by Kevin Cody
Prior to each council meeting, Councilmember Michael Detoy posts a summary of the council agenda on his social media platforms. During his rotation as mayor in 2022 Detoy held monthly “Conversations and Cleanups” throughout the city. His Mayor’s State of the City that year was not the traditional, mind numbing PowerPoint presentation in council chambers. He held it on the beach. Instead of a long winded account of his accomplishments, he shared the spotlight by inviting the city manager, police chief and other department heads to talk.
He also invited to the stage the president of the Hermosa Little League, Mark Mamber, who pointed out Dodger Stadium hosts 80 baseball games over eight months, while Clark Stadium hosts 428 baseball games in just three months. “Clark Stadium is the Heart of Hermosa,” Mamber proudly declared. Then he thanked Detoy for freshening up the paint at the stadium during a Tom Sawyer-style “Conversations and Cleanups” work party
Detoy is making his accessibility and impartiality central to his campaign for a second council term. He is the only candidate endorsed by his four fellow councilmembers, he pointed out.
The council’s current disharmony makes that distinction noteworthy. During the first meeting in September, Mayor Dean Francois had to twice bang the gavel to bring the dais to order. During September’s second council meeting, discussions became so heated City Attorney Patrick Donegan called for a 10 minute recess.
Observers have criticized Detoy for being quiet during the combative council exchanges.
Whatever the reason, it’s not passivity. The 6-foot-5 City of Riverside firefighter played Division 1 water polo at Santa Clara University, where he majored in finance. During his senior year he recorded 11 goals and a team high 37 ejections.
When asked about his neutral demeanor, he pointed to its strategic benefit.
“I’m Brown Act buddies with all of my colleagues,” he said. (The State Brown Act prohibits a majority of elected officials from discussing policies together in private. But it allows a minority to discuss policies in private.)
Despite the council disarray, Detoy says it has been productive during his first term.
Detoy campaigned in 2019 on public safety. The following year, the city hired Police Chief Paul LeBaron, who has led a culture shift to tech-driven, community policing. Despite the difficult labor market, leading cities like Torrance to offer $100,000 signing bonuses, Hermosa’s police department is now fully staffed, Detoy noted.
Among the city’s most troublesome challenges, he said, is helping the homeless. He said the city is making, utilizing a $1 million grant secured by Representative Ted Lieu to deploy mental health professionals, instead of police, to deal with non-emergency homelessness issues.
Two years after Detoy was elected, the city hired a new public works director, Joe SanClemente, to address the log jam in capital improvement projects. Since then the Clark Field restrooms have been remodeled, and work resumed on the Clark Building renovations. The city repaved 5% of its streets last year, and will repave another 10% this year, Detoy said.
Undergrounding of power lines in the north end, along Hermosa Avenue is also moving forward, he said.
Two zoning issues with the potential to change the character of Hermosa are Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) and the 558 new housing units the state says the fully built out, 1.4 square mile city must find room for by 2029.
Detoy said he voted for the city’s Short Term Vacation Rental policy, which allows STVRs in the commercial district, but bans them in residential neighborhoods.
“I want to keep our neighborhood character and not have homes turn into hotels,” he said.
He also voted to rezone the commercial districts for mixed use, so enough new residential units can be built to satisfy Hermosa’s RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessment) allotment.
He’s not in favor of prohibiting ground floor offices in the downtown, as Manhattan has done in an effort to preserve its downtown retail character.
He said he prefers incentives for retail, and restaurants rather than prohibiting ground floor offices. He mentioned the council’s recent decision to waive increased parking requirements when a business use changes in the downtown, providing the location is under 5,000 square feet.
Detoy likes e-bikes. He takes his two young daughters to school on his e-bike. He believes the e-bike education programs offered by the police and schools have resulted in kids riding more safely.
Detoy joined the council majority in putting Measure HB on the November 5 ballot. At the Chamber of Commerce candidates forum in September, he was the only candidate who spoke in favor of the .75% sales tax increase. Detoy named a dozen other cities, including Manhattan Beach, that are seeking, or have already approved a similar sales tax increase. He pointed to the anticipated $1.5 million increase for County fire services as one example of the need for the sales tax increase.
“I moved here 15 years ago because I fell in love with the beach culture, and knew this is where I wanted to raise my family. The last five years have been the best years of my life. I wish I could have grown up here,” he said. ER
