Redondo Beach About Town
Special meeting announced
for election compliance plan
Mayor Bill Brand announced on Tuesday afternoon that he would call a special meeting of the Redondo Beach City Council on Wednesday, Dec. 20 to discuss a plan to put the city in compliance with SB 415, a 2015 law designed to raise voter numbers by aligning local elections with statewide elections.
The Council has twice failed in efforts come into compliance with the law by Jan. 1. Currently, the city’s elections fall in odd-numbered years, as mandated by the City Charter. SB 415 requires cities move to even-year elections, aligned with statewide and national elections.
Council votes have fallen along ideological lines. Council members Laura Emdee, Christian Horvath and John Gran have favored action that would lengthen the current terms of elected official terms to five years, which they estimate would save the city money, based on projections from City Clerk Eleanor Manzano.
Councilmen Nils Nehrenheim and Todd Loewenstein, and Mayor Brand prefer shortening existing terms to three years. All subsequent terms would return to the standard four-year terms following the next election, regardless of the plan.
As of Wednesday morning, it was unclear if enough council members for a quorum would attend the Wednesday evening meeting. Emdee and Horvath both confirmed on Tuesday that they will be unable to attend.
An Oct. 3 City Council meeting was canceled due to a lack of quorum when Horvath, Emdee, and Gran announced they would be unable to attend.
Horvath’s said his absence was caused by a belief that Brand, Nehrenheim, and Loewenstein were attempting to “ram through” a decision about Commission appointments, including the removal of Planning Commissioner Marc Mitchell.
Saint Rocke owner to produce
twice-yearly festivals in King Harbor
The Redondo Beach City Council approved a five-year agreement on Tuesday night that would bring twice-yearly entertainment festivals to the Redondo waterfront.
The agreement allows Sanford Ventures, LLC, headed by Saint Rocke owner Allen Sanford, to hold two festivals a year at Seaside Lagoon and its adjoining parking lot.
Sanford has a successful track record for producing festivals, including the Hermosa Summer Concert Series.
The deal would cost the city up to $72,000 per fiscal year. The money is to be reimbursed by Sanford’s company. The city expects to receive $127,590 in revenue for FY 2018-19.
The first concert is planned for Oct. 2018.