Newport commissions deserve more influence, council candidates say at forum

Newport Beach’s boards, commissions and committees are important and should have more influence, several City Council candidates said Wednesday night at a forum presented by the Corona del Mar Residents Assn.

Seven of the eight candidates were present at the Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar — the exception being Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, who is running for reelection in council District 3.

District 4 incumbent Kevin Muldoon praised the city’s commissions and said he defers to them for their deep, specialized knowledge. He used the Harbor Commission as an example.

District 6 incumbent Scott Peotter, a former planning commissioner, agreed, saying the Planning Commission draws architects, developers, real estate professionals and structural engineers.

“I know as a councilman I listen directly to those people,” Peotter said. “Unless it conflicts with my philosophy of government, those are the subject matter experts. I rely on them.”

However, his District 6 challenger, Joy Brenner, said the makeup of the boards, commissions and committees — whose members are appointed by the City Council — can be a problem.

“If we’re planting that commission and filling it with developers and architects and people who are pro-development, then they’re going to make the recommendations to the council that the council can then say, ‘Oh well, the people voted for this, this is what the people want,” said Brenner, a former parks, beaches and recreation commissioner. “It’s the job of the commissions and the boards to figure out what the rest of the community wants, not just what they want.”

District 3 challenger Tim Stoaks said community groups and commissions should hone issues enough that the eventual presentation to the council should be “a non-event.”

“I think our commissions are being shorted. They simply don’t get listened to,” he said. “We need to count on the talent in our community.”

District 4 challenger Roy Englebrecht, a current parks commissioner, said he would strengthen the groups.

“We have a great brain trust in this town that we’re underutilizing,” he said.

Brenner said her greatest concern is transparency.

“The public’s business is supposed to be conducted in the public, and that’s going to be one of my first actions … to make sure that we bring everything to the light so we know what we’re dealing with,” she said.

Peotter said it’s important to listen but added that representatives can’t poll residents on everything.

“When you sit there and say, ‘Gee, I’m going to listen,’ I take that as, ‘I put my finger in the wind and find out which way the wind blows and I’m going to jump in front and lead,’” he said. “I call that leading from behind.”

The candidates also answered questions on other topics, such as public safety, homelessness and development, written by the forum’s moderators, students in Corona del Mar High School’s Academy of Global Studies.

Several candidates agreed that water quality is a key environmental issue.

Stoaks focused on trash and toxins that flow downstream from inland cities into Newport’s Back Bay.

Muldoon agreed about runoff and said a water-wheel trash collector planned for the top of Upper Newport Bay, by the Jamboree Road bridge, would help.

When candidates were asked how they could improve turnout among young voters, District 1 challenger Mike Glenn said constituents need to hear the issues in plain English.

“I think somebody coming out and being active and translating that to the laypeople is what’s needed, and I hope I’ve done a decent job of filling that role,” he said.

District 1 incumbent Diane Dixon encouraged the students to participate in local government.

“Local government is where it is happening,” she said. “You can’t go to Washington, Sacramento easily, but you can come to City Council, come to our boards and commissions and get involved with the city and you will have ownership in the issues that come before you.”

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD