Respect campaign promises
Dear ER:
At the December 2 Redondo Beach City Council meeting, I witnessed one of the most disrespectful displays of contempt towards a police leader by a Mayor and city council that I have seen in a while. During the Public comment portion of the meeting, Police Association President John Banach addressed the Council regarding stalled contract negotiations. Speakers are given three minutes to address the Council, and in my experience, are granted leeway if they go over time. During my time as President of the Redondo Beach Police Association, I frequently spoke at Council meetings. On the rare occasions when my statement went over the allotted three minutes, a simple motion was passed to extend time, and I was able to wrap up my speech. This demonstrated to me that the Council wanted to hear from its Police Officers and for the public to listen as well. Any member could have made a simple motion to extend time, but there was none.
Banach had been speaking for less than 10 seconds when Mayor Jim Light interrupted him, and then refused to give that time back. What is it that the Mayor does not want residents to hear? Is it that once again, the City refuses to negotiate in good faith and is dragging its feet with its police officers? That, once again, the City refuses to put an agreement in place and expects its police officers to work without a contract?
The salary survey the City commissioned shows Redondo Beach Police Officers are dead last in salary among surrounding cities. Every other city has demonstrated a willingness to invest in its police officers. Every Council member on that dais promised the voters they would support your Police Department, but do they? Are the residents of this City going to demand that their elected representatives fulfill their promises to them? Call them. Send them an email. Hold them accountable and tell them that defunding the Police is not an option in Redondo Beach.
The City of Redondo Beach is in a stable financial condition. They can afford this. Your police officers are asking for the median. To be middle of the road in pay. Not a lot of money for the men and women who are the glue that keeps this community together. Who respond to every call that you make, who work at nights, weekends, holidays, and deal with the most traumatic things that anyone has ever seen, in a City none of them can afford to own a home in.
Robert Carlborg
Retired RBPD, former President of the Redondo Beach Police Officers Association
Bait and switch
Dear ER:
Added taxes of $93 million dollars for Redondo Beach homeowners, not renters, to replace what we already have existing for public facilities? No increased square footage for police and fire employees to perform their jobs (“ Plans for Redondo Beach fire, police stations move ahead; size questioned,” ER December 2, 2025). This is the result of a marketing con job by city representatives and employee political action associations to fool the voters and extract all this money. The old adage seems appropriate. You get what you pay for. Sadly, for homeowners now saddled to the tune of $93 million, you’re getting what you already have.
JP Colin
ERNews comment
Back to the future
Dear ER:
Back in 1968, my elementary school class took a field trip to the Redondo Beach police station (“Redondo Beach fire, police stations move ahead; size questioned,” ER December 2, 2025). Back then, the building was pretty worn down, and I remember the police officer showing us around told us a new station was going to be built in the near future. Imagine what the cost would have been back then?
ERNews FB comment
Timeless vs trends
Dear ER:
The Redondo sign is a timeless, welcoming icon in our City. To change any one piece of it shows a lack of respect to our heritage and is short-sided thinking. Every dollar to change any aspect of this sign would be wasted. The next “branding trend” in fonts, imagery, colors to come along will make it outdated. Leave it alone and honor its beloved place in our city.
Kathy McLeod
ERNews comment
Mule’s pace
Dear ER:
Forty citations in a year for e-bike traffic violations is shameful (“Hermosa Beach police arrest two juveniles in downtown e-bike attack,” ER November 27, 2025). I believe law enforcement is just not interested in writing tickets for e bikes. I can see 40 violations in a week’s time standing in my driveway. It will take a serious accident and a lawsuit filed against the city for this to get any serious attention.
Carl
ERNews FB comment
Warm surroundings
Dear ER:
I used to live a few doors down from Java Man and spent countless hours there studying, and drinking their great coffee or chai tea (“ Mourning Glory: Rick Hankus built a community around Java Man, Ocean Diner,” ER November 27, 2025). Ocean Diner was always my first choice when going out for breakfast. We even chose OD for a meal after planning my father’s funeral a couple years ago because we wanted good food and a warm surrounding.
Dennis
ERnews FB comment
Slow and noisy
Dear ER:
Ban all leaf blowers – electric and gas (“Manhattan City Council seeks to to curb leaf blowers,” September 18, 2025). Electric blowers violate noise ordinances and are completely unnecessary. It takes longer to blow leaves than to sweep them. I tested this in a lab
John S
Public Comment Is a Right, Not a Courtesy
I appreciated Robert Carlborg’s recent letter, and I want to underscore a point many residents may not realize. What happened to Police Association President John Banach at the December 2 Council meeting was not simply a lapse in courtesy — it was a matter of government process and legality.
