Council to discuss Senior Center legal issues, campaign contribution limits

The Huntington Beach City Council will be discussing legal issues centered on the proposed senior center in Central Park and plans to fund it using money from the upcoming Pacific City development at its meeting Monday.

The discussion won’t be in public — the issues are scheduled for a closed session — but the council must report any vote they take. Such reports are given shortly after the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m.

Officials will be discussing a lawsuit by center opponents like the Parks Legal Defense Fund that calls for its permits be scrapped and the city hold a new vote on the project, saying voters were deceived when they approved the center in 2006.

A second legal issue is being raised by developer Makar Properties, which the city plans to have pay for the center. A deal with the developer holds that rather than building a mandated amount of parkland into its new Pacific City project, Makar would pay fees that the city then plans to funnel into the senior center.

But Makar wants to pay less money than the city is demanding, based on private appraisals. An arbitration is scheduled for early June.

Also on the agenda: Members will again vote on a package of campaign law changes that have split the council over campaign contribution limits. While the current version would keep limits on contributions to local candidates at the existing $300, at least three council members oppose having any limits at all. The council narrowly voted to ax limits altogether at an earlier meeting, but a vote this month to confirm that move failed, as did a compromise figure of $500.

The council’s regular meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 2000 Main St., Huntington Beach.