About Town in Redondo Beach: 2017 local election candidates; DUI checkpoint planned

Sixteen names are set for the March 2017 Municipal Election ballot. Eight of Redondo Beach’s elected positions, both within the City and the School Board, will be up for grabs on next year’s ballot. The nomination period for five of the six contested offices ended on Dec. 12.

Incumbent Mayor Steve Aspel, outgoing District 2 Councilman Bill Brand and regular rabble-rouser Eric Coleman have already long declared their candidacy. Joining them for the city’s top elected position will be Michael Ian Sachs and Chris Mowatt.

Martha Barbee, who was appointed to replace Jeff Ginsburg in District 1 following his midterm departure earlier this year, is running to be elected to the seat. Challenging her are Rolf Strutzenberg and Rescue Our Waterfront co-founder Nils Nehrenheim.

Former Redondo Beach School Board member Todd Loewenstein will face off against current Harbor Commission chair Doug Rodriguez to replace Brand in District 2.

District 4, which covers much of Artesia Boulevard to the South Bay Galleria, has quite a bit of interest following the decision by current Councilman Steve Sammarco against running again. Five residents have expressed interest, and three have submitted qualification materials: North Redondo Beach Business Association President John Gran; Galleria development activist Suzy Royds; and resident Adam Wachter. Two other candidates, Alex Bannerman and John Hough, have expressed interest but not yet submitted finalized qualification materials. The nomination period for District 4 candidates ended on Dec. 14.

Three current members of the Redondo Beach Unified School District Board of Education are running for reelection: Michael Christensen, Brad Waller and Brad Serkin, plan on running for reelection as a bloc. Former District 5 councilman, and current Harbor Commissioner Matt Kilroy has thrown his hat in the ring as well to win one of the three open seats.

City Attorney Michael Webb is the only incumbent running unopposed for his position.

Police plan DUI checkpoint

Redondo Beach Police have announced that they will be running a DUI checkpoint on Dec. 16 as part of a year-end drunk-driving awareness campaign.

“Beginning December 16th and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said RBPD Chief Keith Kauffman. “We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.”

The Dec. 16 checkpoint will take place on Friday, Dec. 16, from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at an undisclosed location within city limits. ER