Minutes — Hermosa Beach City Council, May 5, 2025

CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING - May 05, 2025

1. CLOSED SESSION—CALL TO ORDER 6:00 PM
Public Comments:

Mayor Saemann called the Closed Session meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.

2. ROLL CALL
Public Comments:

Acting City Clerk Reanna Guzman announced a quorum.

3. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AGENDA
Public Comments
Dave Davis
I am writing to express my strong support for Hermosa Beach City Manager Suja Lowenthal. Since stepping into her role, Ms. Lowenthal has consistently demonstrated exceptional professionalism, sound judgment, and a clear dedication to public service. Her leadership has brought greater coordination and effectiveness to city operations.

Ms. Lowenthal has earned the trust and respect of city staff, the Hermosa Beach Police Department, and other essential city services through her collaborative approach and steady leadership. The improvements in city services and the strength of interdepartmental relationships under her guidance are a testament to her capability and commitment.

It is concerning that recent criticisms from a vocal minority appear to be personally motivated. Personal grievances should never overshadow a fair and objective evaluation of job performance. Ms. Lowenthal's track record speaks for itself, and her continued leadership should be assessed based on results, not rhetoric.

Hermosa Beach is fortunate to have a City Manager of her caliber, and I fully support her continued service to the community.

Sincerely,
Dave Davis
Owner
Hermosa Brewing Co.

R Rudin
What's going on? The wonderful Police Chief LeBaron is gone. Suja being used as a scapegoat (There has never been even a single reprimand or documented error of). These things among others do not reflect the values of our beloved Hermosa. Wrong. Scary. Horrible.

Robert Aronoff

1. I have lived in Hermosa Beach for 38 years and have never seen a city manager generate so much controversy as Suja Lowenthal. a. At your April 22, 2025 meeting she marshaled the employees she has hired and oversees, and whom she can fire, to vouch for her. Many of these people are more loyal to her than our City. b. As a recent letter to the editor of the Easy Reader pointed out: “A cult-like atmosphere has formed around the City Manager’s office. In this environment, anyone who dares to question or critique City Hall is attacked, shut down, or silenced, especially on social media”. c. A former HB Council Member told me that he sees the City Manager’s office operating under a “siege mentality.” d. Recently there was an incident where a City employee hired by and loyal to Suja Lowenthal circulated an email in an attempt to intimidate a Council Member.

2. Lack of transparency
a. Rather than have open discussion of diverse opinions, there is an active effort by the City Manager to allow only one narrative and silence other voices, often with intimidation. b. Council Members are discourage from speaking publically about issues in advance of meeting because it could prejudice the discussion; and after the meeting because it undermines support for the Council’s action. c. The City Manager’s office is now sealed off from the public by bulletproof glass and barricades. d. All communications, even from the press, now has to go through the newly created City Information Officer

3. HB is facing many challenges going forward and Suja Lowenthal does not appear to have the skill set to tackle them. a. She is the first City Manager who felt she needed an assistant, this despite that many of the City functions have become more automated. b. We are spending more on City Staff than ever before
c. We a have too much turnover in City Staff,
d. The City is developing a reputation as being business unfriendly

4. Results under Suja Lowenthal have been disappointing:
a. over-budget projects, —
b. key employee turnover
c. There has been no meaningful update to our long-overdue zoning code d. Many of her decisions such as revamping the parking permits have been controversial. They have created:
i. division among council members—both past and present; ii. More lawsuits.,.

5. Under Suja Lowenthal’s management, the City is moving in the wrong direction. This has to change.

Jose Bacallao
My speech for tonight. Next, we play a little game called “Let’s recall Michael Keegan”.

Good evening Mayor, members of the Hermosa Beach City Council, and Madam City Manager, As a longtime resident of Hermosa Beach, I write to express my unequivocal support for our City Manager, Suja Lowenthal.

From day one, Suja has provided focused, effective, and visionary leadership. She has not only earned my family’s trust, but also the confidence of many across our community. Public safety, community engagement, and professional accountability are not just talking points for her—they are principles she enacts daily.

Under her leadership, we have witnessed a meaningful shift toward collaboration between City staff, the Police Department, and residents. She leads with clarity, respect, and compassion—qualities that drive real results and foster community resilience.

Perhaps most impressively, Suja has cultivated a strong internal culture among City staff—professionals who are not only accessible but clearly motivated to serve the people of Hermosa Beach with excellence.

Suja, of my family, thank you. Your leadership has made a real and tangible difference in our lives and in the strength of our city.

Now to the Council: it’s time to step up. The example is right in front of you—consistent, competent leadership that delivers. Emulate it. Our community deserves nothing less.

We did not elect you to sit idle or to weaponize process and politics. We elected you to lead—with strategy, courage, and integrity—and to work with our City Manager, not against her.

Leadership isn’t about posturing. It’s about results. It’s about accountability. It’s about doing the work. So do it.

The data and the accomplishments from Suja and her team are outstanding, and overwhelmingly supported by this community. Yet, you’ve been attacking our City Manager since day one.

Let me finish with this; stop playing games with our community. This charade is nothing more than classical white supremacy and misogyny.

It would be easier, more honest, more fair, if you just came out and said the thing. So just say it already.

Rachel Nyback
To be clear, the exit of our Chief of Police, City Atty, etc. is NOT because they don't like working with our City Manager, but that they will not work here without her. To say that people are leaving is her fault is a fallacy, as the council heard at the last special meeting with public comment. Suja has worked hard for our city, and is being blamed for issues that are not hers, but are often councils. To badger her for carrying through on the policies that were set by council is unfair. Such actions as badgering and blame, instead of working together, is why city employees leave. No one wants a hostile work environment. I am thankful for the open door policy that Suja has. She has always responded in a more than timely manner. I love that we have a city manager who IS out in our city and not sitting behind a desk. The charges leveled against her in emails that are circulating our city are inaccurate to say the least. Clearly the damage has been done by our council's actions as seen by the departure of so many city employees, not because of Suja, but because of the actions of City Council.

Robert Fortunato
Honorable Mayor, City Council and Staff,
We are 30 year residents and property owners in Hermosa Beach. I attended the meeting on April 8th and, outside of a memorial service, have not seen an stronger outpouring of support and gratitude for anyone, ever. Thanks to all the speakers who strongly confirmed what we all suspected - our City Manager is doing an outstanding job.

The City Manager has a review coming up in a couple of months. To waste all of our valuable time on issues that should be addressed in the normal course of the City Manager's review is poor governance on the part of the council members who initiated it, and could lead to the loss of valuable city employees. Poor judgement, unfortunately, is not uncommon, as one of those city council members stole a campaign sign from our property and then lied to the Hermosa Beach police about it (https://www.facebook.com/100000298192056/videos/862824532488853/).

In kind, those council members perpetrating this waste of time and money may need to be reviewed before their review period is upon us.

Respectfully,
Robert Fortunato
Michele Hampton
I've been a resident of Hermosa Beach since 1987. Never got involved with any city council meetings because it wasn't on my radar. I felt like our city was being run by people who cared about the residents and community. But in 2023, during the Housing Element, my views changed on the direction our city was heading.

Now it is very concerning what is taking place here in Hermosa. As I've listened to council meetings and observed the council members I feel as if they, most of the time, lean towards what our city manager envisions for Hermosa. We can't get any bigger than what we are, but we can get better.

