TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Patricia Matson, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Annual Appointments to City Boards and Commissions (City Clerk Tamura).
(Estimated Time: 45 Mins.)
APPOINT
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint or reappoint to the following Boards and Commissions vacancies:
Planning Commission
• Two Members-At-Large
Parking and Public Improvements Commission
• Two Members-At-Large
Parks and Recreation Commission
• One Member-At-Large, one Older Adult, and one Student Representative
Library Commission
• One Member-At-Large and one Student Representative
Cultural Arts Commission
• One Member-At-Large and one Student Representative
Los Angeles County West Vector Control Board
• One Member-At-Large
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
In preparation of the Annual Boards and Commissions Interview and Appointment Process, the City Clerk’s Office and staff liaisons have been in contact with current commissioners and applicants regarding upcoming scheduled vacancies.
To solicit interest in serving on the City’s Boards and Commissions, the City Clerk’s office placed advertisements in the Beach Reporter every month since January 2024, with the final advertisement being published on April 4, 2024. The City included an additional ad on March 28, 2024, to include the newly added PPIC Member-At-Large Seat. Additional outreach included: posting on City bulletin boards; e-notifications; social media posts; and outreach to MBUSD, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Business and Professionals Association.
The deadline to submit an application was Thursday, April 11, 2024, by 5:00 PM. The City Council conducted interviews on April 23, 2024, with the interested applicants.
DISCUSSION:
Below is a breakdown of each commission vacancy and the applicants that have expressed interest.
Planning Commission
Pursuant to California Planning and Zoning Law and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Planning Commission is responsible for long-range planning activities, including major use permits, commercial planned development permits, zone changes, code amendments, and modification to long-range planning documents, including the City’s General Plan and Local Coastal Plan. The Commission consists of five Member-At-Large seats.
Seat No. 1 and Seat No. 2 - Members-At-Large
Seat No. 1 is a Member-At-Large seat currently occupied by Kristin Sistos. Commissioner Sistos’ term will expire on May 31, 2024. She has reapplied and is eligible for reappointment.
Seat No. 2 is a Member-At-Large seat currently occupied by Jim Dillavou. Commissioner Dillavou’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. He has reapplied and is eligible for reappointment.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in these two seats.
Interested Applicants:
Barbara Barcon
Steven Berardino
Randy Borden
Marie Colmey
Jim Dillavou (Incumbent)
Stefan Kampe
Heather Kim
Paul Mazurek
Kristin Sistos (Incumbent)
Parking and Public Improvements Commission:
The Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) makes recommendations to the City Council on public parking issues, capital improvement projects, traffic management and activities within the public right-of-way including encroachment permits. The Commission consists of five members: four at-large members and one member representing the Business Community who must own or operate a business located in the City (excludes home-based businesses).
Seat No. 4 and Seat No. 5 - Members-At-Large
Seat No. 4 is a Member-at-Large seat that is currently vacant with a term that ends on May 31, 2025. Whomever is appointed to this seat will have an appointment date of May 7, 2024, will fulfill the remainder of the original term, and will then be automatically reappointed to a three-year term without additional City Council action (per Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 2.44.070).
Seat No. 5 is a Member-at-Large seat currently occupied by Bob DaGiau. Commissioner DaGiau’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. He has reapplied and is eligible for reappointment.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in these two seats.
Interested Applicants:
Rosemarie Balla
Steven Berardino
Samuel Braitman
Jacquelyn Chou
Marie Colmey
Bob DaGiau (Incumbent)
Scott Griest
Heather Kim
Daniel Kurz
Paul Mazurek
Jill Schecter
Jim Yang
Parks and Recreation Commission
The Parks and Recreation Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council regarding the recreational needs of all citizens, and promotes supervised public recreation within the City. The Commission consists of seven members: four at-large members, one representative from the older adult community (55+ years of age), one representative appointed by the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees, and one student representative.
