Planning commissioner fined by FPPC
The Fair Political Practices Commission has imposed a $2,000 fine on Huntington Beach Planning Commissioner Barbara Delgleize for voting on a campaign donor’s project without disclosing the donation, agency documents show.
Delgleize failed to disclose a $520 donation from Irvine-based Sares-Regis Group to her unsuccessful 2010 City Council bid and voted in favor of the company’s housing and commercial project in February 2011.
The company seeks to build a 487-unit apartment complex and 14,500-square-foot commercial project at Edinger Avenue and Gothard Street.
The FPPC has also fined Sares-Regis $3,500 for failing to disclose its donation to Delgleize during the Planning Commission meeting.
The agency, which monitors and regulates campaign funds, launched an investigation into Delgleize in March 2011 after Planning Commissioner Mark Bixby filed the complaint.
Delgleize, who is running for a council seat this November, said in a letter to the FPPC that she should have disclosed Sares-Regis’ donation and that it was an error on her part.
Delgleize has also said that her campaign manager regularly returned all donations exceeding $250 to all parties involved with the city, but an error was made with Sares-Regis’ donation.
The FPPC said Delgleize should have disclosed the donation and recused herself from voting on the project.
Delgleize has agreed to pay the fine in order “to resolve all factual and legal issues raised in this matter,” according to the FPPC stipulation.
“I’m glad it’s done,” Delgleize said Thursday. “It was a complete mistake, just an oversight on my part. It was an expensive mistake.”
The agreement is awaiting the FPPC commission’s approval during a public hearing, which is scheduled Aug. 16, said spokeswoman Tara Stock.
Sares-Regis spokeswoman Zoe Solsby said her company made an honest mistake, and there were no attempts to hide anything.
“It was an error on our part, and we’re sorry it happened,” Solsby said.
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