We don't need to fit a square peg into a round hole because that worked in Long Beach or Santa Monica. This is the small beach town of Hermosa. Where charm and character are what we should hold on to. Not new-fangled buildings that probably won’t create business. We need our city manager to focus on our small businesses that are struggling. Not seeing more empty store fronts. Our city manager should have that as a top concern. To help our commerce grow which in turn will support our residents and tourism. And yes, our older structures need help but hiring expensive consultants that our city manager has worked with before in Long Beach is not smart spending.

I don't understand why there's such anger about our city manager getting a review done. She's supposed to do what our city council sees best for Hermosa. Let her get a review done by her peers.

So, in closing, I know, council members, you'll do what's best for the residents of Hermosa.

This is not a popularity contest, it is business.

Katie Seaman
I am saddened that political pettiness has led to the unmerited evaluation of City Manager Lowenthal, who epitomizes service-driven leadership and has accomplished so much to elevate our little beach city. This community will lose momentum on key initiatives that will define and shape Hermosa for years to come should the few succeed in implementing their will.

Dency Nelson
As a 41-year resident and homeowner here in Hermosa Beach, I adamantly support City Manager Suja Lowenthal.

And we are not a “cult,” as some detractors have called those of us who support our City Manager. Quite the contrary, we are the Mainstream of our community, and that should be evident to all, based on the overwhelming show of support for City Manager Lowenthal during the Public Comments at the April 22 Closed Session of the Hermosa Beach City Council. That support was voiced by outstanding, longtime Hermosa Beach Businees owners such as Steve Collins of Hermosa Cyclery and Baker Dave of Hermosa Pie & Cake. By spiritual leaders of our community such as the Reverend Doctor Rachel Nyback of St. Cross Episcopal Church. By the Heads and Staffs of every Hermosa Beach City Department, including the Hermosa Beach Police Department, Public Works, and Community Resources, as well as the Superintendent and the President of the Board of Education of the Hermosa Beach City School District. Even by the leadership of the collective bargaining unions and organizations representing the workers of these departments. Who better to evaluate the performance of their manager than those who on a day-to-day basis take their orders from the City Manager and look to her for support for the work that they do for our city. Even the former Mayor, shortly before this meeting, stated: “Our city is well positioned for the future” and that “It enters 2025 with a balanced budget and we are focused on back to basic essential spending.” “ We switched health care providers for the first time in 10 years, saving $200,00.” “We hired an emergency management coordinator” and, referring directly to the performance of our City Manager, “What a great job she has done helping us to guide with the challenges we have in our city.” The detractors point to cost overruns and delays of city projects as reason to call for replacing Suja. This is a preposterous complaint as almost every municipality and public and private enterprise, in this post-Covid era, is suffering from rising costs of materials and labor; all of our neighboring cities are experiencing the same thing -- it’s a sign of the times. In fact, the leaders of our neighboring cities are laughing at us and saying “What’s up with Hermosa?” at the suggestion of replacing our outstanding City Manager, Suja Lowenthal! And if cost is the major concern of the City Manager’s detractors, just contemplate the costs to the city of buying out the remainder of her contract and the cost and chaos of the very likely resignations of several if not all of our City Department heads should they witness this completely irresponsible firing of their trusted City Manager. Their confidence that they themselves will be supported in the future will be completely eroded.

No, stop this nonsense now! Support our outstanding City Manager Suja Lowenthal, and let’s move on with the real issues and business in our city! Dency Nelson
Melary
I am writing as a concerned resident who deeply cherishes the unique character and close-knit nature of this community. We know Hb stands apart from our neighboring cities for its surf, skate, and music culture—along with its small-town charm, collaborative spirit, and strong sense of community. These aren't just nostalgic ideals—they are the foundation of who we are.

With that in mind, I urge you to conduct a fair and thorough review of our current City Manager’s performance. Leadership at this level should reflect the will and character of the community it serves.

This is not a call for rash action, but rather a sincere appeal for overdue accountability. I ask that you listen to the community—particularly in light of the recent election of Michael Keegan, who campaigned on "course correction" and fiscal responsibility. His re-election underscores the public's desire for renewed leadership. Leadership that reflects our deeply rooted Hb values.

Unfortunately, the culture the current city manager has fostered feels increasingly divisive, politically driven, and misaligned with what makes Hb so special. Her approach more often resembles big city politics rather than the collaborative, community-centered governance our town deserves. Instead of trying to unite residents, or spearhead creative ways to fight for the success of our small businesses, her tenure has, in many instances, sown deep division and frustration within our small town.

We urge you to evaluate the City Manager not just by metrics, but by the deep divide she has created in our city. What separates truly great leadership is one’s ability to unite. Hermosa Beach deserves GREAT leadership for everyone. We need to go back to our city’s core foundation, by bringing both sides together, respecting each other and our long standing traditions, while fostering the kind of city we are proud to call home.

Thank you for your time, service, and commitment.

Respectfully,
Melary Burry
Hermosa Beach Resident
anthony higgins
Dear City Council
please see attached pdf
This Public Comment period is limited to Closed Session agenda items only. Public Comment is limited to three (3) minutes per speaker.

Mayor Saemann opened Public Comment. The following public comment was provided:

In Person Public Comment:

Robert Aronoff
Nancy Schwappach
Salli Harris
Rory Barish
George Schmeltzer
Ann Gotthoffer
Gila Katz
Sean Dennison
Elka Worner
Carolyn Petty
Trent Larsen
Jose Bacallao
Izzy Bacallao
Eric Horne
George Schaecizel
Robert Fortunato
Ashley Tull
Lynne Pope
Mary Campbell
John Burry
Angela Crespi
Carrie Tai
Stacey Armato
Bob Wolfe
Moira Nelson
Ray Dussault
Virtual Public Comment:

Tony Higgins
Laura Pena
Josh Krasnegor
Matt McCool
George Barks
Barbara Ellman

4. RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
Public Comments:

Mayor Saemann provided additional comments before recessing to Closed Session.

The City Council recessed to Closed Session at 7:45 p.m.

4.a
Closed Session Minutes
Public Comments:

Approval of minutes of closed session held on April 22, 2025

4.b
Public Employee Performance Evaluation - Continued from 4/22/25 Attachments
|
Public Comments

1. 1. Supplemental Emails and Ecomments Item 4d - 4-22-2025.pdf

2. SUPPLEMENTAL Emails for item 4.b.pdf

3. SUPPLEMENTAL Email for item 4.b Post deadline.pdf
Andrew Gawdun
I still continue to find it disheartening, no actually disgusting that we have members of our City that have and are actively continuing to attempt to find fault and negative on our City Manager in hopes that they can push her out. As I mentioned the last time this came up we have nothing but positive and amazing things to say and express about City Manager Lowenthal. The works we have been able to do with her have been nothing but positive. What should be happening is a 'Thank You' should be coming her way for the work she has done for this beach city. An annual review is normal but personally attacking her and calling for it sooner in hopes to oust City Manager Lowenthal is absurd. If anything, this continues to cause me a belief that things are not being done for the better of this City but are being done for a select few's personal agenda.

We stand for and support City Manager Lowenthal and that her team have, and are doing works for the better of this City.

Laura Pena
Dear Mayor and City Council - I want to start by acknowledging that there’s been a lot of conversation lately about the City Council’s decision to evaluate the City Manager. It’s understandable that people have differing views on the timing, and even within the Council, there may not be complete agreement. But ultimately, conducting this kind of review is part of your responsibility as elected officials. What I hope is that we can move past some of the noise and focus on doing this in a way that reinforces public confidence. I do think residents benefit when the process is approached with clarity and transparency.