Seat No. 4 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 4 is a Member-at-Large seat currently occupied by Stephen Doran. Commissioner Doran’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. He has reapplied and is eligible for reappointment.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Stephen Doran (Incumbent)
Scott Griest
Heather Kim
Paul Mazurek
Carol Povenmire
Hilary Rosen
Roberta Schreiner
Fred Taylor
Kristin Sistos
Seat No. 5 - Older Adult
Seat No. 5 is the Older Adult seat currently occupied by Laurie McCarthy. Commissioner McCarthy’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. She is not eligible for reappointment due to term limitations.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Samuel Braitman
Marie Colmey
Scott Griest
Greg Johnson
Philip Nielsen
Carol Povenmire
Roberta Schreiner
Fred Taylor
Daniel Walsh
Seat No.7 - Student Representative
Seat No. 7 is a Student Representative seat that is currently occupied by Daniel Greenberg. Commissioner Greenberg’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. The student representative has a one-year term.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Ishaan Aggarwal
Alexander Bindler
Isabel Boroch
Duncan Chang
Audrey Davis
Ruby DeRenzis
Sydney Huber
Isabella Jacobson
Jake Kaplan
Grant Lang
Thomas Maloney
Maya Manasfi
Zoe Nicols
Hudson Sagadevan
Laurel Sorensen
Library Commission
The Library Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council regarding library services provided by the Los Angeles County Library System to the citizens of Manhattan Beach. This Commission also serves as a liaison between the County, City, and public and private community groups supportive of library services. The Commission consists of six members: five members selected at-large and one student representative.
Seat No. 5 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 5 is a Member-At-Large seat that is currently occupied by Janet Jones. Commissioner Jones’ term will expire May 31, 2024. She is not eligible for reappointment due to term limitations.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Samuel Braitman
Brooke Castor
Andrew Chang
Jacquelyn Chou
Lynne Cochran
Marie Colmey
Heather Kim
Brooke Muschott
Seat No. 6 - Student Representative
Seat No. 6 is a Student Representative seat that is currently occupied by Katherine Jester. Commissioner Jester’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. The student representative has a one-year term.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Ishaan Aggarwal
Isabel Boroch
Kylie Cullen
Audrey Davis
Ruby DeRenzis
Weston Hory
Sydney Huber
Isabella Jacobson
Chloe Kim
Katherine Kligys
Charlotte Levy
Maya Manasfi
Zoe Nicols
Cultural Arts Commission
The Cultural Arts Commission is responsible for the continued development and implementation of the master plan for cultural arts in the City, encouraging and supporting art education programs in the community and schools, and participating in the Art in Public Places selection process. The Cultural Arts Commission consists of six members: four members selected at-large, one member selected as a representative with art experience, and one student representative.
Seat No. 3 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 3 is a Member-At-Large seat that is currently occupied by Rod Spackman. Commissioner Spackman’s term will expire May 31, 2024. Although eligible, he did not apply for reappointment.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in this seat.
Interested Applicants:
Samuel Braitman
Marie Colmey
Heather Kim
Philip Nielsen
Seat No. 6 - Student Representative
Seat No. 6 is a Student Representative seat that is currently occupied by Samantha Ehrlich-Fein. Commissioner Ehrlich-Fein’s term will expire on May 31, 2024. The student representative has a one-year term.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Ishaan Aggarwal
Ruby DeRenzis
Sydney Huber
Isabella Jacobson
Katherine Kligys
Grant Lang
Maya Manasfi
Anthony Padnos
Flora Uslaner
Los Angeles County West Vector Control Board
The Los Angeles County West Vector Control District was formed in 1944 and covers approximately 680 square miles, contains 23 cities, including the City of Manhattan Beach, and unincorporated territory of Los Angeles County. The purpose of the control district is to educate the public about vector-transmitted diseases, vector related injuries and provide additional information on services offered by the control district. Each city and county within the boundaries of the district may appoint one representative each to the Los Angeles County West Vector Control Board of Trustees.
Member-At-Large Seat
This Member-At-Large seat is currently held by Wayne Powell. Trustee Powell is currently fulfilling a previous member’s remaining term, which will expire on December 31, 2024. Trustee Powell has reapplied and is eligible for reappointment for either a two or four year term at the discretion of the City Council.
If a first time trustee is appointed, they must start by serving a two year term, which will begin on January 1, 2025.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat.
Interested Applicants:
Jacquelyn Chou
Marie Colmey
Heather Kim
Wayne Powell (Incumbent)
Hilary Rosen
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint or reappoint from the interested applicants described within the report.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The City Clerk’s office conducted extensive outreach regarding the Boards and Commissions vacancies. Advertisements were placed in the Beach Reporter every month beginning January 2024, with the final advertisement published on April 4, 2024. The City included an additional ad on March 28, 2024, to include the newly added PPIC Member-At-Large Seat. Additional outreach included: posting on City bulletin boards; e-notifications; social media posts; and outreach to MBUSD, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Business and Professionals Association.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Boards and Commissions Advertisement