Bohr resigns after allegations of misuse of position

Jenny Marder

Planning Commissioner Keith Bohr abruptly resigned his seat on the

board Monday after allegations that he misused his position with the

city.

Bohr, a real estate broker in Huntington Beach, asked employees

from the city’s Planning Department to assist his real estate

clients.

“I’m not embarrassed about anything I’ve done,” Bohr said.

Bohr resigned at the urging of Councilman Gil Coerper, who

appointed him in December. Coerper said he felt the resignation was

the best thing for the city.

“There may have been a problem, but overall, the biggest thing is

that I wanted no bad light reflected on the city of Huntington

Beach,” Coerper said.

Since he was appointed, Bohr said he has made phone calls to the

Planning Department and appeared in person asking employees to assist

with development applications or projects for his real estate

clients. He handed over development applications, requested

development applications and called to ask why one of his client’s

applications wasn’t accepted.

At one point, he put in a call to Planning Director Howard

Zelefsky and another to City Administrator Ray Silver, asking them to

contact one of his clients.

“As a Planning Commissioner, the only way you have influence is to

vote,” Bohr said, in defense of his actions. “I never voted on any

issues and I never talked to any zoning administrators. I have no

influence over staff in my opinion.”

He said he was simply putting people in contact with one another.

“I was not trying to influence them in any way,” Bohr said. “I

called to ask what’s the process, what’s the status, when’s the

hearing date ... . It seems to be perceived in the public that

government people are all corrupt. Staff is not corrupt, the City

Council is not corrupt and the Planning Commission is not corrupt.

It’s unfair to Huntington Beach to feed that paranoia.”

Bohr said he would have preferred not to step down, but did it at

Coerper’s urging.

The city is now taking steps to examine city ethics, a procedure

that will include a workshop on city ethics.

Fellow commissioners said they were unaware of Bohr’s actions.

“If that’s what he was doing, using his position as a commissioner

to expedite projects he was involved with, then I think resignation

is the right thing,” said Randy Kokal, chairman of the Planning

Commission.

Although he questioned his actions, the veteran commissioner

defended Bohr’s intentions and praised his performance on the board.

“I don’t think he was doing anything intentional,” Kokal said. “I

like to think people are naive rather than malicious, and I don’t

think he was malicious.”

Bohr, who was appointed after an unsuccessful run for the City

Council, had grown into the position over the past few months, Kokal

said.

“I’ve noticed a change in his attitude and perspectives and I

think he’s matured into the job in last couple of months,” Kokal

said. “I think if he was going to remain as a planning commissioner,

he would have been an asset.”

The deadline to apply to the open Planning Commission seat is May

30. The position open to the public.

Coerper said he will look at the applications and hold interviews

with other City Council members and possibly someone from the

Planning Commission. He hopes to appoint a new commissioner to fill

the gap by early July.

“I’m hoping for a well-rounded person who makes good decisions for

the city Huntington Beach,” Coerper said. “You want to get a person

who looks out for the city.”