Dave Sullivan

When Newport Beach officials said they might be in the market for emergency ambulance service in situations that do not require paramedics, Huntington Beach began drawing up a proposal. The City Council recently signed off on submitting the plan, with Mayor Dave Sullivan casting the only opposing vote. Sullivan said he is against the idea because the program as proposed would use contract workers.

After a four-hour debate this week on how to deal with a $4-million operating budget deficit, the City Council declared that three programs will not be affected: drug education in schools, senior outreach services and Neighborhood Watch. "It's a strong message to the public that the council has taken a stand," Mayor Dave Sullivan said Tuesday. In recent weeks, the council has been deluged with pleas from supporters of the three programs not to eliminate them.

Saying their work is not finished, three incumbents on the City Council said this week that they will seek reelection in November. Mayor Dave Sullivan and Councilmen Tom Harman and Victor Leipzig have declared their candidacy and have taken out nomination papers. Eight challengers have also picked up candidacy forms, which must be filed by Aug. 9. Sullivan and Leipzig, both elected in 1992, are seeking second terms on the council.

City leaders will trek to Washington next week to lobby federal officials for almost $1 million to study how the city's infrastructure would fare in an earthquake. Federal legislation adopted in 1990 as part of a water bill gave authorization to pay for studies on Southern California cities' needs for earthquake retrofitting to water-related infrastructure, such as sewer, storm drain and water systems. The city will seek $900,000 to evaluate the infrastructure and plan improvements.

The city will pursue deed restrictions to require native plant landscaping at the proposed Orange County Bolsa Chica Regional Park. The action is being taken because of the discovery of an oversight that omitted the conditions when the deed was transferred to the county. The City Council this week agreed to have its legal department pursue the deed restrictions. The city deeded the property to the county to develop the 106-acre park, which will be county-owned and maintained.

The City Council this week approved an 11% raise over two years for 41 municipal employees. The workers, chiefly management employees, were considered collectively because none is represented by an employees union. Each of the employees will receive a 5% raise next month and another 6% pay increase in December, 1992. When the initial pay hikes are awarded on Dec.

After operating for three years as a temporary panel, the city's Mobile Home Review Committee will become a permanent commission studying issues affecting mobile-home park owners and tenants. "This gives a forum for owners and residents to discuss problems they're having and find solutions," Mayor Dave Sullivan said at Monday's City Council session, when the change was approved.

Over objections from two City Council members who called it an unnecessary expense, the City Council agreed this week to spend another $12,500 to keep a consultant to help ensure that the city's concerns about the proposed Bolsa Chica housing project are addressed. In August, the council approved a $25,000 contract with the Los Angeles consulting firm of Rose & Kindel to lobby the California Coastal Commission on the city's behalf.

The luck of the draw has finally smiled on handyman George Arnold, a perennial City Council candidate and a relentless City Hall critic. He's hoping that his good luck will propel him to victory in the Nov. 3 election. Arnold's name will appear first on the city ballot, the most desirable location, particularly when hopefuls will grapple for any advantage in the field of 14 candidates during the general election. "All right! It's the first time I've been No.

Wearing buttons reading "No Hate," City Council members Monday declared a zero-tolerance policy toward racially motivated crimes and called on the entire community to join the campaign. More than 100 school officials, clergy and residents were on hand as each council member read a portion of a statement urging citizens to respect the dignity of all people. "This is a public declaration . . . an affirmation that we all privately believe," Councilman Peter M. Green said.