Something else I think we can all feel is the division—what’s happening on the dais is now being mirrored in our community. People are taking sides, social media has become toxic, and respectful dialogue is being replaced by personal attacks and assumptions. Just because you think you’re right doesn’t mean the other person is wrong. It’s essential—especially now—that our city leadership sets the tone. I’ve had the opportunity to engage with our City Manager over the past five years, and while we’ve disagreed on policy issues, our conversations have always been professional and respectful. That’s the kind of tone I’d like to see reflected among Councilmembers during our public meetings as well.

As we look ahead, the city faces a projected $3 million gap over the next four years. At a time like this, residents want to feel assured that our leadership is effective, focused, and working together in good faith. That’s why it’s important to understand what benchmarks are being used in this performance review. What community-facing indicators are being tracked to assess how the City Manager is delivering on our priorities—like Goal 1 (transparency in decision-making) and Goal 8 (a performance-based management approach) in PLAN Hermosa? Whether people are defending the current leadership or calling for change, what they’re really asking for is confidence that the process is being handled fairly and thoughtfully. Publicly sharing a high-level summary of key performance indicators would go a long way toward restoring that trust and encouraging more constructive engagement.

This doesn’t need to be a divisive moment. It can be an opportunity. Please lead with professionalism, objectivity, and respect—for each other and for the residents you serve. That’s the foundation for good governance. And that’s what Hermosa Beach deserves.

As always, I appreciate your thoughtful consideration.

Laura Pena
Lisa and Scott Henry
I urge this Council to take immediate and decisive action. The role of the City Manager is to serve at the pleasure of the Council and THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY. When that service no longer reflects the interest of the community, it becomes your obligation to act. It is clear Suja and past city council members, have run this city into the ground with the big city politics. They have taken it upon themselves to write rules that discriminate against property owners with second homes in Hermosa Beach. This is wrong and wouldn’t hold up in a class action lawsuit, which I am considering. We pay property taxes, but no we aren’t eligible for a parking permit. Why? Because we don’t live in the city full time! This is simply outrageous but not unexpected from what I’ve seen happening in city hall. We don’t have a parking issue in this town we have a common sense issue.

This is not a decision to be made lightly, but it is a necessary one. A failure to address this issue now will only deepen the disconnection between City Hall and the people it is supposed to serve.

Lisa and Scott Henry
2716 Hermosa Avenue
Jessica Accamando
Dear Mayor Saemann, Councilmembers, and City Clerk,
I’m a long-time resident, a business owner, volunteer and business advocate. I’ve dedicated years of service to this city, not for accolades, but because I love Hermosa and I believed in the vision we shared: a progressive, inclusive, community-first beach town.

I’m writing you not as a formality, but from the depths of frustration, grief, and urgency. What’s unfolding right now with the potential firing of City Manager Suja Lowenthal is more than a poor decision—it’s an institutional unraveling disguised as reform.

Let me be clear: if you vote to terminate Ms. Lowenthal’s contract without cause, you will not only lose one of the most respected and effective leaders Hermosa has ever had, but you will also trigger a mass departure of experienced, talented staff and further destabilize city operations. This will have profound ripple effects on public trust, employee morale, and city function.

I know Suja’s role intimately. I’ve watched how she operates, and I’ve worked directly alongside her on initiatives. While we haven’t always agreed, she has consistently acted with professionalism, intelligence, grace, and a deep understanding of how to run a complex, politically sensitive, and ambitious municipality.

More importantly, I’ve watched as this situation has been misrepresented—reduced to falsehoods, blame, and weaponized grievance. Suja has become a scapegoat for decisions that were made by Council, and the public narrative is being shaped not by facts, but by a small but vocal group bent on discrediting her work and reputation. Many residents don’t understand what a City Manager does, and rather than take responsibility for hard decisions, this Council seems prepared to let her shoulder your collective burden.

You may think you are making a “leadership” change. What you are actually doing is gutting the institution and the progress many of us have fought for. You are signaling to staff, partners, and the region that we are a city in crisis, not because of Suja’s leadership, but because of Council’s inability to manage policy differences without vendetta.

If this is about performance, you have a process. Her review is scheduled for August. Use it. Don’t hijack professional protocol in the name of political timing.

If you think this move reflects the will of the people, I encourage you to look around: community stakeholders, the Teamsters, city staff, the school district, community organizations, businesses, and residents have all spoken out. We were all there last Tuesday. Were you listening? Please don’t mistake silence for support. Many residents are unaware, overwhelmed, or afraid to speak. But many more are watching—and remembering.

And finally, we’ve heard that Council’s mind is already made up. If that is true, while many of us are deeply disappointed, we implore you to ensure that Suja is treated with the dignity and decency she has earned through her service. The community is watching not just what you do, but how you do it.

Mayor Saemann, I know you to be a good man. But this is not a good move. Your actions will define your legacy. Will you be remembered as a stabilizing leader who chose process, fairness, and professionalism, or as someone who enabled chaos at a time when Hermosa needed courage? Councilmembers, please hear this: Hermosa Beach is already hurting. Don’t make it worse. Keep our City Manager. Respect the staff. Respect the residents. And respect the process.

Thank you,
Jessica Accamando
Hermosa Beach Resident
Business Owner and Community Volunteer & Advocate
AnneG
Dear Mr. Mayor & City Council -
Just to clarify for Justin Massey who may have misunderstood John Bury's comment regarding: “November’s election saw three candidates (Keegan, Worner, Sheil) get a clear majority of the votes cast,” ..........I believe what Mr. Bury was referencing is that all three of these candidates (combined) received 51.5% of all the votes cast by Hermosa Beach residents which would equate to a majority as opposed to 26.5% of all the votes cast that went to the incumbent (current Mayor Pro Tem Detoy)? Russ Gilbert
It’s extremely distressing to see three of our city council members apparently deciding to ignore the will of residents, the advice of city staff, and apparently reality in general.

Despite the hubris of a small, irrationally angry faction in our city whose hallmarks are lies and bullying, things are going well in Hermosa Beach by any objective measure.

The end result of a change made this way will be chaos, cost overruns, and likely rules changed to benefit a small wealthy segment of our population at the expense of everyone else.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see lawsuits as a result of this sudden and highly irregular action by council either.

Justin Massey
Dear Mr. Mayor & City Council -
The criticisms of Suja are misguided, as illustrated by the commenter who writes that “November’s election saw three candidates (Keegan, Worner, Sheil) get a clear majority of the votes cast,” ignoring that all three finished behind the incumbent, Mayor Pro Tem Detoy.

Your ability to honestly and effectively evaluate the performance of the City Manager will help define your tenures. I encourage you to approach it with the gravity it deserves.

Thank you for your time and service.

Vicki Patman
While I thank the City Manager for her service, I believe it is time for a change. I encourage Council to have a frank discussion about whether our City is really better off now than we were in 2018, or whether we can do better.

Denni Kopelan
I have owned a home in this city for over 30 years. In all that time, I have never seen anything as disgraceful and disheartening as what has I witnessed on April 22nd. How many of the paid employees did Suja and Jackson fill the room with? Why weren’t resident’s aware of what was going on? The deterioration in the quality of governance, the erosion of transparency, and the outright disregard for community values are nothing short of disgusting.

What was once a city I was proud to call home has become unrecognizable. The culture in City Hall has shifted from one of service to one of arrogance, incompetence, and detachment. Residents’ concerns are ignored. Property owners are treated with contempt. Time to unburden our city of Suja and her big city politics.

