TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Breana Contreras, Deputy City Clerk
SUBJECT:Title
Appointments to Parking and Public Improvements Commission Seat No. 2, Cultural Arts Commission Seat No. 5 and Library Commission Seat No. 3 (No Budget Impact) (City Clerk Tamura).
(Estimated Time: 30 Mins.)
APPOINT
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint to the following Boards and Commissions vacancies:
Parking and Public Improvements Commission
• One Member-At-Large
Cultural Arts Commission
• One Member-At-Large
Library Commission
• One Member-At-Large
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The City Clerk’s Office received resignations from three commissioners on three separate commissions: Parking and Public Improvements Commission, Cultural Arts Commission, and Library Commission.
At the City Council Regular Meetings of December 3, 2024 (Parking and Public Improvements Commission Seat and Cultural Arts Commission Seat) and December 17, 2024 (Library Commission Seat), the City Council directed staff to conduct public outreach for the three vacancies and seek new applicants for City Council’s consideration in January 2025. The City Council also noted that individuals interviewed during the April 2024 annual boards and commission application process would have their applications considered, should they still be interested.
To solicit interest in serving on the City’s Boards and Commissions, the City Clerk’s office placed advertisements in the Beach Reporter in December 2024 and January 2025. Additional outreach included: posting on the City bulletin boards; website; GovDelivery notifications; and social media posts; and outreach to the Manhattan Beach Library, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business and Professional Association, and the North Manhattan Beach Business Improvement District.
DISCUSSION:
Below is a breakdown of each commission vacancy and the applicants who have expressed interest.
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 at-large members.
Seat No. 2 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 2 is a Member-At-Large seat that is currently vacant with a term that ends on May 31, 2026. Whomever is appointed to this seat will have an appointment date of January 21, 2025, will fulfill the remainder of the original term, and will then be automatically reappointed to a three-year term without additional City Council action.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in this seat:
Interested Applicants:
Salim Ahmed
John Ankwicz
Dana Bagdasarian
Louis Balla
Steven Berardino
Jacquelyn Chou
Christopher Coye
Richard Farber
Ira Goldstone
Dan Higgins
Courtney Hill
Timothy Hogan
Justin Hong
Jake Jevitz
Dave Jones
Stefan Kampe
Heather Kim
Daniel Kurz
Paul Mazurek
William McCleish
Joseph Melville
Jonathan Nichols
Gita O’Neill
Amber Roller
Gary Scalabrini
Jill Schecter
Robert Siemak
Fred Taylor
Tom Williams
Jim Yang
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. 5 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 5 is a Member-At-Large seat that is currently vacant with a term that ends on May 31, 2026. Whomever is appointed to this seat will have an appointment date of January 21, 2025, will fulfill the remainder of the original term, and will then be automatically reappointed to a three-year term without additional City Council action.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in this seat:
Interested Applicants:
John Ankwicz
Louis Balla
Tony Gonzales
Philip Guidry
Heather Kim
Karen Miller
Lazaros Papademetropoulos
Ellen Rosenberg
Dana Torrey
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. 3 - Member-At-Large
Seat No. 3 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 January 21, 2025, will fulfill the remainder of the original term, and will then be automatically reappointed to a three-year term without additional City Council action.
Below are the applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat:
Interested Applicants:
Andrew Chang
Jacquelyn Chou
Richard Farber
Amy Ferris
Courtney Hill
Heather Kim
Brooke Muschott
Ellen Seiden
Kerry Thelen
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint from the interested applicants described within the report.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The City Clerk’s office conducted extensive outreach for the following vacancies: Parking and Public Improvements Commission, Cultural Arts Commission, and Library Commission. Advertisements were placed in the Beach Reporter in December 2024 and January 2025. Additional outreach included: posting on the City bulletin boards; website; GovDelivery notifications; social media posts; and outreach to the Manhattan Beach Library, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business and Professional Association, and the North Manhattan Beach Business Improvement District.
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 Vacancies Advertisement