The Mayor interrupted Mr. Banach less than ten seconds into his remarks and then refused to return the time he took. Traditionally, Redondo Beach has allowed speakers leeway, and the Council has always had the ability to make a simple motion to extend time. As Mr. Carlborg noted, no one did.
This sets a troubling precedent: members of the public — including police officers — are being held to “rules” that do not legally exist, while elected officials apply their own standards inconsistently and without accountability. That is not how open government is supposed to function.
Residents should expect better. Public comment is a right, not a privilege. Respect is something City leadership earns by listening to the people they serve — not by cutting off microphones or interrupting speakers without lawful authority.
Redondo Beach deserves better than this.
This whole City Council meeting was disgusting in the way Jim Light & Zein Obagi reacted & disrespected speakers & Residents. Light & Kaluderovic were snickering & laughing while I was speaking, most likely out of embarrassment as I called them out on useless & ineffective they both are.
This is certainly nothing new though. Light doesn’t want to hear from anyone who wants real issues looked at & resolved. He doesn’t want to hear from anyone who disagrees with him. You have a chance with him though if you are in his inner circle or are one of his Overlord’s.
This entire Redondo Beach City Government has been derelict in its duties to provide Quality of Life to Redondo Beach Residents as was Light’s campaign slogan. They don’t want to listen, & especially don’t want to take action on resolving important public safety & noise issues. That would be too difficult for them.
While Light is focused on his parks & recreation pet projects & writing fluff pieces on Facebook all day long, certain parts of the City of Redondo Beach get the ghetto treatment from him. He & this City Council are out of touch with Residents, only looking out for themselves. This City needs a real cleansing & it needs to start from the top down.
Actually, this Council has fairly and objectively administered the published rules of conduct and time limits clearly defined in the agenda. Many cities have experienced gadflies wasting the public’s agenda time allocation. Torrance for example cuts everyone’s mike after one minute of testimony. Our Council feels one minute or even two minutes is too short. So we have stuck with the three minute time limit. But to ensure objectivity and consistency, we have enforced the time limit strictly for everyone. We’ve been doing that for over a year.
I did interrupt Officer Banach early in his testimony. PD Union Members stood up blocking people’s views and violating the public rules of conduct. I timed the interruption (I have a timer on the dias). And it was nine seconds before the City Clerk stopped the public timer. Officers Banach continued and the Clerc started the timer where it left off. As the public timer went to zero, I waiting five seconds and kindly asked Officer Banach to wrap up his comments. Anticipating he would comply and thus letting him gain back his time lost. But Banach disregarded the request, a Point of Order from a Council member, and further requests to yield the floor.
With other union members in the audience, Banach could have easily yielded the floor and then had another union member complete his statement using a full three minutes. Indeed at the last meeting, that is exactly what the PD union members did.
We have protocols for members of the public who violate the rules of conduct. Now we have to develop one for when our own police officers violate those rules. I never anticipated we’d have to do that. Nevertheless, I respect Officer Banach and all our first responders who serve our community. I attribute the transgression to his newness in the public testimony.
The disrespect of the Mayor and some city council members appears to be systemic.
At the December 2nd meeting of the city council I found it rich that the Mayor scolded John Banach for running over his 3 minutes. The Mayor said, “Ashamed when our own people do not follow the rules” then adding, it was “inappropriate for him to go over like that” As a first responder you would think he would have showed him some respect and someone would have made a motion to extend his time. But no, he had to try and publiclly shame him. The Mayors actions drew much criticism from members of the Next Door community as well.
Then when it came time for me and Darryl Boyd to speak, Council member Obagi got up and walked out of the meeting until Darryl was finished speaking. I think it is ashamed that the Mayor and City council do not want to hear from their constants that they keep raising about safety issues and do nothing about them. Maybe if they did, we would not have to keep speaking and you would not have to walk out of the room or just ignore us like you do. That is whats truly shameful.
John Perchulyn
Resident and taxpayer
My husband and I attended the Redondo Beach City Council meeting on December 2, to address complaints with a neighboring property. I was to speak after the POA president. I have grown up in the city, and my husband and I have lived in our home for 37 years. This was my first time attending a City Council meeting, let alone speak at a meeting. I was nervous to start with, and in watching the council’s treatment toward the POA President I was very very upset. By the time I walked up to the microphone, I couldn’t get my thoughts straight.