Simone Binder
I am writing with deep concern over the sudden turn city council has taken in regards to Suja Lowenthal’s sudden performance evaluation. This highly unusual tactic of firing someone without due process is HIGHLY concerning and not what I believe Hermosa represents, and if this happens then there must be consequences for these actions. We still live in the United States and city governance must follow the rules of law. Personal vendettas should not guide decisions and have no place in our town.

Jose Bacallao
Good evening Mayor, Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council, and Madam City Manager, As a longtime resident of Hermosa Beach, I write to express my unequivocal support for our City Manager, Suja Lowenthal.

Suja, on behalf of my family, thank you. Your leadership has made a real and tangible difference in our lives and in the strength of our city.

Now to the Council: it’s time to step up. The example is right in front of you—consistent, competent leadership that delivers. Emulate it. Our community deserves nothing less.

We did not elect you to sit idle or to weaponize process and politics. We elected you to lead—with strategy, courage, and integrity—and to work *with* our City Manager, not against her.

Leadership isn’t about posturing. It’s about results. It’s about accountability. It’s about doing the work.

So do it.

Michele Hampton
I've been a resident of Hermosa Beach since 1987. Never got involved with any city council meetings because it wasn't on my radar. I felt like our city was being run by people who cared about the residents and community. But in 2023, during the Housing Element, my views changed on the direction our city was heading.

I don't understand why there's such anger about our city manager getting a review done. She's supposed to do what our city council sees best for Hermosa. Let her get a review done by her peers.

So, in closing, I know, council members, you'll do what's best for the residents of Hermosa.

This is not a popularity contest, it is business.

Andrea Valcourt
Our City Manager has done a great job during all the past difficult years following the Covid pandemic and the following supply chain disruption. She is professional in her approach and has developed good improvements for the City and its processes. While she is soft spoken, she is not a pushover. She knows that yelling and swearing don't get you where you want to go.

This is something that some in our city have not learned. I am always shocked at the language and disrespect some show the City and it's staff, especially the City Council and the City Manager. We aspire to be the best Little Beach City, but that aspiration is undermined by this behavior.

Out of cycle performance reviews don't speak well for the City Council's motives, which seem to be politically motivated. If the City Manager is to change her focus, the City Council needs to give her that direction during Council meeting.

I support the City Manager and her good leadership.

Vicki Hicks
Support for Suja
Lowenthal
Dear Mayor Dean Francois and Mayor Pro Tem Rob Saemann, I'm writing to express my support for City Manager Suja Lowenthal and my concern about the potential vote to fire her. I believe Suja has served our community with integrity and professionalism, and her removal would be a significant loss.

I urge you to consider the impact on our community and vote to retain Suja as City manager Stephen Brown
I am beyond frustrated with the bureaucracy we have in city hall. I never imagined I would need to write a letter like this, but the recent experience I had simply trying to obtain a basic parking permit has made it abundantly clear: WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP, I’ve been here long enough to know the culture has changed. It’s not just about the parking permits, it’s the way I was treated when we try to obtain a simple parking pass. I guess 22 years of paying property taxes and my driver’s license ins’t enough anymore. Now there are some arbitrary requirements to further prove my identity!! Where is the accountability? Where is the common sense? Enough is enough.

Todd Tullis
As a resident who attempts to keep up and share my voice in public matters, this one is difficult to understand due to a lack of transparency. Councilmembers have stated this is a personnel matter that can't be discussed in public. So we the public are left to guess at what is really going on, which is frustrating and disappointing for those of us who love this City and wish to contribute our voices to Council's decision making.

Ann Gotthoffer
I am one of the many who attended the previous meeting in support of the City Manager. I also posted an E Comment along with many others, and will try to not repeat all the reasons I believe Ms. Lowenthal is doing a great job.

As I said before, all has not gone perfectly in the City, nor has it ever. To blame the manager for every misstep, or construction overrun, is overly simplistic. Remember, budgets and appropriations are approved by the Council. Important policies are approved per staff recommendation, or not, by their vote.

For some who want to cast this support as a misunderstanding how business should be conducted, I would like to strongly disagree. Most employment contracts have performance appraisal schedules, for the employee’s benefit as well as management. I do not know the details of her contract; if an appraisal can be done this early without a specific charge of contract violation or not; in general it would seem unusual and it is understandable that people would question it.

For those who want to cast this support as a “popularity contest” it is disingenuous to minimize our voices this way. It implies our community support isn’t meaningful or important. People from all areas of the community, and critically also from City agencies spoke out convincingly in favor of her performance.. For those that missed the meeting, I suggest you watch the recording. (Also worth noting is the one Council member looking at his phone and smirking through most of it.) Many opposed Suja retaining her position have mentioned the Housing Element issue. I remember many delays occurring as Council and Planning Commission directed staff to research an ever growing list of ideas strongly argued for by constituents. Staff warned us repeatedly about looming deadlines. The suggestion to add housing to retail on Pier, the outcry about using St. Cross parcels, and the no doubt well meaning efforts of a realtor group insisting they could find appropriate property to include at the 11th hour - even when it was reported every appropriate parcel had been examined - were just a few of the delays I recall off hand. I sympathized with the Council that was faced with very hard decisions with no good options. But again, this was not Suja’s fault. We the people need to face our roles - whether we argued against various plans or ignored the entire process. (My home is one block from the 5 story “Builders Remedy” building plan that will likely have to be approved – so I am personally affected and take some responsibility for not pushing harder for approval of a less than perfect plan sooner.) The demoralization and confusion that agendizing this item has already caused is nothing compared to the chaos of actually firing her during a contract period. Besides the additional cost in dollars and the loss of disillusioned staff, filling her position with someone experienced and qualified will be extremely difficult after this type of action. I’m just going to say the quiet part out loud here - we need to consider they likely know this, but being a "local loyalist" is the most important qualification to some and a successor is in mind. I hope I’m wrong.

Karynne Thim
As part of the review process, the state of the Community Development Department under Suja’s management should be considered and discussed. As an active real estate broker and resident for 30+ years, the Community Development Department has never been more difficult to work with, business unfriendly, nor the mess that it is now. There has been a lack of high level leadership from the City Manager, including an extended vacancy at the Community Development Director position. This will have far reaching impacts that you may not even realize now.

Word is out in the real estate and development community. It’s taking a year+ to get plans approved, even for remodels. A client told me it was more difficult to get through the City than the Coastal Commission (said no one, ever, LOL). Business owners face similar challenges with permits for tenant improvements. This is not business friendly and disincentives investment in Hermosa. Developers are experiencing uneven application of building standards, having to redo elements repeatedly at great expense. Local developers that have experienced these issues have said they won’t build in Hermosa any longer for these reasons. These failings will impact the city’s revenue and reputation for years to come.

Real estate is like a Golden Goose for the City. Here’s a real life example. Consider a long held home that was purchased for $300,000 in 1996, whose current assessed value is $530,000 and annual property taxes are $6,000. The City’s revenue is $0.20 of every tax dollar, or $1,200/yr. If this home becomes available for sale and is purchased by a developer, who builds a new home worth $5,000,000, the new annual property taxes would be $58,000, and the City’s revenue $11,600, an increase of $10,400 per year to the city coffers on just this one home. The likelihood of a developer purchasing this and other properties like it is now low given the working environment and extra holding costs associated with long delays in obtaining permits. No more Golden Goose. This is the damage that’s not yet realized.

Even on routine matters, it’s more difficult to work with the Community Development Department than ever before. It’s taking the City 3-4 weeks to issue building reports required in connection with a sale. Cash sales with short 14 day escrows can’t get a building report on time. Also, as real estate professionals, there are instances where we need to understand the permit history of a property quickly. It used to be possible to go to the counter and review permits. Now, a public records request is required, which can take days. It’s unnecessary bureaucracy, and for what reason? There are big picture issues as well that could impact the landscape of our beloved community forever, including the proposed over height project at 3415 Palm.

