Letters to the Editor 8-30-18

Wrong-headed veto

Dear ER:

I just read on my City Councilmember Nils Nehrenheim’s Facebook page that Mayor Bill Brand has vetoed a decision by City Council about Social Hosting. The ordinance would have made it a criminal offense for adults to allow underage drinking at parties hosted in their homes. As a mother of teenagers it really disturbs me that Mayor Brand would veto such a decision. Why wouldn’t you err on the side of protecting our children (and protecting those they might potentially harm if they get behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated in a city that is prone to bad car accidents, especially along PCH)? Let’s not turn a blind eye to the fact that there is a real problem in our city with underage drinking, drug, and tobacco abuse. Do you really think condoning it is a good idea? Call me old-fashioned, but I feel kids need rules, boundaries, and safe outlets for them to congregate. Having “ragers” at someone’s (probably unsuspecting) parents’ home is not the answer. And yet people who use leaf blowers in Redondo Beach get fined now and potentially charged with a misdemeanor. What really screwed up values and priorities, Redondo.

Cee-Cee Murphy

Redondo Beach

Going to the dogs

Dear ER:

Re: Rudy Rocco’s letter about the dog ”stink”from their urine on the Esplanade: I agree 100 percent with his observations. This is not my first letter on this subject, together with calls to the City, only to have workers steam clean a very small portion of the Esplanade now and again.

The whole Esplanade is never all cleaned on the same week. If the city provides plastic bags for dog poop,why not spray bottles with some kind of disinfectant like the city workers use, that owners must use after their dogs urinate?

On second thoughts the dog owners should provide their own spray bottles!

It really is getting out of hand out there and the dog owners should be held accountable. How about no dogs on the Esplanade! They have already turned Dolphin Park into a doggy park. They should not be allowed to have it all.

Christine Norris

Redondo Beach

Fighting back

Dear ER:

Last week, a constant contributor to the Letters section, who rarely has his facts straight, chose to attack Councilmember Emdee and me. Before your readers believe his lies again, allow me to share the truth.

My family moved to South Redondo from North Redondo 15 years ago. We purchased a house with a fence surrounding a shed and back yard. The fenceline was set 20 feet into an adjacent lot owned by the City. The lot behind us was, and still is, empty. We approached the City asking what could be done with the property.

The City didn’t even realize the property belonged to them. The City staff and the various councilmembers over the past 15 years were unaware they owned the property. They started mowing the weeds only after we brought the property to their attention. We asked for a parkette, the answer was no. We asked if we could annex the property and were given the runaround. We broached the subject of purchasing a portion, but got nowhere. We asked our last city councilmember, now mayor, for help and again got no results.

The property is zoned commercial. It used to have a dry cleaner on it. It cannot be turned into a park due to ADA access, parking and egress issues, and many more obstacles.

Mr. Craig says with authority that the property would be sold at a discount. I am not aware of any discount, so how can he be so sure of a topic that’s in Closed Session discussions? Is there someone speaking to Wayne Craig about Closed Session discussions?

Once again, Wayne Craig doesn’t know the whole story, he simply goes off half-cocked, attempting to piece the story together using wads of bubblegum and wild accusations.

My offer is to purchase a weed-filled, empty (for at least 30 years) property that is not (and has not been) useable by the city (as evidenced by the studies and the egress issues). Why not sell it to someone who would actually use it, would not be able to increase density, and the sale funds would go directly into the Parkland Acquisition Fund. The City could use the money toward actual parkland or a community garden (with the rest of the vacant lot!). It would be a win/win.

Erika Snow Robinson

Redondo Beach

Elbow room

Dear ER:

It’s a shame SB 827 went down last spring. Just when I thought we’d finally get our dream of having five-story residences built right on top of us, the Legislature had to go and vote it down. What’s the matter with them? The only thing that eases the pain is at least they’re requiring the allowance of accessory dwelling units.

