San Juan Capistrano Councilmen Try to Compromise on Issues that Divide Them

The San Juan Capistrano business community told City Council members Tuesday that the recent rancor among them is publicly embarrassing the city and could hurt business.

“When I was in the third grade, I remember being pulled out of recess with three other boys and stood in the corner for the rest of the recess,” said Tom Scott, who runs the Camino Real Playhouse. “Sometimes I feel like we’re behaving like that, and maybe we should stand in the corner.”

With that in mind, four councilmen – Derek Reeve was absent – tried to work out a compromise on the issues that divide them. “Compromise” was the word of the afternoon, although in the end, not that much changed.

Here’s what the council members decided:

• They will drop any investigation into Councilman Roy Byrnes to see if he violated the state law governing closed sessions when he revealed information about an August decision made behind closed doors to ban news racks at City Hall and the Community Center.

• They will continue to examine whether Reeve, wearing his hat as an attorney, should be allowed to represent clients who have “adverse matters” before the city. But, instead of paying $25,000 to a retired judge to research the subject, they will enlist the help of the California Attorney General’s office for guidance.

• They will double-check at the end of any closed-door session with the city attorney to see what, if any, action should be reported out.

• The will ask staff to research ways to regulate news racks all over the city.

• And three of the councilmen condemned the attempt to recall City Councilman Sam Allevato. Byrnes abstained from that vote.

The council was acting upon an open letter the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce board sent last week. The letter was the only item on the council’s agenda.

“I’d like to see this all work out today so we can all move forward. Because we all have work to do,” said Carolyn Franks, owner of Zoomars Petting Zoo and chairwoman of the Chamber board. “There’s a connectivity that’s been missing between our businesses and the city that I think can be very easily resolved.”