THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090530
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
The president of a Norfolk coalition of civic leagues resigned under pressure Thursday, a move that could cast doubts about recent efforts to build regional alliances among neighborhood groups.
James Janata, president of the Norfolk Federation of Civic Leagues, resigned after being threatened with ouster by his organization's membership during a Thursday night meeting.
Janata then left the meeting, and the group voted 21-6 to accept his resignation.
The furor arose after Janata, on Monday, had joined some civic-league leaders from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk in urging Norfolk and Virginia Beach politicians to settle their dispute over Lake Gaston water prices.
Some Norfolk Federation members said they were upset over Janata's reported comments at a Monday news conference.
Besides urging politicians to return to the bargaining table, Janata reportedly said, ``We should look at a regional water authority and see if it makes sense. . . . If it does, then we'll support it.''
Norfolk city officials have said they oppose a water authority right now.
Some members disputed whether Janata had the authority to speak for the federation. Some said Janata's reported comments went too far and undermined Norfolk's negotiations with Virginia Beach.
``It has hurt our city and it has hurt our work with the city,'' said Eloise LaBeau, acting president of the federation and one of Janata's chief critics at Thursday's meeting.
``The city has more or less closed their doors to the Federation of Civic Leagues. And I feel like that we are hurt. And we have been a . . . very viable organization for 37 years, and we've never had anything like this happen.''
LaBeau contended that Norfolk ``city officials are very upset about it. And they will not work with us as they have in the past. And we've had a very good rapport with them.''
LaBeau also was among several federation members who contended that Janata did not represent the organization in making his regionalism statements.
Janata disputed the assertions, maintaining he had a majority of the nine-member executive committee.
``It was never my intention to tear up the federation,'' Janata said as he resigned. ``I think I acted the best I knew how. I thought I was doing what was right, and I thought I made a statement that was truly representative of the feelings of the federation.
``It's been misconstrued by a number of people, but that's neither here nor there. I think that my position has been usurped already, and I think that rather than continue going on with this kind of thing, I think that there is enough disagreement . . . that the only thing left for me to do is to resign.''
He could not be reached after the meeting for further comment.
City Manager James B. Oliver Jr. would not comment directly on LaBeau's assertion about impaired relations between City Hall and the federation.
Asked if LaBeau may have received her impression from him, Oliver said: ``I haven't had the first conversation with Jim about this. I haven't had the first conversation with Eloise.
``I really think any comments purporting the City Hall view need to come from the City Council.''
However, Oliver said he still supports the idea of civic leagues being involved in promoting regionalism, a notion that began taking hold here in December but is matter of fact in other areas of the country.
W. Randy Wright, the only City Council member who could be reached, also was reluctant to comment. He said, however, that Janata's call for Norfolk and Virginia Beach politicians to work together ``was constructive.''
``But I think the problems took place when he opened the door to a regional water authority. That's counter to the city and to our delicate negotiations.''
Leslie K. Fenlon Jr., president of the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations, called Janata's resignation ``just terrible'' and ``absurd.''
Fenlon, who said he had the support of his executive board, added that he will talk with LaBeau.
In recent months, Janata and Fenlon have been involved with civic-league leaders in other Hampton Roads cities in forming a loose-knit regional coalition.
The Hampton Roads Coalition of Civic Leagues, as it is tentatively called, wants to encourage swapping ideas among civic leagues across city lines and to gain a greater voice for civic leagues in the future of the region.
Coalition leaders called their effort ``grass-roots regionalism.''
LaBeau said she still agreed with grass-roots regionalism but was uncertain about the future form of her group's participation in grass-roots regionalism.
``I don't know that it's dead,'' she said. ``But we certainly will not push regionalism when it comes to our water.
``When Virginia Beach is ready to look at regionalism as far as light rail and public housing and things like that, then we'll look at the other things.'' by CNB