By Brooklynn Wong
Not a seat could be found in the La Palma City Council Chambers last Tuesday, as a much larger-than-usual crowd came to see one new and one returning face take the oath of office to join City Council.
Kathy Flachmeier, who substituted on City Council when an opening presented itself for part of the past year, is moving on. Councilwoman Michele Steggell won her reelection campaign. And popular man-about-town Nitesh Patel was elected to the Council for the first time.
Dozens of Patel’s family members and friends turned out to see him sworn in and then join the festivities afterwards.
Not even the overflow seating set up outside the Chambers, in the lobby, was sufficient to seat all in attendance. Many stood outside the front doors where they could at least hear the projection of what was going on inside the Chambers.
Ms. Flachmeier was honored for her months of service on the Council, and is now moving to Buena Park and chose not to seek reelection.
There were therefore two seats up for election—Flachmeier’s and Steggell’s, since she had served her first two-year term. Steggell won back her seat, and Patel won the other.
And ending his tenure as Mayor was Gerard Goedhart. He is succeeded by Marshall Goodman. Peter Kim was unanimously named the new Mayor Pro Tem.
The new-look Council will next meet Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at 7822 Walker St.
Photos by Brooklynn Wong
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Though La Palma’s Christmas Tree Lighting was canceled due to rain the following night, the weather didn’t put a damper on the City’s Christmas spirit on Dec. 4, as decorations lined th
