Paralusz is among four candidates running for one of two seats in the city’s March 8 City Council election.
She has served on city commissions for the past six years, including the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Parking and Public Improvements Commission.
“The reason I’m running is the same reason I’ve served on commissions,” Paralusz said in an interview this week. “I love helping resolve residents’ concerns.”
Originally from New Jersey, Paralusz has lived in Manhattan Beach for 11 years. She lives with her husband, Mark, and their 18-month-old daughter.
During her time as a Planning Commissioner, Paralusz was involved in a resolution process involving neighbors complaining of noise problems at Shade Hotel. Paralusz said she witnessed democracy at its finest when after a year-long and often heated resolution process, the commission was able to come up with mitigation efforts that alleviated both sides and which council approved with few changes.
“We were able to work together to find a resolution balancing the interests of all parties involved” Paralusz said.
“I love this city and working hard for the residents is a privilege.”
Paralusz highlighted the city’s upcoming contract negotiations with police, fire and teamsters as its top issue. She supports exploring the restructuring of contracts for new public employees by increasing retirement ages and lowering percentages in a two-tiered pension system.
“It is imperative [city employees] be treated with dignity,” she said. “All options have to be on the table in a way that takes everyone’s interests into account, including the employees and the residents.”
Paralusz said that with the construction of a new county library in the city, the operational costs of the new library need to be determined before old one is torn down, though she remained optimistic that the costs will not go up. If county funds are not able to cover the operational costs of the new library, Paralusz said she defer to finance director to see the possibility of covering some of the expense though city funds.
“But that’s something the residents would have to have a say in and would need to be publicly discussed,” she said.
Despite what she called a modest increase in sales tax in the city, Paralusz stressed the importance of attracting new businesses to the Sepulveda corridor, downtown and North Manhattan Beach, and wants to look into the feasibility of the formation of a Business Improvement District along Sepulveda.
While Paralusz said she has been supportive in the past of large donations from the city to the schools, similar donations are no longer feasible. She proposed reviewing current in-kind field maintenance agreements between the city to assess current usage fees. Said city is going “above and beyond” with in-kind maintenance of fields, but would like to review the agreements. She also suggested that the city and school district combine purchasing power to cut costs.
“Even something as mundane as buying pens and notepads could offer a savings,” she said.
Paralusz supports utility undergrounding in being a resident-driven process, but worries that the process has never been clearly defined or consistently followed City Councils.
“I am a proponent of strictly adhering to the thresholds for forming and going forward with the districts,” she said.
Paralusz is also in favor of continuing the city’s goal of going green, but only in was that make fiscal sense.
“Zero waste is a great goal, but what kind of cost-impact will it have?” Paralusz said. “Measures that are cost-neutral or offer a cost-savings are much more palatable, especially right now. But I don’t think we should be supporting something that costs residents more.” ER
