Mayor's attempt to kick colleague off OCFA board deepens Irvine council rift
Jan. 13, 2016 Updated 6:13 p.m.
By SARAH de CRESCENZO / STAFF WRITER
IRVINE ? The City Council kicked off the new year with a fight over who should represent the city on the Orange County Fire Authority, an agency with which the city is feuding over how much money should be returned to Irvine after it overpaid for firefighting services.
Mayor Steven Choi on Tuesday night asked his colleagues to support his decision to replace the city?s representative, Councilman Jeff Lalloway, with Councilwoman Christina Shea.
Lalloway, who sparred with the mayor in November over an appointment to another regional board, accused Choi of acting out of spite.
?Frankly, Mr. Mayor, I think this is a petty, vindictive effort on your behalf,? Lalloway said. ?This is clearly an effort to get back at me by you for something that I am perceived by you to have done to you.?
Shea wasn?t Choi?s first choice. He initially planned to replace Lalloway with Lynn Schott, the council?s newly minted mayor pro tem, he said. But Schott turned down his offer, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing argument over the money the city is owed.
?I think it would be highly detrimental to the city?s position, very dangerous for him to be replaced at this time,? she said.
Shea attacked Lalloway?s record of attendance at OCFA and City Council meetings, accusing him of skipping important votes on employee contracts.
?You?re not indispensible,? she said.
Lalloway, in turn, said he ?found it disturbing? that Choi would move to appoint Shea to the OCFA board after a recent report by news nonprofit Voice of OC called into question whether consulting work she does for Irvine-based KIA Motors America conflicts with her role as an elected official.
At a 2010 meeting of the Orange County Fire Authority board, on which Shea was serving at the time, she was commended for her ?effort to work with KIA Motors America, Inc.? in connection with a borrowed vehicle agreement between the agency and KIA, according to minutes of the meeting.
However, Shea said the city attorney determined she has not violated the city?s lobbying and ethics ordinances.
?You are so out of line,? she told Lalloway.
Shea backed Choi?s attempt to remove Lalloway, but Lalloway, Schott and Councilwoman Beth Krom opposed the change, defeating Choi?s motion.
The role comes with a stipend of $100 per meeting per day, up to $3,600 per year.
The dispute took place during the same meeting at which the council split over dismantling the Great Park Corp., through which officials earn $10,560 per year. That proposal, introduced by Schott, also failed 2-3, with the same division as in the OCFA vote.
Acrimony between Choi and Lalloway intensified last year when Choi removed Lalloway from the committee that selects Orange County cities? representative to the South Coast Air Quality Management District board and replaced him with Shea.
The air quality board oversees the regulation and compliance of everything from power plants to gas stations.
Choi made that decision after he found out that Lalloway ? like Choi, a Republican ? told GOP consultant Mike Madrid he would not commit his vote to Republican Dwight Robinson over the Democratic incumbent, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, as Orange County cities? representative.
Shea voted for Robinson, a Lake Forest City Council member; Robinson?s election gave Republicans a majority on the air quality board.
Before he was replaced, Lalloway said he would not commit his vote to Robinson because the position is supposed to be nonpartisan. After Choi replaced him with Shea, Lalloway rescinded his endorsement of Choi?s campaign for Assembly.
Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com
Jan. 13, 2016 Updated 6:13 p.m.
By SARAH de CRESCENZO / STAFF WRITER
IRVINE ? The City Council kicked off the new year with a fight over who should represent the city on the Orange County Fire Authority, an agency with which the city is feuding over how much money should be returned to Irvine after it overpaid for firefighting services.
Mayor Steven Choi on Tuesday night asked his colleagues to support his decision to replace the city?s representative, Councilman Jeff Lalloway, with Councilwoman Christina Shea.
Lalloway, who sparred with the mayor in November over an appointment to another regional board, accused Choi of acting out of spite.
?Frankly, Mr. Mayor, I think this is a petty, vindictive effort on your behalf,? Lalloway said. ?This is clearly an effort to get back at me by you for something that I am perceived by you to have done to you.?
Shea wasn?t Choi?s first choice. He initially planned to replace Lalloway with Lynn Schott, the council?s newly minted mayor pro tem, he said. But Schott turned down his offer, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing argument over the money the city is owed.
?I think it would be highly detrimental to the city?s position, very dangerous for him to be replaced at this time,? she said.
Shea attacked Lalloway?s record of attendance at OCFA and City Council meetings, accusing him of skipping important votes on employee contracts.
?You?re not indispensible,? she said.
Lalloway, in turn, said he ?found it disturbing? that Choi would move to appoint Shea to the OCFA board after a recent report by news nonprofit Voice of OC called into question whether consulting work she does for Irvine-based KIA Motors America conflicts with her role as an elected official.
At a 2010 meeting of the Orange County Fire Authority board, on which Shea was serving at the time, she was commended for her ?effort to work with KIA Motors America, Inc.? in connection with a borrowed vehicle agreement between the agency and KIA, according to minutes of the meeting.
However, Shea said the city attorney determined she has not violated the city?s lobbying and ethics ordinances.
?You are so out of line,? she told Lalloway.
Shea backed Choi?s attempt to remove Lalloway, but Lalloway, Schott and Councilwoman Beth Krom opposed the change, defeating Choi?s motion.
The role comes with a stipend of $100 per meeting per day, up to $3,600 per year.
The dispute took place during the same meeting at which the council split over dismantling the Great Park Corp., through which officials earn $10,560 per year. That proposal, introduced by Schott, also failed 2-3, with the same division as in the OCFA vote.
Acrimony between Choi and Lalloway intensified last year when Choi removed Lalloway from the committee that selects Orange County cities? representative to the South Coast Air Quality Management District board and replaced him with Shea.
The air quality board oversees the regulation and compliance of everything from power plants to gas stations.
Choi made that decision after he found out that Lalloway ? like Choi, a Republican ? told GOP consultant Mike Madrid he would not commit his vote to Republican Dwight Robinson over the Democratic incumbent, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, as Orange County cities? representative.
Shea voted for Robinson, a Lake Forest City Council member; Robinson?s election gave Republicans a majority on the air quality board.
Before he was replaced, Lalloway said he would not commit his vote to Robinson because the position is supposed to be nonpartisan. After Choi replaced him with Shea, Lalloway rescinded his endorsement of Choi?s campaign for Assembly.
Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com