by Garth Meyer
Appointments to most of the city’s commissions were approved on a 4-1 vote Sept. 12, though some controversy accompanied the process.
Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic cast the dissenting vote, for reasons related to accusations from members of the public that Mayor Brand ousted two previous planning commission members in 2021.
In the current appointments, Matthew Hinsley sought a second term on the planning commission and was denied.
“I think anyone who wants to serve a second term should be able to, unless they’ve done something egregious,” said Kaluderovic. “And it seems that the block of planning commission members are of one opinion on how our city should grow.”
Two new members were approved – Wayne Craig, co-founder of the political action committee “Rescue Our Waterfront”; and Jason Conroy, who previously served on the budget and finance commission.
Current planning commission member Gwenn Godeck did not seek a second term.
Matthew Kilroy, a former councilmember, commissioner, and unsuccessful candidate for city treasurer earlier this year, said at the Sept. 5 city council meeting that Mayor Brand had terminated two planning commissioners, in fall 2021, shortly after the council changed a rule that prevented the removal of commissioners during a term.
Brand denied Kilroy’s charge. A week later, another person in public comment characterized the statement as a “lie.”
“I did not remove anyone from any commission, ever,” Brand said in response.
In November 2021, the city council voted 3-2 to replace Wayne Ung and Chantal Toporow on the planning commission. Redondo’s mayor does not vote on council issues, but has veto power. Brand said then that the two commissioners were “out of step” because of comments seen as being in support of some residential development at the AES site.
Toporow sent a statement to the city afterward saying that it had “slayed the wrong dragon.”
Kaluderovic challenges Brand’s belief that all of AES should become 100 percent parkland.
“I don’t think that represents the community as a whole,” she said, referring to what she said she heard while knocking on “thousands of doors” during her election campaign this spring. “The majority fall in line of some scale of compromise.”
Other commissioners sworn in Sept. 12 for four-year terms, starting Oct 1 are: Budget and Finance — Jasmine Allen; Harbor Commission — Ryan Abelman and Tom Bauer; Historical Commission –Lori Zaremski; Housing Commission — Danny Jimenez; Library Commission — Cris Hayes, Ron Maroko; Preservation Commission — Mickey McNearney; Public Safety — Gilbert Escontrias, Nancy Skiba; and Public Works and Sustainability: Andrew Beeli, and Jay Tsao.
Kaluderovic mentioned to Easy Reader that she would like to bring back the 12-member youth commission, which was paused during the pandemic.
Residents wishing to join a city commission first fill out an application, designating three top choices for which commission they would like to serve on.
Four spots remain open for the historical commission, one for the library commission, one for historic preservation, one for public safety, four on the suspension appeals board, five on handicapped access appeals board, and seven for the board of appeals uniform code. Residents interested in applying for these positions may go to redondo.org/commissionapp.ER
