Hopeful seeks more civic involvement

Deirdre Newman

Municipal law is not among attorney John Buttolph’s many

responsibilities as general counsel for a variety of small

businesses.

But his concern about the way the city was interpreting the

Greenlight law led the Newport Beach city attorney to ask him to help

revise the law as it pertains to hotels.

That rewarding civic experience is motivating Buttolph to run for

City Council this fall. He is running in the West Newport district

against incumbent Steve Rosansky and Catherine Emmons.

“I found the process of dispute resolution very interesting and

enjoyed identifying nuances that allowed opposing positions to take

baby steps toward each other and arrive at common agreement,”

Buttolph said. “The city needs that, because I don’t see that

happening.”

Buttolph grew up on Long Island in New York and worked in the

family real estate business until 1975. He opened his own law

practice, focusing on small businesses in 1982 in Santa Barbara and

has lived in Newport Beach for three years.

Buttolph said he is proud to have worked with the city on the

Greenlight law as an independent individual, not as part of

Greenlight or any other group. He said he would be more of an

independent voice on the council than Rosansky.

“Rosansky is an appointed incumbent -- appointed by the City

Council majority -- and perpetuates the status quo,” Buttolph said.

“I think Rosansky has been a talker, not a doer. He’s been too

passive as a member of the City Council.”

Residents’ quality of life is the top priority the council needs

to address through issues such as traffic, John Wayne Airport

expansion and water quality, he said. These problems all necessitate

regional solutions, he said, and Newport Beach needs to lead the way.

“Newport Beach doesn’t just need to sit at the regional table,”

Buttolph said. “It needs to take a leadership position to develop

solutions to these regional problems that have a strong effect on our

residents’ quality of life.”

In addition to working as an attorney, Buttolph has been a

volunteer for some private charities serving seniors and people with

developmental disabilities. As the chairman of the board for

Twelveacres, a private nonprofit that works with the developmentally

disabled in Northern California, he resolved a dispute between the

agency and the state that enabled the clients to get the care they

needed, he said

An outdoorsman, he supports the environment through membership in

the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council and enjoys

hiking and kayaking.