So many benefits! One, it will help us with our goal of becoming the highest density city in the South Bay.  All of this pesky extra space just makes me nervous. And really, having a place to park in front of your house is so yesterday. ‘Sides, those tiny houses are adorable! I can’t wait to have them everywhere. With any luck our City Council will allow them in front yards, or better yet in our driveways since who needs them with all this efficient mass transit arriving any minute now.

And I just know that all these affordable mini-homes are going to help with the homeless situation because my neighbors would never think of charging market value for a rental; they are far too charitable.

Lara Duke

Redondo Beach

Playing politics

Dear ER:

Redondo Beach Councilmembers Laura Emdee and Christian Horvath are playing politics and sabotaging our city. That’s what they did when refusing to appoint highly qualified candidate Matt Kappadakunnel, to the Budget and Finance Commission. Matt is one of a small number of financial analysts to qualify for and pass CFA certification. To put in lay persons’ terms, there are a fraction of financial analysts that even have this certification internationally. We should be grateful to have someone with his expertise on the commission.

Maybe the rejection was due to Matt finding significant issues with how our city treasurer manages Redondo Beach’s finances. This when current Redondo City Treasurer Steve Diels finds time to wave chunks of concrete in the air speaking at Coastal Commission meetings, making incoherent statements about how a mall that will be a financial failure should be built in our harbor.

We need commissioners with a deep understanding of finance to help lead our city forward. Instead Emdee and Horvath apparently want our city to waste money just like when they voted to blow $9 million buying out the Fun Factory lease early.

Or, as many have said, it’s just to find a way to pay CenterCal the $15 million in their lawsuit against Redondo. After all, CenterCal will probably be bankrolling their reelection campaigns.

Lisa Youngworth

Redondo Beach

Come together

Dear ER:

Candace Nafissi’s attempt to vilify the 6,925 Redondo residents and the City Council members who have a different opinion about progress in our city fully illustrates the vindictive behavior of her group, ROW. This is not the kind of leadership Redondo Beach wants or deserves. There is never a time for division when it comes to the betterment of our community.

Redondo is running last in the Beach Cities on so many levels. It is hamstrung by despondent councilmembers who go against the majority of the Redondo City Council on so many important decisions. Those same members serve only the wishes of ROW. Nafissi’s negative attitude toward unity in our city is only a symptom of the disease that is ROW. She could break from the self serving derisive political activists and see that the way forward in Redondo is together.

Paul Moses

Redondo Beach

For the defense

Dear ER:

Two of Redondo Beach’s elected officials, Mayor Bill Brand and Councilmember Nils Nehrenheim, and community members are being personally sued by CenterCal supporters Arnette Travis and Chris Voisey, with a Sept. 10 trial date. A local restaurateur is also suing Nehrenheim for allegedly trespassing in his tavern after ordering a beer. His offense?  Nehrenheim voted with the rest of the Council to remove a temporary dining deck after the trial program ended.

These elected officials, who represent more than 68,000 residents, are personally funding legal defense expenses at their financial peril and aren’t being defended by the city.

At Aug. 9’s Coastal Commission meeting, Sutton Law Firm attorney Bradley Hertz, attorney for CenterCal, Fred Bruning, Travis and Voisey, issued court appearance subpoenas to an elected official and other Measure C supporters. I’m being hauled to court through a “witness subpoena.”

Hertz and his associate also appeared outside Councilmember Nehrenheim’s legal-expenses fundraiser at Captain Kidd’s last week to serve more subpoenas to Redondo residents.

The response by fellow councilmembers Emdee, Horvath, and Gran to these lawsuits and intimidation is — crickets. Not one word condemning these personal lawsuits and intimidation tactics against fellow elected officials and residents. They either don’t care, or worse, they condone these actions.

Elected officials and residents shouldn’t be sued for exercising First Amendment rights of free expression, or carrying out their civic duties. If the situation were different, and Emdee, Horvath and Gran were being sued, I can say without reservation that I’d speak out against this political punishment.

Please contribute to Brand’s and Nehrenheim’s legal defense funds at http://www.billbrand.org/contribute-today/ and http://votefornils.org.

Todd Loewenstein

District 2 Councilmember

Redondo Beach

 

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