday.

The target of the probe is Jack Tingstrom, who at the time was mayor and also worked as a paid consultant to the company, which was seeking to renew its contract to continue operating the city’s Olivas Park Golf Course.

Other members of the City Council, suspecting Tingstrom may have illegally lobbied elected officials and city staff in 1997, recently decided to refer the matter to the district attorney’s office, City Manager Donna Landeros said.

“The council believed there may have been a violation of the conflict of interest code,” Landeros said.

Reached Saturday at his home, where he has been recovering from prostate cancer surgery, Tingstrom denied any wrongdoing.

He said he made it clear to the council and city attorney that as a consultant hired by Avila Golf Management Co. he would not vote on any business before the council relating to the company.

Tingstrom said he was hired as a consultant for Avila in January 1995 to do community- and government-relations work on projects outside of Ventura.

“I influenced nothing. I didn’t ask anyone to change their vote,” Tingstrom said. “I’m sad that they have taken this tack. I have done nothing wrong.”

Tingstrom received $70,000 from Avila over two years, including a critical time when the company was in negotiations with the city over the Olivas contract.

The company, which also operates golf courses in Paso Robles and the Antelope Valley, could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Reached Saturday at his home in Ventura, Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Frawley declined to comment.

However, Ventura Mayor Jim Friedman said he has met several times in the past few weeks with Dist. Atty. Michael Bradbury and other prosecutors, who said they are proceeding with an investigation into Tingstrom’s business dealings and actions as a council member.

Although city officials would not describe specific wrongdoing they allege Tingstrom committed, they said information that came to light at the conclusion of a lawsuit between the city and Avila caused them enough concern to contact prosecutors.

After a series of closed session meetings that did not include Tingstrom, Landeros said it was the “unanimous consent” of the council in mid-April to refer the matter to the district attorney. She said no vote was taken to reach the decision.

In July 1997, Avila sued the city after failing to win renewal of a contract to manage the Olivas golf course, which it had operated since 1982.

Last month, the city agreed to pay Avila $90,000 to settle the suit, considerably less than the $1.3 million the company alleged the city owed it for improvements made to the course.

Tingstrom said he thinks the city is using him as a scapegoat because the company sued the city and the city was forced to pay a settlement.

Times Community News reporter Holly J. Wolcott contributed to this report.