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Grindle (Shirley) Papers
MS.R.084
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
Title: Shirley Grindle papers
Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.084
Physical Description:
6 Linear Feet
(12 boxes, 3 oversized folders)
Date (inclusive): 1956-2005
Date (bulk): 1974-2000
Abstract: This collection comprises the papers of
Shirley Grindle, an environmental and political activist, self-proclaimed "watch-dog" for
Orange County campaign ethics, and former Orange County (California) Planning Commissioner
(1973-1977). The papers include records of the Orange County Planning Commission from her
time as a commissioner, index cards she used to track campaign donations and monitor
compliance with the Time Is Now, Clean Up Politics (TIN CUP) ordinance, her TIN CUP files
and subject files reflecting her involvement in the preservation of open spaces in Orange
County. The papers include index cards, environmental impact reports, maps, reports,
correspondence, agendas, memoranda, notes, clippings, minutes, ephemera, legal documents,
and photographs.
Language of Material:
English .
The collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by
the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish,
please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Shirley Grindle papers. MS-R084. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries,
Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information
about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder
descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Gift of Shirley Grindle, 2001-2006, 2010.
Accruals are expected.
Processed by Audrey Pearson, 2007, and Carole McEwan, 2010.
Environmental and political activist Shirley Grindle served as a member of the Orange
County Planning Commission from January 1973 to January 1977 and subsequently became a vocal
advocate for the preservation of open spaces and campaign finance reform in Orange County,
California. Grindle has also acted as a self-proclaimed "watch-dog" for campaign ethics in
Orange County since 1977.
A Nebraska native raised in Long Beach, California, Grindle obtained her degree in
aeronautical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was the only
female engineering student in her graduating class. She worked as an aeronautical engineer,
and pioneered the development of the hyperthermal plasma arc wind tunnel to simulate
re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Grindle conducted thousands of re-entry tests on
candidate nose cone materials to ascertain their ability to safely return a man from outer
space. When the need for new re-entry materials ceased, Grindle retired to run a
construction engineering firm with her brother, conducting off-site grading and installation
of storm drains, sidewalks, paving, etc. In the mid 1960s a prominent sand and gravel mining
company had attempted to re-zone property near Grindle's residence to allow the digging of
another 70-acre gravel pit. Grindle organized local homeowners associations and successfully
blocked the re-zoning after an 8-year battle. Grindle's accomplishments brought her to the
attention of County Supervisor Ralph Clark, who appointed her to the Orange County Planning
Commission in January 1973.
Grindle served as an Orange County Planning Commissioner for the Fourth District from 1973
through 1976. The Commission is made up of five commissioners appointed by the Orange County
Board of Supervisors, each representing one district of the county. Commissioners review
Orange County General Plan amendments, zoning changes, conditional use permits, variances,
and revocation proceedings. The Commission holds regular and special meetings to discuss
issues such as road realignments, city zone changes, regional parks, future housing tracks,
flood control, and land grading. Commissioners vote to determine whether or not to approve
requests. Decisions are largely based on environmental impact reports and statements and the
recommendation of the County Planning Department staff. The Planning Commission then makes
its recommendations to the Orange County Board of Supervisors who have final approval
authority on most issues. During her term, Grindle was specifically charged with resolving
the development issues associated with Orange Park Acres -- a large rural county island in
Clark's Fourth District.
After resigning from the Planning Commission in January 1977, Grindle went to work for an
environmental firm and wrote environmental impact reports associated with military projects.
In 1981 Grindle retired from Ultrasystems, Inc., and has since dedicated herself full-time
to political and environmental activism.
In 1977 after leaving the Planning Commission, Grindle authored a campaign finance
ordinance known as TIN CUP (standing for Time Is Now, Clean Up Politics). Grindle led the
county-wide initiative that collected in excess of 100,000 signatures to qualify the
ordinance for the ballot. She requested the Board of Supervisors to adopt the ordinance
since it was likely to pass if put on the ballot. They did so and the TIN CUP ordinance
became effective December 8, 1978. It limited contributions initially to $1,000 per election
cycle; by 1992 the limit increased to just over $2,000 due to cost of living increases.
In 1992 Grindle amended the TIN CUP ordinance and asked the Board of Supervisors to place
it on the ballot. The amended ordinance (TIN CUP II) was passed by 85% of the vote and went
into effect in June 1992. Grindle also wrote an ordinance with the Board of Supervisors in
1993 that prohibited county employees, including appointed and elected officials, from
receiving gifts from anyone who had done business with the county in the last 12 months.
Also in 1993, she helped write a code of ethics that banned county officials and former
employees from lobbying the county for one year after leaving their positions.
