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Polite council race hits homestretch
by Robb Fulcher
A healthy-sized, off-year electorate is expected to turn out Nov. 6 when Hermosa voters fill three city council seats and three city school board seats, and turn thumbs up or thumbs down on three ballot measures.
City Clerk Elaine Doerfling said she expects about 30 percent of the city’s registered voters -- a total of nearly 5,000 people -- to cast ballots.
The council race features one incumbent and six challengers competing for three open seats. In contrast to some past council campaigns, the campaign has been marked by polite debate and broad agreement on a range of issues.
Responding to much-discussed issues facing the city, the candidates generally agree upon how to use the end of the 1,200-foot long city pier, which was reopened about a year ago following extensive repairs. Most of them want to see the four-day Mervyn’s Beach Bash summer event scaled back, or even axed.
The candidates do disagree to some extent about the future of the two large annual street fairs that fund the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
A couple of candidates want to build a second municipal parking structure, in the city lot behind the Bank of America building south of the pier. One candidate wants the Beach Cities Health District to turn the long-empty Hermosa Pavilion mall on Pacific Coast Highway into a senior center with a community swimming pool.
Following in alphabetical order are the candidates, their backgrounds and their views:
Michael
Keegan, 38
Owns the 35-employee Manhattan Beach Bagel & Bread Companies, former assistant vice president of commercial real estate developer Tishman West
Hermosa Beach resident 15 years
Married
Member Hermosa Beach Public Works Commission, treasurer of Hermosa Arts Foundation (formerly Hermosa Beach Community Center Foundation), board member ARSAC coalition to halt LAX expansion. Donates time and money to Hermosa Beach Education Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Wellness Community, Heal the Bay, VOICE, Hermosa Beach Historical Society and Our Lady of Guadalupe annual parish fair.
Ran in 1999 and finished a strong fourth, failing to gain a council seat by 1 percent of the vote. Wants to step up road and sewer repair, and as a commissioner co-authored plan to triple funding for such work. "Getting the funding to do that takes someone who’s committed to the task, and it’s not an easy one." Also initiated a subcommittee to work with Aviation and PCH corridor business owners to establish priorities for improvements there.
Wants City Hall open five days a week instead of the current four days, and says it could open later in the day and stay open until 6 p.m., to make services available to residents after work.
Is helping to develop a marketing package to lure a replacement for the BMW dealership in north Hermosa that city officials say will soon leave town for a larger property. "They are a leading revenue source for the city and we need to find a good replacement. Hotels are the best and highest use of land in our city." Would like to attract a high-end operation that would provide its own off-street parking underground. "These new hotels don’t become eyesores, and the traffic is much less than it is with offices or retail."
Large weekend events: Believes the sprawling Mervyn’s Beach Bash is not a needed event. Wants to keep the street fairs intact, saying it is important to fund the chamber of commerce and other nonprofit organizations that maintain vendor booths at the fairs.
Western end of pier: Believes good planning would have required a decision years ago, before the pier was repaired and refurbished, and the foot of the pier redesigned. "Must we do everything piece by piece?" Opposes placing a restaurant on the end, saying the useable area is too small. "You’d have to convince me there needs to be any kind of building out there…"I think having nothing out there is also a valid choice."
Michael
Murphy, 37
Executive in charge of food and beverage division for Embassy Suites hotels
Hermosa resident nine years
Volunteers for Fred Jordan Mission homeless shelter and Habitat for Humanity
Wants to bring people to Hermosa Beach businesses through a targeted marketing campaign and a 30-seat shuttle van that would bring business travelers from the LAX hotels to Hermosa. "People are stranded there and looking for something to do."
"I know how to bring a lot of travelers to our area…I think economic solvency is the biggest issue here. It ties into everything else, public safety, parking, capital improvements, the beautification process."
Marketing campaign would feature "message in a bottle" decorative bottles with golden tickets inside to get travelers to notice Hermosa and come from the LAX hotels. Some ticket holders would win giveaways. Incentives would be offered to hotel concierges to steer hotel guests to Hermosa.
The shuttle van would feature a 30-minute video on Hermosa attractions, and Murphy believes a charge of $3 per trip, along with money from advertisers, would pay for most of the shuttle program.
Wants to build a second parking structure on the city lot behind the Bank of America building south of the pier, in part to ease the problem of noisy Pier Plaza revelers walking through residential neighborhoods to return to their cars. Believes a second structure would also help free up residential parking.
"We need to listen to both the businesses and the residents. I think a lot of the candidates are just there for the residents, and I am for both."
Large weekend events: "I like the fiestas because I think they bring a hometown feel to the city. Listening to [downtown] business owners I think they would rather have at least one of the events on other weekends and not take up two three-day weekends. I would like to explore that. But I think to eliminate the fiestas would not be very wise, because they do support the chamber."
Western end of the pier: Would like to see additional benches, flower pots, flower planters at the railings, and possibly some areas of the pier designated "no fishing" zones. "Some people don’t like to see fish guts lying all over the ground."
