Despite a new lawsuit filed by two previous candidates, the Promote La Jolla board began interviewing for two vacancies at its December meeting.
Nancy Warwick and Bob Collins, who both ran in the last Promote La Jolla election, have now filed suit in San Diego Superior Court to challenge the board’s refusal to seat them after two of the winning incumbents were found to be ineligible.
Steve Haskins, attorney for the watchdog group La Jollans For Clean Government, took Warwick and Collins’ case against Promote La Jolla. He is also filing suit against the La Jolla Community Parking District Advisory Board, asking for board members to disclose their financial interests.
“Our goal is that every board or committee dealing with La Jolla is honest and open and respects the process,” Haskins said.
Warwick is suing the PLJ board for documents “addressing the resignation of the directors and the confirmation of election results, documents related to the 2007 election for the board of directors, and records that address the application of any state or local conflict of interest laws.”
The other documents Warwick is suing to produce for public review and inspection include the letters of resignation by Gregory Rizzi and Izzy Tihanyi.
In addition to producing the documents, Warwick and Collins are suing for the vacant seats on the board because they say they were the next runners-up, therefore winning the election.
But PLJ President Deborah Marengo disagreed. Because Rizzi and Tihanyi resigned after the election, the PLJ bylaws give the board the discretion to appoint members to the two vacant seats, she said.
So the Promote La Jolla board began interviewing prospective board members at the Dec. 12 meeting. Although two prospective candidates showed interest, only one was in attendance.
CPA Russell E. Ingledew and Phil Collier, owner of Everett Stunz, are both prospective candidates, but only Collier was in attendance, said Darcy Ashley, a member of the parking board.
Members of PLJ asked Collier what he could do for the board, including asking neighboring businesses for money, but the talks went back to parking.
“We need to get some of the community on our side,” Collier said. “They think there are a dozen or so businesses trying to bulldoze a parking plan through.”
Although the board did not vote regarding Collier, they did discuss Ingledew, who is employed by Promote La Jolla as the group’s accountant. Members discussed whether electing Ingledew to the board would be a conflict of interest
The next PLJ meeting will be Jan. 9 at La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect St. Board members will have their “annual retreat” starting at 1 p.m. to discuss planning, then the regular meeting will take place at 3 p.m.
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