My husband and I have been dealing with construction and post construction issues for 4 years. The city has not addressed our repeated complaints. In fact, they have made things worse. I have been ignored by the mayor and the new councilman states he is getting no where with our issues. I knew I had 3 minutes to get my point across. But, witnessing the council be so disrespectful to an individual who puts his life on the line for our city was disconcerting. By the time I was at 1:50 seconds, I knew I was doomed. I finished in time, without getting my points across, as I did not want to be disrespected.
Redondo Beach citizens and the Police Officers are entitled to RESPECT. The council needs to remember who they represent.
Robert Carlborg’s LTE says Redondo pays RBPD “dead last” relative to other cities. Our first responders deserve better. I disagree about Redondo’s “stable financial condition” especially relative to our neighbors.
Many in Redondo, including me, voted for slow/no growth in favor of parks and open space. At the time, it seemed like the right choice. Today, comparing Redondo’s pier and the Galleria to El Segundo’s Pointe, Manhattan Village and the Hermosa Pier, it is clear why Redondo lags in revenue growth. Our neighbors invested at much lower costs and interest rates and are now reaping the financial benefits, such as higher pay for workers and new facilities.
I now support candidates who show the ability to work with, not fight, people to support Redondo. My hope is by doing so, Redondo can participate in the revenue generation our neighbors enjoy and pay Redondo employees what they deserve. I would encourage RBPD to do the same.
I fully respect all our First Responders. And our Council is committed to supporting them with budget, equipment, training, technology, and services. I am disappointed that PD has chosen to go public with misinformation while we are in active negotiations that are conducted in closed session.
Retired officer Carlbourg mischaracterizes many facts in his LTE.
Unfortunately, like many cities, Redondo has experienced gadflies dominating the time for public participation on non-agenda items period on the agenda. Torrance for example has strictly limited public testimony to one minute. We were advised that we had to be objective and consistent on extending the 3 minute comment period. The Council has decided to strictly observe the three minute time limit for all speakers to eliminate any perception of favoritism or discrimination. Anyone attending or watching city council meetings for the past year will have seen this strict adherence to time limits regardless of the speaker’s affiliation. The rules of conduct and decorum have been clearly published on the doors of the Council Chamber, in the lobby, and at the podium. And the agenda clearly states the three minute time limit. Before opening the floor to the public, I clearly repeat that there is a three minute time limit for any speaker.
In this case, I did interrupt Officer Banach early in his testimony to ask the union members in the audience to sit down so all could see (as clearly covered in the Rules of Conduct for the public). This took up 9 seconds before the City Clerk stopped his timer. As Officer Banach continued, I waited 5 seconds anfter the timer went to zero and then politely asked Officer Banach to wrap up his comments. This was intentional to enable him to gain back the 9 seconds he lost to my interruption. He ignored the request to wrap up and refused to yield the floor for nearly another minute…even after a point of order from another Councilmember. Police Officers are not above the rules of conduct. And they should yield when asked by the meeting chair. We have protocols for when a member of the public refuses to yield. Now, sadly, we have to make a new protocol for when our own police officers refuse to follow the rules of conduct.
Officer Banach had other members of the union in the audience… any one of whom could have completed Banach’s message and taken a full three minutes to do it. I attribute his actions to Banach’s newness to public testimony and I still respect him for his service to our community. But he still should have respected the request to yield the floor. Of anyone participating in the public meeting, I would expect our own PD would respect the rules and the request of the Chair and the Council.
As to the other statements made by Carlbourg and Banach, I cannot go into details because the negotiations are in closed session. Suffice it to say not everything stated is factual or complete.
Anyone reviewing our published budget can see that the City’s General Fund is in deficit and had to be augmented from reserves. It seems the officers do not understand that the Council cannot take money from specific funds and spend them on whatever we like. Quimby Fees must be spent on parks. Transportation funds must be spent on roads and other transportation projects. Revenues from the harbor area leases, parking and use fees, must be spent in the harbor area per state law. I do not consider eating into reserves stable or sustainable. And with travel down nationally, I don’t see next year being much better.
The City budget also shows that over 60% of our General Fund is spent on staff salaries and benefits. On a per staff member basis, we spend more on PD salary and benefits than the rest of staff – you can find all this in the budget. This Council remains committed to supporting our first responders despite statements to the contrary.
Carl’s Mule’s Pace letter is spot on. Forty e-bike tickets in a year is a disgrace but to be expected due to the stupid “Woke” outdated Policing policies of our Police Chief. How can he charge just two of the attackers on e-bikes when I counted 7 in the video. Is it true as rumoured that he is related to the uncharged attackers? He needs to deny or confirm the rumours or better just resign. He will not be missed.