Parks panel’s vote is unclear on reduced fees for Leinart football league
What exactly happened at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Thursday night?
That’s the question on the minds of Costa Mesa city officials Friday morning as they review the exact wording and official record of a much-watched vote from Thursday night’s meeting when, according to the official record, the five-member body unanimously agreed to extend a controversial flag football group’s special status for cheaper use of the Jack H. Hammett Sports Complex.
The group, the Matt Leinart Flag Football League, came under fire Thursday after publication of an Orange County Register investigation that said the for-profit company used Leinart’s nonprofit foundation to secure reduced athletic field user fees throughout Orange County, including in Costa Mesa.
The result, the Register reported, were agencies receiving less money than they should; in Costa Mesa’s case, the figure hovered around at least $50,000 for a three-month period last spring.
In an interview Friday morning with the Daily Pilot, Commissioner Byron de Arakal, who the official minutes say made the motion to recommend extending Leinart’s status for one year, disputed the record.
He pointed to his wording on meeting’s tape, which did not specifically address extending Leinart’s group. According to the tape, de Arakal asked the commissioners to approve special status for three other youth sports groups; Leinart’s flag football was not mentioned.
The other commissioners voted unanimously in favor of de Arakal’s motion, though they may not have been completely aware of what they voted for.
After the vote, Chairman Kim Pederson told the Pilot that his panel voted to recommend extending Leinart’s status. That result was verbally stated afterward by the commission’s clerk, who, after an inquiry from Commissioner Don Harper as to the official record of the commission’s vote minutes before, said the commissioners were unanimous in their recommendation to extend Leinart’s status.
On Friday morning, Recreation Manager Travis Karlen said city staff are reviewing the discrepancy, and that legal counsel may aid in the effort to rectify the record.
Representatives for Leinart’s group said Thursday that they did not mean to be deceptive and would pay back any money City Hall believes is due for use of Jack Hammett fields.
Should the commission’s approval stand, the final decision of whether Leinart’s group will receive its special status will be decided upon by the City Council in July.
