Armato puts power (and remote controls) in people’s hands
Mayor Stacey Armato. Photo Hermosa Beach Mayor Stacey Armato probably didn’t have to practice quite as much as mayors past for her State of the City address last week. That’s because, for large portions of the speech, Armato put the microphone in the hands of the people she said were doing much of the work of keeping the state of the city what it is — which, according to a PowerPoint presentation accompanying her address, is “Awesome!” High school students, small business owners, and the city’s acting police chief all took their turn at the podium, explaining what they were doing to fix the challenges and preserve the joys of living in Hermosa. Even the audience got involved, with the Beach Cities Health District distributing miniature remote controls that allowed those inside City Hall last Thursday evening to respond to a series of questions, including their likelihood to attend one of the upcoming summer concerts in August (high) to their inclination to serve as a neighborhood watch block captain (low). The result was an address that downplayed the influence of elected officials while highlighting citizens’ civic-mindedness, and a vision of city government that was transparent…
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