HUNTINGTON BEACH : Robitaille Suggests Travel Expense Ban

Citing the tough economic times, City Councilman Earle Robitaille is advocating that City Council members pay for all their own travel expenses when on city business.

Robitaille’s proposal, which last week was sent to a council subcommittee for study, comes as three council members and a top city administrator are to fly to Washington this week to attend the National League of Cities Conference.

“It would be an insult to the voters, and the staff, to ask them to accept reduced services and reduced staffing while we are flitting around the country at taxpayer expense, regardless of the rationale for such trips,” Robitaille said.

Council members Ralph Bauer, Linda Moulton-Patterson and Jim Silva are going to the conference, with Bauer paying his own expenses and Moulton-Patterson paying her own air fare, said Deputy City Administrator Richard Barnard.

The trip will cost the city about $3,500, said Barnard, who is also attending the conference.

In suggesting the change in city policy, Robitaille said council members should be paying their own travel, hotel and per diem costs when traveling out of town, especially with the city trying to cope with a $2.2-million shortfall in its $100-million budget.

Robitaille’s proposal was sent, with his consent, to a council budget subcommittee created last month by Mayor Grace Winchell to propose ways of cutting council expenses.

Winchell said Monday that she doesn’t favor completely eliminating travel expenses from the council budget because contacts with federal officials can be “very valuable” to the city.

Huntington Beach spent about $3,000 for council travel expenses in 1992, an official said. Robitaille said talks with federal and state legislative or regulatory organizations should be conducted in the city.

While in Washington, the local representatives are expected to urge federal officials to continue funding the space station project, part of which is being built at McDonnell Douglas, the largest employer in Huntington Beach.

The delegation also is expected to discuss funding for the Bolsa Chica wetlands, push for progress on establishing a marine sanctuary off the Southern California coast, seek to qualify local programs for federal funding and work on extending a moratorium on offshore oil drilling.