- March 28, 2023
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Doug Elliott21 Posts
Doug Elliott is an attorney and Irvine resident. He is a retired civil servant who has spent most of his legal career in the public sector.
Opinion: Mayor Seeks to Accelerate Technology Development in Irvine, but at What Cost to Our Quality of Life?
“Austin is the fastest-growing major metro area in America, having expanded by a third in the past ten years. It is already the eleventh-largest city. New jobs mop up newcomers as fast as they arrive. Every day, the metro area adds three hundred and fifty-five new residents, while two hundred and thirty-eight Austinites depart, many […]
City Council Meets in Tuesday Special Session to Consider Amphitheater Options
“Wait for the day you’ll go away / Knowing that you warned me / Of the price I’d have to pay” —Gary B. White, Long Long Time (performed by Linda Ronstadt) The Irvine City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, February 21, at 6:30 p.m. to consider whether to pursue further negotiations with […]
Opinion: Funny Valentine? Say “No” to Live Nation Bait and Switch, “Yes” to a Smaller Amphitheater
“Don’t change a hair for me, not if you care for me …” – Rodgers and Hart, “My Funny Valentine.” At the Irvine City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at 2:00, the city staff will update the Council on the proposed amphitheater in the Great Park. The staff report, “Overview of Current […]
Irvine City Council Votes Not to Investigate Corruption at City Hall
On a three-two vote, the Irvine City Council last night rejected a motion by Councilmember Kathleen Treseder to investigate the activities of Melahat Rafiei, Mayor Farrah Khan’s former campaign consultant, who last week entered into a plea agreement with the United States Attorney, in which she admitted to a 2018 scheme to bribe two former […]
City Council Agenda Highlights for January 24, 2023
The City Council’s regular meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, features a packed agenda, following a special meeting at 3:00 with several closed session items and a discussion of Melahat Rafiei’s plea agreement with the United States Attorney. The regular meeting will include a series of public hearings on the formation of […]
Irvine City Council to Discuss Melahat Rafiei’s Felony Plea Agreement at Special Meeting on Tuesday at 3:00
In a hastily called special meeting at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 24, 2023 the Irvine City Council will discuss last week’s plea agreement between Mayor Farrah Khan’s longtime political consultant Melahat Rafiei and the U.S. Department of Justice. This comes after a call by Councilmember Treseder for a City investigation of Melahat’s activities. Prior to […]
Opinion: Sweetheart Deal? GP Board Poised to Spend $110 Million to Construct Amphitheater For Live Nation Profit
Credit: Save Live Music Irvine On Tuesday, September 27, at 3:00 p.m., the Great Park Board will vote on approval of a contract committing more than $100 million in public funds to the construction of a 14,000-seat amphitheater to be exclusively managed by Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. for 30-50 years. The structure would be sited […]
Power Authority Postpones Closed Session on Fate of CEO; Responds to Grand Jury Report and Audit Demand
Embattled CEO Brian Probolsky dodged another bullet at the September 6, 2022, meeting of the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Board of Directors. On the advice of legal counsel, the Board removed a closed session from its agenda, which could have resulted in Probolsky’s termination and replacement. The original agenda had listed three items to […]
Mike Carroll Wants to Take Away Our Power to Elect the Mayor [Opinion]
If you value your right to vote for Mayor of Irvine every two years, be sure to exercise that right in this November’s general election. If Mike Carroll gets his way, it will be your last time voting for Mayor. Furthermore, the person who wins that election could serve as mayor for up to 12 […]
As COVID Numbers Rise (Again), City Council Considers Repeal of Vaccination Requirement for Senior Lunch Program
At the bottom of the agenda for the next Irvine City Council meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24, is Item 6.1, bearing the deceptively innocuous title “Update to Vaccination Requirements for In-person Congregate Meal Program.” This is no mere update; City staff is proposing an ordinance repealing the present requirement of proof of vaccination […]
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