IN BRIEF

-- Susan McCormack

SANTA ANA -- The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered additional study

of four proposed ballot initiatives that would give voters yet another

say about whether the county should build the El Toro airport, said

county spokeswoman Ellen Call.

The first, the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative, earned a place on

the March 2000 ballot last month when proponents gathered more than

190,000 signatures.

By law, the board must analyze the initiative to determine its possible

cost and how it might affect the county’s general plan, Call said. After

the 30-day analysis, the board must place the initiative on the ballot.

Call said the board will discuss the initiative again at its Nov. 23

meeting.

The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative was sponsored by a South

County group that opposes the county’s plan to build an airport at the

former El Toro Marine Air Base. The initiative, if passed, would require

two-thirds of voters to approve any additions to or the creation of new

airports, jails or hazardous waste landfills.

Call said the supervisors also voted to review two possible

counter-initiatives and one advisory vote proposed last week by Ronald

Bates, a pro-airport city councilman from Los Alamitos.

The two counter-initiatives differ slightly from the Safe and Healthy

Communities Initiative. One would require only a majority vote for

approval of new or expanded jails and landfills and leave decisions on

airports in the supervisors’ hands.

The other would give supervisors the option of putting decisions on jails

or landfills to residents or making decisions on their own. Voters,

again, would have no say on airport construction.

Bates’ proposed advisory vote would ask voters if they want the

supervisors to transfer the planning of county airports to a joint-powers

committee made up of the county and several cities.