Council pays tribute to Brand; will appoint interim mayor

by Garth MeyerThe mayor’s chair was empty at the Redondo Beach city council Tuesday night, as it has often been for open sessions for over a year.But Tuesday night was different, a black ribbon was tied around the mayor’s seat. It was the first council meeting since Bill Brand died last Friday evening, after a five-year battle with lung cancer. He was three years into his second term, after two terms on the city council.Current Councilman Nils Nehrenheim stood in for Brand at the