I thought the City Council should know what’s happening in the trenches.

More, now more than ever, Hermosa needs stronger leadership than it has now.

Ron Felsing
Council-
I am not finding that the present city manager was in a prior city manager position.

A previous city manager, Steve Burrell, was in the position for 18 years without an assistant - the present city manager needing a deputy city manager at a time (Covid) while other cities were laying off employees.

I did receive a citizen input on the present city manager's project of making Prospect Avenue as a pedestrian walk. I indicated that it wasn't good idea .... the transformation appeared that a child had designed it .... it turned out to be a failure and was returned to how it previously had been.

I thought a city manager would be hired as for their education and experience. I was surprised to hear study after study by outside consultants were implemented by the present city manager, as opposed on to the city manager doing the studies.

Is it really necessary to have a public relations firm under contract? Many items in recent years taking Hermosa Beach on a different path than a quiet little beach town.

Then with other cities getting rid of outdoor dining in public parking spots, Hermosa Beach continuing with such, along with bicycle lanes in what had been motor vehicle traffic lanes, placing more traffic on the few east/west through traffic streets entering/exiting the city ..... placing burdens on residential streets as opposed to the business district. Also downtown business deliveries using the other streets as opposed to sticking to Pier Avenue.

Then on city facilities which were shown in the media to have problems, who would be responsible for their conditions? Would seem to lay on the city manager.

Time to put Hermosa Beach in another direction. I am all for the city manager to be replaced.

The city needs new management.

Ron Felsing
[email protected]
5/5/2025
Josh Krasnegor
City Leadership at a Crossroads
As a longtime resident closely engaged with city issues, I feel it’s necessary to publicly express deep concern about the direction Hermosa Beach has taken under City Manager Suja Lowenthal. We are at a critical moment as the Council considers her future, and many of the challenges we face today stem from mismanagement at the top.

Code Enforcement Failure at 210 PCH and The City
A glaring lack of accountability—especially in code enforcement and development oversight—has become the norm. I’ve personally documented numerous violations at 210 Pacific Coast Highway, including zoning and Municipal Code breaches, hazardous conditions, and frequent weekend and early-morning violations. Despite providing photos, videos, and contacting Code Enforcement, Public Works, and the Police Department, action has been minimal. The city typically issues warnings with no follow-up, and violations go uncited. This creates a culture of impunity where developers know the city won’t act.

Undermining Rule of Law
This lack of enforcement is not just inconvenient—it’s dangerous and unfair. Developers bypass permit requirements, use public right-of-way without approval, and ignore setback and buffer rules. When leadership refuses to intervene, it sends a message that our laws are optional. Residents who follow the rules deserve better.

Transparency in Decline
Transparency under the current administration has significantly deteriorated. I’ve submitted numerous public records requests in accordance with state law, and far too often responses are delayed, incomplete, or never arrive. In some cases, records are withheld without explanation. This violates the public’s right to know and erodes trust in local government.

PR Over Public Service
City resources appear increasingly directed toward image management rather than service delivery. Glossy flyers, emails, social media posts, and curated messaging paint a picture of a well-run city, while core services like code enforcement, permitting, and infrastructure fall behind. It seems city funds are being used to manage optics—not operations—politicizing governance and distancing leadership from the community it serves.

Staff Bloat Without Results
Staffing has ballooned from roughly 130 to over 150 employees—even after the Fire Department was eliminated—yet basic services remain stagnant or in decline. Many capital projects are delayed or neglected, while bureaucracy expands. Rather than investing in enforcement, infrastructure, or resident-facing functions, leadership continues to grow administrative layers and PR efforts.

High-Level Staff Turnover
The recent exodus of senior staff—the Community Development Director, Police Chief, Deputy City Manager, and City Attorney—should concern everyone. High turnover at the top often signals deeper organizational dysfunction. The lack of communication surrounding these exits only reinforces the perception that transparency and stability are lacking.

Policies Out of Touch with Residents
Policy choices have repeatedly been out of step with community needs. Whether it’s attempting to shift sidewalk repair costs to homeowners or revamping the parking pass program with little outreach, major decisions are being made without meaningful input, resulting in confusion, frustration, and public backlash.

Small Businesses Silenced
Local business owners have voiced concerns—especially during the failed sales tax campaign—that they were discouraged from speaking out. Several told me they feared retaliation if they challenged city policies publicly. That type of political pressure chills civic engagement and undermines open discourse.

Selective Rule Enforcement
There is a growing perception that city rules are enforced selectively. Some developers and residents appear to benefit from leniency or “interpretive flexibility,” while others are held to strict standards. This inequity threatens the legitimacy and fairness of our local government.

We Need Transparent, Accountable Leadership
Hermosa Beach needs leadership that is consistent, transparent, and responsive—not political. We need a City Manager who listens to residents, prioritizes essential services, and governs with professionalism rather than spin.

This Is About Our City’s Future
The decision before the Council isn’t just about one individual. It’s about the kind of city Hermosa Beach will become. Will we be a city that serves all residents fairly—or one that caters to a select few while the rest are ignored? Thank You
I urge you to choose a better path—for the good of our residents and the future of Hermosa Beach.

Ira Ellman
It seems likely that three of Hermosa’s Council Members will vote to terminate the City Manager. Keegan, Francois and likely Saemann apparently have decided to side with some of the haters in our community who have been out to get her for years. This is despite glowing reviews, numerous complements from Francois at the recent State of the City and unbelievable support from HBPD, residents, clergy, city management & staff and school officials. To justify this action, they are purposely ignoring City Manager Lowenthal’s accomplishments and making things up to denigrate her. Lowenthal is uniquely qualified to continue as City Manager due to her leadership skills, unique & detailed knowledge of our city, ability to obtain grants, experience dealing with the Coastal Commission and loyalty from city management and staff.

Sample of accomplishments:
- Fully staffed and award winning HBPD, with the help of Chief LeBaron, has the respect of the community. HBPD morale is high. - Hired incredibly competent managers: HBPD Chief LeBaron, Public Works SanClemente, P&R Lisa Nichols, Community Development Director Tai, Administrative Services Director Brandon Walker, etc. The morale, as exhibited in the last city meeting, is extremely high and the staff is motivated. - As shown in the last Council meeting, the city continues to get millions in state grants. - 15 CIP’s completed in ’24-’25 compared to 13 CIP’s in ’23-’24. In the previous seven years, only 28 CIP’s were completed. - The City is on solid financial ground and performs within the City Council’s approved budgets.

Detractors make inaccurate conclusions:
- For CIP’s, only the City Council approves funds to be spent. The controversial bathroom project was approved 4-1 by the Council and came in on budget. The Clark Building Project was approved unanimously by the Council. The bathroom project was slow due to a flaky contractor (money recovered) and the Clark Building crazy long delay was primarily due to the last City Manager destroying the kitchen and LA County regulations. In the end we have a number of fantastic bathrooms in our parks. - The excellent access Greenbelt Project was approved unanimously by the City Council and a large amount of the cost was covered by a state grant! - The delay in the Housing Element was primarily due to residents discussing at length whether the St. Cross properties should be included. In addition, questions submitted directly to the State (by business owners & residents), required Hermosa staff to respond before the City’s plan could be approved……this process took many weeks. - Most of the growth in city employees is due to getting HBPD staffed to capacity and turning some full-time roles into part-time roles.

