The Los Alamitos City Council underwent its change on Monday as two newly elected council members were sworn in and Warren Kusumoto was elected to the mayor’s seat. Dean Grose and Richard Murphy were sworn in and took their seats on the dias after Grose thanked his supporters and the city of Los Alamitos for giving him a second chance to serve on the council.
Murphy gave an emotional speech after his swearing in, also thanking his family and supporters and all the residents of Los Alamitos who voted for him. He also urged residents to be straightforward with him and tell him their concerns, and he promised to listen to all ideas. He noted that subtlety might get lost on him and that he would not be hurt by anyone who disagreed with him.
“You have to hit me over the head with your idea,” Murphy said.
The meeting also saw the departure of council members, Ken Stephens and Marilynn Poe. Poe had served on the council previously and combined with the past four years, has served 16 years on the city council. Her career in public service started in 1988 when she was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Committee. Poe said she was most pleased with the projects that she has been a part of getting done such as the purchase of Laurel Park, the refurbishing of the pool on the Joint Forces Training Base and the installation of restrooms at Cottonwood Park.
She thanked her family and supporters and said it has been a privilege and honor to serve on the council. She also thanked the city staff members for their work during her time on the council.
“We do have the best people who work in Los Alamitos,” Poe said.
Stephens served four years on the council before losing a bid for re-election. He also thanked his supporters and his family and noted that his focus on the council was simply to do the right thing. He urged the new council to follow that ideal and simply look to do what was best for the city.
“It’s been a pleasure for me, it’s been an honor,” Stephens said.
After the new members took their seats, the council elected Kusumoto to be the Mayor for 2013 and Richard Murphy as the Mayor Pro Tem.