TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Martha Alvarez, Assistant City Clerk
Breana Contreras, Deputy City Clerk
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Appointment to the Parking and Public Improvements Commission Seat No. 4 (Member-At-Large) (No Budget Impact) (City Clerk Tamura).
(Estimated Time: 15 Mins.)
APPOINT
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint a member to Seat No. 4 of the Parking and Public Improvements Commission from a list of interested applicants interviewed in January 2025.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
On August 19, 2025, the City Council accepted the resignation of Commissioner Rosemarie Balla, thereby vacating Seat No. 4 (Member-At-Large Seat) of the Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC). The City Council declared the seat vacant and directed the City Clerk’s Office to contact applicants from the January 2025 PPIC recruitment regarding the opportunity to fill the vacancy.
DISCUSSION:
The Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) advises the City Council on matters related to public parking, capital improvement projects, traffic management, and activities within the public right-of-way, including encroachment permits. The Commission is composed of five at-large members.
Seat No. 4 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 4 is a Member-At-Large seat that is currently vacant with a term that ends on May 31, 2028. The appointee will begin their appointment as of September 2, 2025, and fulfill the remainder of the term. The appointee will be eligible for reappointment for a subsequent three-year term.
The following individuals have expressed interest in the vacancy based on outreach to the January 2025 applicant pool.
Interested Applicants:
Salim Ahmed
John Ankwicz
Louis Balla
Steven Berardino
Richard Farber
Ira Goldstone
Dan Higgins
Courtney Hill
Timothy Hogan
Justin Hong
Jake Jevitz
Dave Jones
Stefan Kampe
William McCleish
Jonathan Nichols
Amber Roller
Gary Scalabrini
Jill Schecter
Robert Siemak
Fred Taylor
Tom Williams
Jim Yang
The following individuals have not confirmed as of Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
Applicants:
Paul Mazurek
Joseph Melville
Commission Functionality and Timing Considerations
The PPIC liaison has requested that the appointment be made in a timely manner to ensure quorums at their meetings and continuity of participation. Several upcoming agenda items require PPIC recommendations to the City Council, and consistent commissioner involvement is essential for informed, consecutive discussions.
Optional Outreach and Return in October
Should the City Council request to expand the applicant pool, staff can initiate public outreach and return on October 21, 2025, with a new list of interested applicants. This process would include:
- Soliciting new applications
- Advertising in the Beach Reporter
- Posting notices at City Hall, Manhattan Heights, and Joslyn Community Center
- Notifying the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business and Professional Association, and North Manhattan Beach Business and Professional Association
- Promoting the opportunity via the City’s website, social media channels, and GovDelivery notifications
- Conducting interviews on October 14, 2025
- Returning with an updated list on October 21, 2025, for City Council consideration and appointment
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint a qualified applicant from the January 2025 interview pool to fill Seat No. 4 of the Parking and Public Improvements Commission.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
In accordance with City Council direction, the City Clerk’s Office contacted applicants from the January 2025 PPIC recruitment. No additional outreach was required for this item. However, if directed by the City Council, staff will initiate a full outreach campaign as outlined above.
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.