The slanderous nonsense in Carolyn Petty’s letter to her minions and posted on crazy social media sites is full of lies as is her post here. It is disappointing that a former Council Member / Mayor would print such made-up trash.

Let’s hope City Council Members do the right thing and don’t succumb to the hater’s termination conspiracy.

I strongly support Suja Lowenthal continuing her solid leadership as City Manager.

Bob Wolfe
[¶] I have been a lawyer for nearly 40 years, divided equally between defending public entities and police departments in civil litgation, and serving as a supervisory attorney and court mediator at the California Court of Appeal. [¶] Here’s an important lesson I’ve learned from this experience: Follow procedures in regular order, as set times, and according to established practices. Might does not make right. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. [¶] The same lessons apply here. Our city has established practices for evaluating its employees, including the city manager, at regularly scheduled reviews. A few embittered city councilmembers have the power to break away from this procedure, and set up a special closed-door session for a mistimed review, even one that leads to termination, by the barest of 3-2 votes. [¶] The council can do this at any time. For any reason. Regardless of impact. Regardless of cost. Regardless of fracturing community trust and employee morale. [¶] Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
[¶] We too as voters have the power to choose. To retain or to fire our city councilmembers. At regularly scheduled elections, or, if necessary, by specially timed recalls. [¶] Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.
[¶] The decision facing the council in this closed-door session is controversial only if three members of the council act arbitrarily and irrationally to fire an outstanding city manager who is hard-working, competent, and a decent human being. [¶] Let’s not go down the road of incrimination and recrimination. Let's not replicate the national chaos and DOGE-like slash-and-burn tactics here in Hermosa by wannabe MAGArats who openly claim to be working to "make Hermosa great again." We can accomplish more when we work together. [¶] The Bible says it best, in the book of Hosea: “Those who sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.” [¶] Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Act wisely tonight. Support and work with our existing dedicated city leadership. Follow regular order, not the star chamber, for civility, our cherished beach culture, and the betterment of all.

Carolyn Petty
This should have never turned into a public spectacle and the councilmember who blasted this out on social media breached protocol and possibly set the city up for a lawsuit. Shame on him.

The bottom line is that our current City Manager still views herself as a politician, not a worker who is supposed to take direction from the City Council. She is engaged in a never ending PR campaign. Everything is about PR. Pave a street? Issue a press release. Fix something that should have been repaired a long time ago? Issue a press release congratulating yourself. For her, everything is about optics.

What is reality and not just optics, is that while she has been here, she has grown the city staff from 130 to 151. That is problematic because every employee comes with a never ending pension liability. Hence, prior City Managers were extremely cautious about increasing headcount. Look at the results. As costs continue to rise, she demanded another $2M from the residents to support her increased spending. When people said no, she tried yet again with another ballot measure, this time aggressively marketing the advocacy campaign with taxpayer dollars and skirting the line of illegality. Even with this massive increase in headcounts, they still discuss all the deferred maintenance that is not getting done. What are we really getting in exchange for this explosion of spending? The community does not trust her. The number of Public Records Requests have skyrocketed. This is not normal and it shows that people are rightfully suspicious of what is going on at City Hall under her watch.

When her contract last came up for renewal, the community was outraged and protested loudly at the golden package that was handed her. No matter – Justin and Stacey did not care about the community outcry. They handed her a nearly ironclad employment agreement. This hamstrung future city councils, but that was clearly their intention. If she was so good at her job, why did they feel the need to do that? They did everything possible to protect her, at taxpayer expense. That was wrong on so many levels – ethically as well as a breach of their fiduciary duty to the Hermosa Beach taxpayers.

Things need to change at City Hall.

Eileen M Reardon
I am against the termination of the CIty Manager.

I am not in favor of old, mediocre white men attempting to derail the career of an young, career oriented female who received excellent appraisal reviews.

This is an active republican anti-DEI retaliation campaign intended to hurt our community.

AnneG
Good Evening City Council:………………Our Streets Feel the Following Facts are Definitly Worth Considering When City Manager Evaluation Comes Around? (May 2025) The street inventory within the city of Hermosa Beach comprises of Arterials 18%, Collectors 26%, Locals 55% and Alleys 1% (A total of 6.9M square feet).

The type, extent, and severity level of the distresses identified and measured is used to calculate the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of a street. The PCI is on a 0 to 100 rating scale, where new and properly constructed pavements have a PCI of 100 or close to 100. In general, a street with more distresses, greater quantity of distresses, and higher severity level of distresses will have a lower PCI.

In 2017 (Just prior to City Manager Lowenthal’s hire), the city’s Arterials and Collectors were in relatively good to fair condition with PCIs at 81 and 77 respectively. Seven years later in 2024 their PCIs have plummeted to 70 and 74 (Fair to Good) respectively In 2017, less than 1% of our Arterials had a PCI below 55 (Poor to Fair) which jumped up to 4.1% of our Arterials rating Poor to Fair in 2024. 3% of Collectors had a PCI below 55 (Poor to Fair to Failed) prior to City Manager Lowenthal’s hire which again increased to 5.1% of Collectors being rated Poor to Fair to Failed in 2024.

Locals or residential type roads account for over half of the City’s network (i.e., 3.8 million square feet). These are the roads the residents travel to and from their homes and 18% of those roads and half of the city’s alleys had (and still have) a PCI less than 55 (Poor to Fair to Failed).

According to the city’s 2017 Pavement Management Report all the city needed to do 7 years ago was budget and spend $1M/Year on pavement rehabilitation to maintain the quality of streets they had in 2017!! Instead city management spent their paving budgets on 8th Street sidewalks, Prospect Avenue, Van Horne Lane, Gould Terrace and numerous and numerous Consultants resulting in the aforementioned sizeable drops in the PCI of our road system in Hermosa Beach. The reality now is that to maintain the current network PCI (which is a lot lower than 7 years ago)…………………the city will now need to budget $3.1M annually towards paving, equating to a total of $31 million over the next 10 years.

It is also of interest and extreme concern to note that according to the city’s latest 2024 Pavement Management Report, it was recommended that Pier Avenue not be repaved until 2028 with numerous other streets being recommended to take precedence for repaving such as (to name a few):
1st Place: PCH to Ardmore
1st Street: PCH to Ardmore
2nd Street: PCH to Valley
3rd Street: Hopkins to Hollowell
8th Street: PCH to Prospect
11th Street: Beach to Hermosa Ave.
27th Court: Ozone to Morningside
34th Place: Manhattan Ave. to Highland
Artesia: PCH to Harper
Aviation Boulevard: Ocean to Corona
Hermosa Avenue: 4th to 6th and 8th to 10th
Hollowell: Prospect to 6th
Manhattan Avenue: 29th to Longfellow
Monterey Boulevard: Pier to Circle Court and Herondo to 2nd Palm Drive: 31st to 35th
Springfield: 21st to Cul-De-Sac
Valley Drive: Pier to 11th and 24th to 25th
After all, wasn’t it only 15 short years ago that the city spent nine months and $4.3M repaving and overhauling Pier Avenue! Moira Lerner Nelson
In regards to the sudden move by former Mayor Dean Francois and Councilmember Michael Keegan to place an off-cycle performance review of the city manager on the April 22 closed session agenda, I think part of what has inspired the strong response of so many residents in support of the city manager is the unexpected nature of the attack, coming after years of stellar performance reviews, raises and bonuses for Suja Lowenthal. (In fact, the former mayor himself made it a point to praise her in his recent state-of-the-city address.) To me it seems fundamentally like an attack of two of the current city councilmembers on two of the other councilmembers, with one member representing a possible swing vote in between. Consider that the voice of residents and city employees in support of the city manager is at least as strong as the voice of those lodging complaints against her, and that the support for her comes from an impressive number of Hermosa’s most engaged and respected leading lights. That being the situation, it makes sense to me that the city manager should continue in her position and that the Council should continue to operate as it has always done, voting on individual matters as they come up: either voting to follow the city manager’s advice or voting not to follow it, depending on the specific situation.