Ron Pizer, 68
Buys and sells real estate, former owner 80-employee electronics business
Hermosa resident 11 years, 30 years previous in Rancho Palos Verdes
Married, three children, five grandchildren
Planning commissioner, former downtown enhancement commissioner, seven years total
Endorsed by Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association
Wants to increase a sense of vision and long-range planning on the city council which, he says, wasted time and money in projects that built the Pier Plaza and redesigned the area at the foot of the pier. Wants to step up long-range planning for street and sewer repair and beef up emergency services, especially the fire department’s resources.
"How do you operate this business called Hermosa Beach? That’s the main issue," he said.
Pizer believes that adequate funding does not exist for repairs of streets and the city’s 80-year-old sewer system. Residents should be given the option of paying through assessments for repairs in their area, he says.
Large weekend events: Pizer wants to scale back the sprawling Mervyn’s Beach Bash to minimize its setup and tear-down, and do away with one of the two downtown street fairs that provide almost all of the funding for the chamber of commerce. He does not want to offer the chamber any city funding. He says local volunteers could run a tourism promotion program for which the chamber has sought funding.
"If you go around the city and ask the businesses what the chamber does for them, most of them would say, ‘Nothing.’"
Says City Hall should not provide the school district with funding for a Valley School gym, but might help if off-campus real estate is needed. Says the district should continue to decline Beach Cities Health District money, to keep control of a gym.
Western end of the pier: "Less is more. Something could be there, a statue, a fountain, but definitely not a building. It’s too small."
JR Reviczky,
52
Two-term incumbent councilman
Training director for southwest region of Sasco electrical contracting firm
Hermosa resident 27 years
Married, three children
Eight-year Hermosa Beach Parks and Recreation commissioner, spearheaded purchase of Greenbelt parkway while on OSPAC steering committee, construction coordinator for Hermosa Beach Veterans Memorial, cofounder Beach Cities Toy Drive, member Hermosa Beach Historical Society and Hermosa Beach Sister City Association, former Hermosa Beach Little League president, scout master, four-year director Hermosa Beach Youth Basketball League
Endorsed by Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association
Believes his council tenure has helped improve Hermosa, saying that crime has dropped 46 percent while sales tax revenues have increased 190 percent and hotel tax revenues have increased 375 percent. His tenure also has seen construction of three hotels, Noble and South parks, the South Park roller hockey rink, the city skate park and the Pier Plaza.
Says the council has repaired numerous streets, replaced more than $5 million worth of sewers and storm drains, launched resident-financed projects to bury overhead utility lines in some neighborhoods, and secured grants for refurbishing the city pier, Valley Park and the aging Community Center.
"I’m running because I care about the community. I’ve enjoyed these last eight years, I think Hermosa is a better place than it was eight years ago, and I’d like to continue to make it better.
"Property values are up, crime is down, we’ve reduced our fire risk rating by making improvements in the fire department, so insurance rates are lower for commercial businesses and some residences. We’ve rebuilt the Strand wall from 24th Street to 35th Street."
Says he returns every resident phone call and email.
Says the largest challenge over the next four years will be retaining funding for city services as the state government reacts to a recession economy. "The state is looking at a $10 billion shortfall, and the last time that happened they took our property taxes."
Large weekend events: "The beach bash is too big, and it needs to be scaled back. I’d like to see it occupy less space, and it takes about two weeks to set up. I’d like to trim that." Says he likes the chamber street fairs, stressing that they fund the chamber and provide funds for numerous local nonprofit organizations that operate vendor booths. Would favor some city funding for the chamber if the fairs are scaled back.
Western end of the pier: "Personally I like the end of the pier the way it is. If I’m going to guess the consensus of the community, from walking the streets and talking to people, I’d say the majority of people feel the same way about it. I’d like to spruce up the foghorn out there. The pole looks ugly. But I’m going to listen to what everybody has to say. I have my opinion, but that’s not the opinion that counts."
Pete
Tucker, 55
Building inspector for city of Redondo Beach
Hermosa resident 29 years, 24 previous in Manhattan Beach
Single father, two sons
Planning commissioner, chief builder of Veterans Memorial at PCH and Pier, former president HB Little League, coached youth soccer, basketball and Little League, member of school reunification transition committee and RUDAT city redevelopment plan, member school PTO, rebuilt platform for Vetter Windmill, rebuilt RUHS football locker room, built MCHS football snack bar, volunteers for Beach Cities toy Drive, women’s club pancake breakfast, Kiwanis Christmas tree sales, Heal the Bay beach cleanups
Wants to focus more council attention upon businesses and residents outside the downtown area. "They have been badly neglected, and to me that is the biggest issue. I want to reunite the city."
Ran for council in 1999, finishing seventh out of nine candidates, with 373 votes. "Last time I ran, I had a family matter come up that was more important than running for office. This time I was the first one out with signs, and I’m able to campaign now."
Wants to form an enhancement committee for the corridors of Pacific Coast Highway and Artesia and Aviation boulevards, and establish priorities for improvements, possibly including flowers on road medians and welcome-to-Hermosa signs on Herondo, Aviation and PCH.