After TIN CUP went into effect in 1978, Grindle carefully maintained index cards on which
she recorded every campaign contribution made to candidates running for county office. This
allowed her to discover and track possible violations. When she found violations, she
contacted the candidate and his or her treasurer to seek corrective action of the
violations. In virtually all cases, voluntary compliance was achieved once the violation was
brought to the candidate or treasurer's attention.
Grindle has also worked for over 20 years to help establish permanent open spaces in Orange
County, including the El Modena Hills in East Orange, now included as part of Santiago Oaks
Regional Park, and the 526-acre Barham Ranch which was also subsequently added to Santiago
Oaks Regional Park.
Grindle began work in 1970 to preserve as open space a parcel of land east of the City of
Orange, known as Jones Ranch. Jones Ranch includes the lava-rock outcroppings of the El
Modena Hills. By 1972 Jones Ranch was offered for sale for eventual residential development.
Grindle, acting as Planning Commissioner, established a committee comprised of the
developer, the land owner, representatives of nearby neighborhoods, and the city and county
governments to devise a plan of development for the East Orange area. The compromise plan
was adopted in 1976 and preserved 110 acres of Jones Ranch, which included the El Modena
Hills primary ridgeline and slope, in exchange for increased density on the rest of Jones
Ranch. In 1978 a developer requested an amendment to allow development in the open space. In
response to this new threat, in 1979 Grindle formed the non-profit "East Orange Open Space
Management Corporation" to accept title and responsibility for the open space. During the
1980s the Jones Ranch was sold to a series of developers. In 1989 the El Modena Hills were
finally deeded to the County of Orange as part of Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Grindle then
contacted the Los Tesoros Homeowners Association, which held 32 acres adjoining the open
space, and convinced them to dedicate the land to the Santiago Oaks Regional Park.
Barham Ranch is a 526-acre wilderness park that was jointly owned by the Serrano Water
District and the Orange Unified School District. The Ranch was acquired in the 1880s for
water rights and a dam site by Carpenter Irrigation District and Serrano Irrigation District
(now the Serrano Water District). In the 1970s Carpenter Irrigation District sold its
undivided 50% interest to the Orange Unified School District with a written agreement that
Barham Ranch was to be used for "general public benefit and educational purposes." By 1999
however, the Serrano Water District entered into an agreement with a private developer
(SunCal Companies) to sell their undivided 50% interest in Barham Ranch so that SunCal could
build 600 homes on it. After much public outcry and pressure from Prange Park Acres and the
Save Barham Ranch group (comprised of Marilyn Ganahl, Theresa Sears and Shirley Grindle),
the Serrano Water District sold its half interest to the Orange Unified School District for
$2.4 million in (January 2000). Subsequently, after much negotiation with members of the
Orange Unified School District Board of Trustees, the County Board of Supervisors bought
Barham Ranch for $4.2 million on August 27, 2002, thereby connecting Irvine Regional Park
with Santiago Oaks and Weir Canyon Regional Parks for a total of 1,550 acres of protected
open space.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises the papers of Shirley Grindle, former Orange County Planning
Commissioner, author of Orange County's Time Is Now, Clean Up Politics (TIN CUP) ordinance,
and environmental and political activist. The materials include her files as a planning
commissioner (1973-1978), the index cards she used to track campaign donations and monitor
compliance with TIN CUP (1978-1990), her TIN CUP files and subject files reflecting her
involvement in the preservation of open spaces in Orange County (1970-2005). Her papers
include index cards, environmental impact reports, maps, reports, correspondence, agendas,
memoranda, notes, clippings, minutes, ephemera, and legal documents. Also included are a few
photographs related to Grindle's environmental efforts.
This collection is arranged in 6 series.
- Series 1. Orange County Planning Commission files, 1971-1978. 2.5 linear feet
- Series 2. Environmental activism files, 1956-2005. 1.5 linear feet
- Series 3. Campaign finance reform index cards, 1978-1990. 0.8 linear feet
- Series 4. TINCUP files, 1970-2007. 1.0 linear feet
- Series 5. Awards,1976-2008. 0.1 linear feet
- Series 6. Orange County Grand Jury investigation of District Attorney, 2002. 0.2 linear feet
Several newsletters and magazines were removed from this collection and cataloged
separately in Special Collections and Archives.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Letters -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Topographic maps -- California -- Orange County -- 20th
century.
Letters -- California -- Orange County -- 21st century.
Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 20th
century.
Environmental impact statements -- California -- Orange County -- 20th
century.
Ephemera -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Regional planning -- California -- Orange County -- History --
Sources.
Open spaces -- California -- Orange County -- History --
Sources.
Environmental protection -- California -- Orange County -- History --
Sources.
Campaign funds -- California -- Orange County -- 20th
century.