Robert O Franks

The new man in the city attorney's leather chair will be Texas native Robert O. Franks, who was selected by the City Council last week. Franks, an attorney for the city of Anaheim for 20 years, succeeds Furman Roberts, who retired last December after 22 years as city attorney. Franks, 56, is now senior assistant city attorney for Anaheim. He is expected to take over April 15, and he will be paid $91,350 a year.

The new man in the city attorney's leather chair will be Texas native Robert O. Franks, who was selected by the City Council last week. Franks, an attorney for the city of Anaheim for 20 years, succeeds Furman Roberts, who retired last December after 22 years as city attorney. Franks, 56, is now senior assistant city attorney for Anaheim. He is expected to take over April 15, and he will be paid $91,350 a year.

Nonprofit groups will soon have an easier time booking bingo games to raise money. This month the City Council gave preliminary approval to a revision of its bingo law so that groups can offer bingo--as long as they do so in a new building or development. The revision came about after a group of performers called the New Young Americans faced being rejected for a bingo permit last month because they did not meet the 36-month residency requirement.

City officials have announced the settlement of a 10-year-old lawsuit with a billboard company that had challenged the city's sign ordinance on constitutional grounds. National Advertising, a nationwide billboard company, can now erect four of the 11 billboards it sought to build in 1985. The case had gone as high as the U.S.

Voters may cast their final ballots for mayor this November. City Council members have agreed to require the city attorney to draft a ballot proposal for the 1995 election that will ask voters if they want to cease direct elections for mayor. Instead, an ordinance would set up a rotational system so council members would fill the job for a one-year term.

City officials will not challenge an appellate court decision favorable to a former planning commissioner accused of ethics improprieties, the city attorney said. City Council members instead have asked the city's legal staff to draft a stronger conflict-of-interest ordinance for local officials. The city's lawsuit against Donald D.

The City Council decided Tuesday to back down from an ordinance it initially passed last month that would have limited the number of occupants in city residences. The turnaround came on the heels of a state appeals court decision that struck down a similar Santa Ana ordinance. Acting on the advice of City Atty. Robert O. Franks, the council removed the item from its agenda until the state Supreme Court makes a decision on Santa Ana's appeal.

Rather than deny a group of young performers a bingo permit so they can raise money, city officials have decided to change the law. The City Council overturned a Planning Commission decision denying a bingo permit to New Young Americans, a group of young dancers and singers who conduct arts workshops in schools.

The city continues to wrangle with residents of the Fairhaven Islands area over whether about 90 acres of county land should become part of Orange. The City Council this week was ready to schedule a mailed ballot election for voters in the Fairhaven area to decide whether to become part of the city. But homeowners Tuesday once again balked at annexation and complained that the city was railroading them.

Residents living along the steep terrain of Calle Grande have persuaded the city to delay putting in a three-way stop sign at the intersection with Calle Baja. The City Council voted 4 to 1 last week to delay a decision on the stop sign until city engineers can find other ways to improve the sight distance for drivers on the curvy road. Councilman Dan Slater was the lone dissenter. He said he wanted the stop sign put in because City Atty. Robert O.

A bitter dispute between the city and private companies over emergency ambulance care has landed in Superior Court. Santa Ana-based CareLine California has filed a suit asking Judge Michael Brenner to grant an injunction preventing the city from turning over all emergency ambulance care to its Fire Department.