Dency Nelson
As a 41-year resident and homeowner here in Hermosa Beach, I adamantly support City Manager Suja Lowenthal.

No, stop this nonsense now! Support our outstanding City Manager Suja Lowenthal, and let’s move on with the real issues and business in our city! Dency Nelson
Tom Moroney
I was in chambers on April 22nd, and I've read every written comment. I don't see the justification for terminating the City Manager before her contract expires. From my perspective, as a 40-year resident and nearly a decade on City Commissions, things are running pretty smoothly right now. And staff's show of support for Suja Lowenthal at the last meeting was impressive. Staff obviously respects and wants to work with her. An engaged and enthusiastic staff is a powerful City asset. And there' a lot to be said for stability. Early termination will be disruptive and expensive.

John Burry
City Council is the Board of Directors of the Hermosa Beach City Corporation. The City Manager is your CEO. The electorate are the shareholders. It is perfectly correct that only the Board of Directors get to hire the CEO that they believe has the skills and experience to deliver the future strategy. That is not a job for employees, or for shareholders or customers. It’s certainly not the role of our Police Department, or labor unions. In the end, if the Board gets it wrong, the shareholders will eventually remove them. But your duty as a board is to think about the future, not the past.

November’s election saw three candidates (Keegan, Worner, Sheil) get a clear majority of the votes cast. All three were explicit in their desire to see significant change in the running of City Hall. That’s an inconvenient truth to a small group of activists in this City, but it’s vital to acknowledge it. Those that attempt to diminish that shift are wilfully ignoring the democracy that should protect us. They are also destined to repeat the mistakes that got us here if they do not at least acknowledge the lessons of the last few years.

City Manager Lowenthal has created an administration that habitually focuses on optics first rather than output. We all need to be able to acknowledge when mistakes have been made, to drill down and learn from them, and build processes that make those mistakes harder to repeat in the future.

I think that we have witnessed ideology getting in the way of good local governance in recent years, and I believe that the City Manager has been a very willing part of that approach. She was appointed by a council that saw that as helpful to their agenda, and that was their prerogative. But these are different times, and we are in danger of falling into a cycle of slow attritional decline. Two defeats on sales tax ballot measures speak to her inability to win a broad ‘hearts and minds’ argument. EDAC is some dusty plan, not a force for business prosperity. The Civic Facilities Project is stillborn, forever tainted by a misguided public comms strategy that Suja is 100% responsible for. CIP reporting is still opaque, and a million miles away from the clarity that council (as board members) should demand.

To appoint a new City Manager now is the more difficult option on the table here. But in order to set us on a better course, I urge you to act. With the right replacement, this can soon be behind us. We can be better, and we should aim higher. Let's find a city manager who has the skills and expertise to tackle the new challenges to our City, and someone who wants to work for all, not just an influential minority.

Raymond Dussault
Dear City Councilmembers,
Hermosa Beach is not Long Beach. We’re a close-knit, small-town community that values accessibility, efficiency, and a genuine connection between our local government and the people it serves. But over the last several years, we’ve watched that small-town character erode under the leadership of City Manager Suja Lowenthal and a City Council that has refused to hold her accountable.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about partisanship or personalities, it’s about performance, priorities, and the broken relationship between our city government and its residents. Since her arrival, Suja has imported not just Long Beach staffers, but a Long Beach mentality: bloated bureaucracy, diminished transparency, and a top-down approach that prioritizes consultants and high security offices over community engagement.

City Hall used to be a welcoming space. Today, you can’t even walk in and say hello to staff, let alone handle simple tasks like getting a parking pass. Projects like the Clark Building and restroom renovations have ballooned from modest undertakings into multi-million-dollar fiascos. Council directions are often ignored in spirit and actuality. Basic services are delayed. We’ve lost valued department heads, seen skyrocketing personnel costs, and suffered a $1.3 million legal settlement that might have been avoided had the city attorney and city manager provided proper counsel.

Worse, Suja has never once received a true performance evaluation. Instead, she’s enjoyed automatic raises and a rubber stamp from a council majority unwilling to provide oversight. That’s not good governance—it’s abdication.

And let’s not forget: over the last two elections, voters have sent a clear message. In both cases, there were candidates openly aligned with the Massey/Jackson/Detoy vision for Hermosa Beach. Voters rejected that status quo by solid majorities—choosing instead a council that is more civil, more balanced, and more willing to engage in real debate about the city’s future. Stop pretending elections don’t matter. They do.

Hermosa Beach deserves better. We need a city manager who reflects the values of the community: personal, independent and thriving. Thank you to the brave council members who asked for this opportunity to truly conduct a real evaluation, grounded in performance and community service.

Sincerely,
Raymond Dussault
Hermosa Beach, CA
rory barish
City managers are suppose to implement municipal policy, supervising the day to day operations of all city departments and staff. Their duties include executing policies, budget management and supervising personnel. I do not believe that Suja is doing a good job in these and other areas.

1. After eight years our City manager is only finally getting around to deferred maintenance projects and everything she oversaw prior, Clark building, gravel path on Greenbelt, restrooms for the parks, were way behind schedule and over budget.

2. The City manager allowed Hermosa's Housing Element to be delivered late putting all of our city at risk and resulting in the Builder's Remedy being used for a 53 ft, 5 unit apt building on Hermosa Avenue. This project ignores height standards which would ruin the essence of this community paving the way for more of this to happen because the city manager does not have it together. When review comes around again, I doubt Suja will be prepared. The community is outraged over this issue as was witnessed in the Planning Commission meeting.

3. The parking permit program was and is a complete disaster and hurts residents and businesses. Why is it that other cities of which I have lived in can figure this out but to this City manager it is rocket science?

4. Why would the City manager not upgrade City Hall but instead chose to spend $150 million on a new City Hall. Is this prudent spending?

5. Although we are told that the police department is fully staffed, where are they on big holidays? Each year on 4th of July for instance when the masses infiltrate our beaches, shoot fireworks into people's homes, get drunk and overdose on the beach, police presence is scarce, if any at times. . There are explosions every night and all night before and after this holiday in particular, yet there is no constant police presence and patrolling. When they are called they take forever to get there and the perpetrators are long gone when the police arrive.

This is awful oversight and budget management and lack of supervision on the City manager's part. While paid staff and insiders have all good things to say about her, the constituents that I hear from do not approve of her job performance.

It is time for a change. It is time for a new City manager who can do just that...manage the city, Suja Lowenthal cannot.

Wayne Mogilefsky
The decision to get rid of Suja is bad enough without the horrific optics and race to please a very small minority of the community. A moment that will define all the council members one way or the other.

Melary
I am writing as a concerned resident who deeply cherishes the unique character and close-knit nature of this community. We know Hb stands apart from our neighboring cities for its surf, skate, and music culture—along with its small-town charm, collaborative spirit, and strong sense of community. These aren't just nostalgic ideals—they are the foundation of who we are.

Thank you for your time, service, and commitment.

Respectfully,
Melary Burry
Hermosa Beach Resident
anthony higgins
Dear City Council
I agree with an earlier post that mentioned that mentioned the seemingly highly orchestrated support for the city manager in the meeting 2 weeks ago.