"I feel the council spends 80 percent of its time on the downtown area. They’ve got that going, now it’s time to move out and spend some time on the rest of the city."
"I want to [repair and replace] streets and sewers east of the highway, where that isn’t getting done, and do simple things for them that they need, a red curb here, some signage."
Opposes chamber of commerce request for $85,000 for a tourism promotion campaign. "We need the money for streets and sewers."
Large weekend events: Wants Labor Day weekend moved to winter, perhaps Presidents Day weekend, possibly including local restaurants in a "Taste of Hermosa" event. "That’s something the city needs, that stimulation in the winter."
Western end of the pier: Wants nothing added more than benches and low-lying planters with flowers. "To me it’s a place of refuge." Might support a pier pushcart offering "sandwiches and sodas."
Mary
Lou Weiss, 63
Manages four farmers’ markets including one in Hermosa and two in Torrance. Manages 250 community gardens and coordinates volunteers for the city of Torrance.
Hermosa resident 30 years
Married, two children
Hermosa Beach City School Board member past 16 years, formerly member of school site council and PTO for the old North School, former chamber of commerce woman of the year
Endorsed by Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association and Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association
Wants to bring school board experience to city council. "I already know I am only one vote and I have to work with everybody seated on the council. I don’t have to necessarily agree with them, but I have to work with them."
Wants to step up repair and replacement of streets and sewers. "The city is getting too big for the infrastructure that is in place…We need to put aside some other things that are not of prime, prime importance."
Wants the empty "pink elephant" Hermosa Pavilion mall turned into a senior center with a swimming pool that could be used by the rest of the community as well. "The Beach Cities Health District could buy the pavilion and do that, that would be a good use of the tax dollars we give them."
Wants to ease parking problems and limit boisterousness in residential neighborhoods near the Pier Plaza with an electric trolley that would carry passengers from the Valley Drive area to PCH and downtown.
Wants to hire two additional full-time firefighters. "When they go on call the station is empty, and if another emergency call comes in two people have to leave the fire to go on it."
Large weekend events: Wants the Mervyn’s Beach Bash scaled back to limit setup and tear-down time, and to reduce the event’s footprint on the beach. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that large on anybody’s beach." Wants the chamber street fairs to stay put. "The fiestas have been going on for at least 30 years. They fund the chamber and they’re profitable for our local nonprofit organizations. It seems to me if the fiestas weren’t enjoyed they wouldn’t draw 90,000 to 100,000 people."
Western end of the pier: "I don’t want anything done to the end of the pier. I just want more benches and a metal arch at the foot of it that says ‘Hermosa Beach Pier,’ and we could add a couple telescopes. I would like to see it stay plain." Also supports candidate Brian Murphy’s plan for some "no fishing" areas on the pier.
Art
Yoon, 32
Director of external affairs for Pacific Bell’s greater LA operations
Hermosa resident 32 years
Hermosa Parks, Recreation and Community Resources commissioner, volunteers on speakers bureau of Heal the Bay.
Former aid for Congressman Steve Kuykendall, California Treasurer Matt Fong, Congressman Bill Paxon, the US House Judiciary Committee, and intern for Congressman Jack Kemp
Endorsed by Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association and Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association
Wants to help the city school district find funding to build a gym for Hermosa Valley School, build a second parking structure south of the pier, and "build out" the city’s economy by working to attract businesses to locate in Hermosa, including the PCH corridor.
"My position at Pac Bell is under the office of business development, and my whole job is to recruit people to do business with Pacific Bell. If I have to lead delegations to businesses and go anywhere there are rumors of businesses looking for a location, I would do that."
Concerning a Valley School gym, Yoon wants the council to set a "date certain" to begin construction. "That forces us to actively work on this." The current council has said the school board should take the lead in the process by deciding whether it wants to build a gym, tasking into accounts other needs such as expanded future classroom space. Yoon is open to the possibility of accepting funding from the Beach Cities Health District, which the school board has not embraced.
Says a second municipal parking structure, on the lot behind the Bank of America building, should reduce noisiness from Pier Plaza revelers going through residential neighborhoods to get back to their cars.
Stresses his Hermosa roots. "I am the only candidate, I think, who is a true Hermosa native, who was born, raised and went to school here." Said he remained a Hermosa resident with a California driver’s license during four years at a boarding high school in Massachusetts and while working in Washington, DC.
Large weekend events: Wants Mervyn’s Beach Bash scaled down to reduce the setup and tear-down time. Supports the chamber of commerce street fairs, saying they enable the chamber to remain independent of city funding. "I think people make the mistake of demonizing the fiestas, which take up two weekends, although they are three-day weekends."
Western end of the pier: "I don’t have a stand on that right now. I have a lot of strengths, but aesthetics is one of my weaknesses. But I favor simplicity…I do not want a restaurant on the end of the pier. I don’t think even the best behaving restaurant could stop debris from going into the ocean." ER