Mayor Irons Resigns from Power Plant Job

Summary: Morro Bay mayor Jamie Irons has resigned his position as an instrumentation controls technician at the Morro Bay Power Plant. This opens the way for the new City Council majority of Irons, Christine Johnson, and Noah Smukler to take a hard look at the future of the plant in Morro Bay, and to determine independently and objectively whether there are better alternatives for the well-being, safety and economy of Morro Bay. The 60-year-old-plus dilapidated plant is producing very little electricity, is "not needed" by the state for its energy requirments, and is an eyesore on the north shore of the Morro Bay National Estuary, whose health the plant is taking an undetermined toll on. Irons' resignation means he now can vote on measures involving the plant.

Morro Bay mayor Jamie Irons, who had been an instrumentation controls technician at the Morro Bay Power Plant for 13 years, has resigned, ending the controversy over whether he would recuse — withdraw from participation in a decision — himself if a matter involving the plant or its owner, Dynegy, were to come before the City Council that he has headed since he, Christine Johnson, and Noah Smukler were swept into office in an unprecedented primary election victory last year. It was the first time that a new majority of the council had been elected in a Morro Bay city primary, making the November general election unnecessary.

As an employee of the power plant, Irons had stated he would not vote on any matter placed on the council agenda affecting the plant or its owner, Dynegy, including a new outfall lease, probably the most likely plant issue to come before the council now or in the future. That lease allows the plant to dump water used for cooling its generators — water drawn from the Morro Bay National Estuary, killing untold numbers of fish and crab larvae that keep the estuary healthy — in Estero Bay. The plant cannot operate without use of that water, and the lease could come before the  council for modification or cancellation while Irons is mayor. But now that he has resigned, he and Christine Johnson and Smukler could form a majority to cancel the lease or block its extension. Council members Nancy Johnson and George Leage are certain to support the lease and essentially whatever Dynegy wants for the plant.

Just last December 5th, the previous council, composed of a majority of mayor Bill Yates, Carl Borchard, Nancy Johnson, and Leage, voted to extend the lease. They did so by making sure the issue was agendized before the new council majority was sworn in on December 10, even though they had been elected six months earlier.

But had the old council waited until December 10th to act on this crucial matter, the lease might not have been extended, because a vote then would probably have produced a two (Christine Johnson, Smukler) to two (Nancy Johnson, Leage) deadlock with, presumably, Irons recusing himself. (It takes a majority of three votes for the council to act.) Lease supporters didn't want that, so they rushed the extension through five days sooner to ensure a majority vote for the lease extension.

Irons' resignation from the plant staff last July 12 removes that controversy surrounding his service on the council, which should likely bolster his chances of reelection at the city primary next year. He is expected to seek reelection but has not announced his plans yet. Because of the fear of the plant's harmful effects on the estuary and public health, some residents had felt uncomfortable with Irons vowing to recuse himself on power plant matters, which he did even before he was elected. But that didn't deter him from gaining more votes than those of mayoral candidates Carla Borchard and incumbent Bill Yates combined. Of course, the primary came long before the council vote on the lease.

To some residents who strongly support Irons, Johnson, and Smukler, it is as if they now have an adored council majority without the slightest hint of conflict of interest, i.e. a reason to recuse. Could that preserve and even bolster voter support for Irons at the primary election next year? Seems very likely.

Why did he resign now? "The time off (from his job) required to perform mayoral duties consumed all my vacation time," Irons, 53, said. "Monica and I had considered six months (after taking office) as a time to evaluate how things were working. Along with other contributors and no more vacation time left, it was time to resign and transition from two full-time jobs to one."

Asked if he had resigned, not retired with a pension, he said he definitely resigned. And he does not work at the plant part-time.

As far as recusal now that he is mayor, Irons said "as long as I don't have a financial interest, then I will not recuse myself." And he said he doesn't.

Christine Johnson welcomed Irons' resignation. "While there are very valid conflict of interest provisions that call for council members to recuse themselves, it's optimal to have all five council members participate in each council agenda item.  With five members on the dais, the maximum amount of views for each topic are presented in the debate.  Issues involving the Morro Bay Power Plant are extremely important for our community.  It will be good to have all five elected members of the council weigh in on power plant issues that are sure to arise moving forward."

Asked what he thinks lies ahead for the plant, such as closure in 2015 or sooner or operating past 2015, Irons said, "I cannot predict what Dynegy wants, can or will do. Truly."

Would he support the creation of a citizens committee to begin reviewing redevelopment plans for the power plant site, he was asked? Such a committee was approved by the council about seven years ago. It produced a report on options for use of the plant site and wanted to conduct more research but was blocked by the council headed by mayor Janice Peters. (See New Futures)

Irons said, "I could support the council" on creating such a citizens committee. It could develop plans for a more environmentally attractive and income-producing use of the plant site, located on one of the most beautiful shores in California.

Regulations of the California State Water Resources Control Board, adopted two years ago, require that coastal power plants in California to cease use of what is called once-through-cooling (use of estuary, bay, or ocean water to cool their plant's generators) by certain individual dates. Morro Bay's is 2015.

Plants are expected to switch to air or recycled water cooling by their individual dates in order to keep operating. Despite the regulations' requirement for plants to submit plans for ending once-through-cooling — either by closing plants or shifting to the alternative methods of cooling — Dynegy has failed to submit any plans that comply with the regulations, according to water board staff. Its regulations don't make clear what Dynegy plans to do to have the plant comply. But the regulations are so loosely-written that it is possible Dynegy could somehow avoid the 2015 deadline and continue operating.

A strong and determined majority of the City Council might have some influence with the state board to force the plant to comply with the regulations or close. The city has not had such a council since Duke Energy bought the plant and in 1999 sought to replace it with a much larger and more environmentally-destructive plant (studies showed it would have killed 17% to 35% of all larvae in the estuary). Duke abandoned its new plant plans, sold the Morro Bay plant and other plants in California it owned, and left the state after opposition to its project mounted in Morro Bay. Later, Dynegy bought the plant.

So the council, with a newly-independent Irons along with Christine Johnson and Smukler, who as a council majority already have shown their dedication to working for the betterment of Morro Bay, might turn the page on the 50-year-old plant, which produces some income for the city in the form of outfall lease payments but little else. Its production of electricity has almost run out. The state board has declared the plant now is "not needed" to ensure enough energy for the state (called "grid reliabilty"), the only one of the nineteen power plants in the state with that not needed label.

No telling what a strong and determined council might accomplish under all those circumstances — for the betterment of Morro Bay.

Belted Kingfisher Image on Banner by Cleve Nash