Murphy elected Mayor of Los Alamitos
Following a sudden resignation by Mayor Warren Kusumoto, the four remaining members of the Los Alamitos city council last week elected Mayor Pro-tem Richard Murphy as Mayor and council member Mark Chirco as Mayor Pro-tem.
Although the council was already scheduled to reorganize its leadership for 2020 at their December meeting, Kusumoto’s resignation from the council caught many by surprise. Members of the Council and some city employees, however, had been given a courtesy phone call before the meeting.
In an emotional farewell to public office, Kusumoto told his colleagues and the community that after nine years of elected service to the city that he had resigned from the council.
Kusumoto gave special recognition to his wife Judy and said they were moving to Maryland so that he could accept a promotion from his employer.
After serving on the city’s traffic commission, Kusumoto ran, and was elected to the city council in 2010. He previously served as Mayor in 2012 before being again in 2018.
“Change is a constant,” said Kusumoto, “and I have been blessed with public service. Serving on the council has helped to make me a better human,” he said.
He thanked a list of former and current officials with whom he has had both differences, and with whom he found agreements, throughout his tenure.
“I’ve done my very best to find solutions within the complex state government structure that strips away local control,” said Kusumoto. Nevertheless, we have done “the best we can.”
The outgoing mayor said he has accepted a promotion from his employer that will require him to relocate to the Baltimore, Maryland area. His resignation was effective Dec. 16.
Incoming Mayor Murphy said when Kusumoto was first elected, things were much different on the council than now. Then, he said, “people were watching the council meetings for their comedic value,” said Murphy. “It was war” during those days, he said.
“That all changed with Warren’s leadership,” said Murphy, adding that Kusumoto showed the council “how to disagree in a constructive way.”
Murphy also praised Kusumoto for his ability to be blunt, noting Kusumoto’s discussion of hard issues such as the possibility of bankruptcy for the city. “We owe it to the public to discuss all possibilities,” said Murphy, even if the suggestions “are not well received by some.”
“We (city council) should consider every option,” said Murphy, adding that Kusumoto, throughout his service to the city, has demonstrated the courage to “bring up those ideas. I thank him for his leadership and his service to city.”
Council member Shelley Hasselbrink, a colleague on the council and longtime friend, thanked Kusumoto for leaving the city “in a much better place” than he found it. “You’ve always said what you believed” without regard for what other people thought or political considerations, she added.
“We’ve had our differences over the years,” said council member Dean Grose, yet he thanked Kusumoto for “developing a relationship of mutual trust.”
The theme principled debate continued with Mark Chirco who also thanked Kusumoto for “always saying what you believed was in the best interest of the city. You always follow your principles,” said Chirco.
A large number of other elected officials and their representatives were on hand to congratulate the outgoing mayor for his service to the city. They included Sen. Tom Umberg, Assembly Member Tyler Diep, Supervisor Michelle Steel, the city of Cypress and Col. Nick Ducich, commander of Joint Forces Training Base and Republic Services, among others.
“As I step away from the dias,” said Kusumoto, “I can say to its residents that the city is in a good place,” said the former official. He stood up, grabbed his cell phone and a bottle of water, turned and walked away from more than a decade of volunteer and elective service to residents of Los Alamitos.
Also at their December meeting, the council held two final public hearings before adopting resolutions to terminate parking permit zones in two areas of the city. Discussion and enforcement of those parking permit zones have caused much recent consternation for citizens who live in these areas.
The Council unanimously approved approved motions to terminate the public permit areas along several streets in Carrier Row and New Dutch Haven.
Interim city manager Les Johnson said both permit zones were established decades ago in reaction to large enterprises in each area, one of which has since moved. After recent petition drives by residents in those areas attracted widespread support, the Traffic Commission has recommended termination of the programs.
Hasselbrink noted the city has long sought public input from residents regarding those zones and after the city considered enforcement, residents finally “spoke up loud and clear.”
Johnson acknowledged that the permit zones were not consistently enforced since their establishment and now would no longer exist. Johnson said, however, it could take months to remove all the signs, so residents questioned why and asked the city to remove them as soon as possible.
In other action the city;
- Gave final approval to a plan to replace lighted street signs in the city made with a new reflective material that is said to be more cost effective and will last longer. A total of 25 signs are to replaced in a phased plan.
- Approved an amendment to the city’s General Plan recommended by staff that will allow consideration of zoning of commercial/professional equivalent to light industrial to four parcels that will be used for an 81,000 square foot office building and 288 parking spaces.
- Provided official recognition to local business and organizations that sponsor and partner with the city for activities throughout the year. The sponsors and partners include the AYSO Region 159, Friday Night Lights, Los Al Senior Club, Memorial Care Miller Children’s Hospital, Southland Credit Union, Republic Services and Grating Pacific.
- Awarded scholarships to three students for Los Al Volunteer work including, Brooklyn Davis, Bronze ($250), Travis Kimbrell, Silver ($500) and Norma Pena, Gold, ($750). Davis has accumulated 195 service hours, Kimbrell 270 service hours and more than 700 service hours for Pena.
- Thanked city engineer David Hunt who is retiring with more than a decade of service to the city. Hunt, meanwhile, thanked the city and its residents for the “great pleasure” of serving them.