Tie Vote Keeps Fullerton in Pro-Airport Coalition

By the narrowest of margins--a 2-2 tie--the Fullerton City Council decided Tuesday to stay in the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, which promotes building an airport at the former El Toro Marine base.

But OCRAA officials who attended the City Council session in fear of a major defection didn’t gain much satisfaction from the vote. The swing vote, Councilwoman Jan Flory, said she would vote to drop out of OCRAA if her colleagues didn’t also agree to join the anti-airport group--the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, or ETRPA--for informational purposes.

But when no one would vote to do that, Flory did not rejoin the two council members who wanted to drop OCRAA membership. Instead, she didn’t vote at all.

“I wasn’t quick enough on the draw. . . . I dropped the ball,” she said after the meeting. That could mean Fullerton may drop out later.

OCRAA had 15 member cities, though only six support it financially, until Villa Park recently dropped out, convinced that the current airport plan for El Toro is not feasible.

Fearful that Fullerton would follow, OCRAA officials lobbied hard to convince the council that it should remain a player.

“We are not a rubber stamp of the Board of Supervisors,” said OCRAA deputy executive director Jack Wagner. “We are a forum to provide accurate information to all citizens.”

But even the pro-OCRAA council members acknowledged that the group is the chief promoter for a new airport. That is why Councilmen Mike Clesceri and Chris Norby voted to pull out.

“By remaining, then the perception is that we are supporting the airport,” Clesceri said. “And that’s not the case.”

Clesceri discounted Mayor Richard Jones’ argument that remaining in OCRAA is the best way to get the right information.

“Whether we are members or not, they aren’t going to cut off your information,” he said.

More than a dozen speakers from the audience gave strong opinions, but they too were split on the issue.

“You are known by the company you keep,” said resident Frances Biggs. “If you remain in OCRAA, you’re saying that Fullerton is pro-airport. And most here are not.