Redondo council decides against county, keeps city fire department

by Garth Meyer

The Redondo Beach city council voted 5-0 Tuesday night to keep its city fire department, concluding a six-year process, putting to rest the question of whether contracting with the L.A. County Fire Department would be better financially for the city, if not other reasons too.

The vote also tasks city committees with exploration of a bond to improve fire stations.

Public input May 21 on the city vs. county matter went heavily toward the city department – as it did in a previous hearing in April – while some echoed a call from City Councilman Nils Nehrenheim to form a committee to study the matter further before a decision is made.

“We just want to be supported,” City fire/paramedics union president Kenny Campos told the council, “There is a financial cost to that in the form of fire stations, updated rigs… We don’t want to be forgotten like we have in the past.”

Campos also reported that department morale “is in a much better spot” since this process began in 2018. “We’ve been put on the front burner. I definitely think there are strides to be made that have been identified,” he said.

A month ago, the city council took in a presentation on the third study of the issue, done by consultant Citygate Associates, which concluded it would cost Redondo Beach an extra $13.8 million over 10 years for similar services from L.A. County Fire.

Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr. estimated Tuesday during the city council meeting that any bond to go before voters for the fire department would likely reach $100 million.

“We probably need to seek it in November, too,” he said, citing a proposed (estimated $300 million) school bond slated for November, as well as a $30 million bond for Beach Cities Health District.

“It’s been six years that we’ve been at this,” City Councilman Todd Loewenstein said before the city vs. county fire vote. “Wherever the chips may fall, at least we have to do the due diligence. … If this does pass and we (do a bond), I hope that people are out there on the streets walking with us.”

The Citygate study cost $100,000.

“That $100,000 is damn well worth the investment because morale is improved,” Loewenstein said.

“This effort has brought a lot of good changes, and it doesn’t stop here,” said Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic, before the vote. “But we’re stalled right now. I think we need to pick the path we are going go down.”

The motion which passed sends the Citygate report to the Harbor Commission, Public Works and Sustainability Commission, Public Safety Commission and Budget and Finance Commission, with a request to separately come back with a bond analysis to renovate (or build new) fire department facilities.

L.A. County Chief Deputy John O’Brien (executive office) appeared before the council May 21 to answer questions. The county operation provides fire services for 60 cities within the county. The package offered to Redondo Beach would not have included major renovations to facilities.

Nehrenheim Tuesday night addressed previous calls that he should recuse himself from the topic, because he is employed by the L.A. County Fire Department as a recurrent ocean lifeguard.

“I am not a firefighter… I can’t even work for Baywatch,” he said. “… We are talking about public safety, response times, equipment failures. We support our fire department but at the end of the day, we don’t support it. Local control, everyone’s talking about local control. How much are you willing to pay?”

Nehrenheim also stated that the “$14 million number was factually wrong.”

Public comment included skepticism and conviction.

“This appears to me a costly solution in search of a phantom problem,” said resident Steven Oetzell.

Pat Aust, former Redondo Beach fire chief, gave his reasons to keep the department in house.

Resident Brad Waller said he was willing to pay more, and the council chambers applauded.

“The fire service is a personal service. You can see how personally people are taking it,” Jim Mueller said.

“We just want this done,” said Miriam Butler. 

Mel Sample of the city’s Budget and Finance Commission called for a committee to be formed for the issue, similar to the city’s charter review committee. 

Retired L.A. County Lifeguard Robert Moore said, “I would love to see the city council pass the motion and let’s put this to bed.”

Abby Gasky said, “Send us a bill.”

“Let’s not ram this through in one meeting,” Wayne Craig said. “Let’s review it…”

A former Inglewood fireman spoke, saying that when that city went to L.A. County Fire, “It was a godsend.”

City Clerk Eleanor Manzano totaled e-comments: 72 of 77 were against going to county.

Campos apologized to Chief O’Brien for some disparaging comments people made in the meeting about L.A. County, Campos telling the crowd he trained as paramedic with the county.

“They provide a great service,” he said. 

The fire union is amidst negotiations now with the city on a new labor contract. 

Councilman Obagi, Jr., said that the city council was not paying attention to the fire department before he was elected in 2021.

“The city council didn’t care about them,” he said. 

In 2019, then-council representatives John Gran, Christian Horvath and Laura Emdee voted against continuing a fire study because they believed they had enough evidence then to conclude such a change would be too expensive. 

Gran was replaced by Obagi, and a 3-2 vote followed to resume the study, with Horvath and Emdee against it, saying again that a move to county did not make financial sense. 

Kaluderovic succeeded Horvath in 2023 and shortly after, voted against hiring Citygate to conduct its study. Councilman Scott Behrendt, who succeeded Emdee, supported hiring Citygate.

Now that the matter is decided, Kaluderovic told Easy Reader Wednesday that running a bond is likely the next step, in the realm of $100 million.

“I think we will have missed an opportunity if we don’t get it on the ballot in November,” Kaluderovic said. ER