This was not an organic development. Suja's supporters were leaked inside information about the closed session mid term performance review that was not shared with the general public hence the one sided response.

That was intimidating and inappropriate but its just how our city rolls.

In any case i made some small edits to my earlier pdf on suja's performance and attached it. ive tried to provide specifics not generalized accolades for your consideration. thank you
Nancy Schwappach
When I learned of the off-cycle performance review for the City Manager, I assumed the reconstituted Council would undertake a fair review based upon their assessment of her past performance and the City’s needs going forward.

Then, at the 4/22 meeting, I was appalled to see a carefully orchestrated outpouring of “support,” which in my experience is completely inappropriate in an employee’s performance review. I completely agree with Randy Balik. While voices should be heard, an employee’s performance review should not be a popularity contest.

Nonetheless, apparently public opinion counts in this matter. So I reached out to people in my network who are active and engaged in City matters. I asked if they, like I, think it might be time for a change. Many of them agreed but were unwilling to speak out publicly for fear of “retribution.” To me, that says everything. A culture where residents and business owners are afraid to question the direction the City is taking for fear of reprisal is not the City I know and have loved for more than 30 years. We should be able to speak freely, express our views, and, respectfully, offer differences of opinion, all without fear of retaliation. I think it is time for a change.

Mayor Saemann and Council Members, thank you for being willing to take on this difficult issue. I appreciate you, after careful consideration and reflection in closed session, making what you think is the right decision for our City going forward, without regard to the public backfire you may receive.

Cammie Herbert
What is going on with yet another closed meeting with Council and Suja? An early performance review for the City Manager? There is so much the city council to be working on for positive, progression of this city. I’m so AGAINST the council using time on this ridiculousness. I don’t like recalls for this same reason—just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean you can figure out other ways to get them out.

John Schattinger
I want to give my full support to our great City Manager. Suja is a top tier manager that has brought many outstanding projects to the city, making HB shine brighter than ever. Her dedication and devotion to the city is evident by the full support and backing of all entire city departments, including the HBPD. It is clear that council members Francois and Keegan have a personal agenda and vendetta that will cost the city irreparable damage and lawsuit costs. They do not represent the community to which they serve and in fact, is an embarrassment to this town. What a disappointment the Oliver Hardy looking guy has become too. Hb will not become HB! Thank you.

Randy Balik
I will state the obvious first: there is a lot of controversy surrounding the City Council’s plan to evaluate the job performance of the City Manager. I am aware that not all individual council members agree with this, but the Council acts as one body by way of elected majority, and so it is that body that is choosing to perform this evaluation at this time.

The noise coming from both sides of this issue is deafening, and to be honest, the manner in which people are expressing themselves is appalling at times….fake social media accounts stirring up controversy, a current council member berating another in public settings in a way that I’ve not seen in my three decades living here, calls for recall elections, and more. This is all highly polarizing with each side determine to be in the “right,” and dangerous precedents are at risk of being set. Each of you can choose to litigate this in public. You can show up and pack the Council chamber. You can lobby in support of whatever side you’re on here. But in the end, conducting an employment performance evaluation of our City Manager is not the responsibility of the general public or City staff.

Now, in an attempt to cut through all the noise, I will state the less obvious as a reminder: It is the City Council’s absolute right and absolute responsibility to evaluate the job performance of the City’s most senior employee, even if an evaluation is performed at what could be viewed as a non-routine time. We elected our council members to do this job. And over the course of the recent two elections, the Hermosa Beach electorate spoke at the ballot box, installing a Council that represents what many see (and expect) as a change. And so, to me, objectively speaking, it stands to reason that this “new” Council wants to review the performance of the senior City employee in a way that perhaps was not done over the previous several Councils. This is their right to do. Indeed, this is their obligation. My own expectation as a business owner who routinely measures key employee performance is that any performance evaluation weighs results against expectations, and so long as that happens objectively, there should be no controversy here regardless of outcome.

There are many who are screaming from the hilltop in defense of our City Manager, touting what they perceive to be the many accomplishments and other attributes. But there are also many who are also screaming from the other hilltop wanting to see change, voicing their concerns about what they see as failures and other shortcomings. And you know what? All of those who are speaking up deserve to be heard, no matter what their viewpoint. But it is not our job as everyday residents to make these decisions. We elect our City leaders to do that. And it is the City Council’s job to determine what the best path forward is for our City. That’s why we elected them. And if you don’t like it, then there will be future elections.

Make no mistake, the City Manager’s job performance review is not now and should never be a popularity contest. It’s not about how City staff feels about their senior manager, nor about the work the work culture that has been created within the walls of City Hall. These are important, but these are not the ultimate measure. To the contrary, the measure of success should be what happens outside the walls of City Hall, in our business districts, on our streets, at our parks, etc. It’s about how the person who holds this position is performing for our City. It’s about how effective the City Manager and his/her staff are for our City. It’s about how the culture that has been created works for our City and the residents who pay the bill. And it’s about how the City Manager and staff execute the vision and plans set forth by City Council.

Whether your perceive success or failure or something in between, our City Manager has worked hard for our City for many years now. But our City Council must always be looking ahead and planning for the future, and ensuring the value we are receiving matches the employment investment being made, and if they feel that a new course must be charted in the City Manager’s office to meet a new vision, then it is the responsibility of City Council to evaluate and determine if and when a change is needed.

So my message to City Council is this: Hermosa Beach is at an inflection point and we need a solid vision and economic plan for our future. Either our current city management staff is the right one for this or it’s not. Do your job in this and all instances and figure this out expeditiously. Do the job we elected you to do. Listen to the viewpoints of all, and then make the decisions you feel are best for us residents and our city. These are not easy decisions and you will not be able to please everyone, but if you do this objectively, fairly, thoughtfully, and with foresight, you will be successful, and so too will Hermosa Beach.

Claudia Berman
Two weeks ago, we witnessed an outpouring of support for City Manager Suja Lowenthal. There was a full house in chambers and in the lobby. We heard from residents, business owners, clergy, commissioners, and most importantly, from all city departments. There were eComments and people present to simply show support. All praised Suja's leadership.

And what was the response?
* Council member Keegan was texting on his phone throughout. Simply couldn't be bothered. * Just 2 weeks prior, Francois, as then Mayor in the "State of the City," said the following of Lowenthal: "What a great job she's done helping us, guiding us through the challenges of our city." All the while privately orchestrating her firing. * Council member Saemann listened intently, and yet, he was not moved by this outpouring of support to stop this colossal waste of time, energy, and money.

So, what have Saemann, Keegan, and Francois accomplished? * Created distrust with their constituents
* Created distrust with our city employees
* Created a morale crisis with our city employees
* Delayed the Capital Improvement Projects Study session Were they thinking "This is great timing, let's create a leadership vacuum.”? It will be interesting to see how Saemann handles his first leadership challenge as Mayor. Of course, we won't know the result of the meeting as it's closed session on Monday night.

Unfortunately, we will need to wait to see if "termination of the city manager's contract" is placed on the May 13th agenda.

Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957
Title: City Manager

5. CLOSED SESSION REPORT
Public Comments:

Acting City Clerk Guzman conducted a roll call and announced a quorum.

The City Council reconvened from Closed Session at 8:45 p.m.

Interim City Attorney Todd Leishman provided the Closed Session Report. It was announced that no reportable action was taken.

6. ADJOURNMENT
Public Comments:

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Hermosa Beach City CouncilMay 5, 2025

Hermosa Beach City Council
May 5, 2025