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Mayor Joe Franklin\u2019s daughter, Taylor, and son, Jimmy, celebrate the beginning of his mayoral term. Photo by Jefferson Graham<\/p>\nMb mayors
Incoming Mayor Joe Franklin and outgoing Mayor David Lesser. Photo by Jefferson Graham<\/p>\n
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Mayor Joe Franklin\u2019s daughter, Taylor, and son, Jimmy, celebrate the beginning of his mayoral term. Photo by Jefferson Graham<\/p>\n
CITY COUNCIL
Lesser passes gavel to Franklin in mayoral rotation
by Mark McDermott
Former councilperson and six-time mayor Steve Napolitano had a joke he never tired of. Every nine months, when each outgoing mayor would pass the gavel to the next councilperson whose turn it was to become mayor, Napolitano would wryly express relief for the accomplished \u201cpeaceful transfer of power.\u201d
Napolitano experienced that transition more than anyone else in the city\u2019s history. But last Tuesday, as David Lesser finished up his third tenure as mayor and Joe Franklin began his second, the transfer of power went somewhere beyond peaceful, into something akin to gleeful.
Lesser, who served two terms from 2011 to 2019, reentered the public sphere four years ago with a foremost priority, which was to repair what he saw as a fractured sense of collaboration on the council and within the community following the fraying that occurred during the pandemic years. Though he has a significant list of policy achievements, including an instrumental role in the rebuilding of the public library and a host of forward-leaning local environmental laws, what Lesser has most prided himself on as a local leader is simple collegiality. As he said in 2019, at his final meeting of that eight-year run, local politics is rarely about a single leader.
\u201cWhatever successes I\u2019ve had have been team efforts,\u201d Lesser said. \u201cI mean it; one person can\u2019t just come in, and by fiat say it\u2019s going to be this way or that way. You\u2019ve got to work with your council colleagues, and obtain community input.\u201d
That theme ran through nearly every testimonial offered on his behalf Tuesday night. Councilmember Nina Tarnay, who would be selected later in the evening to serve as the next mayor pro tem, said she has come to admire Lesser\u2019s preparation and steadiness on the dais.
\u201cHe is always prepared, always thorough, and always focused on doing what he believes is best for the city of Manhattan Beach,\u201d Tarnay said. \u201cDavid has also worked hard to ensure that everyone feels heard, that everyone has a seat at the table in a time when it can be easy for divisions to grow. He has consistently approached leadership with collaboration, respect, and a genuine willingness to listen to different perspectives.\u201d
Councilmember Steve Charelian, a self-described \u201cnumbers guy,\u201d offered a tally of Lesser\u2019s service. During his three terms on council, Lesser has attended over 250 city council meetings, more than 50 of those as mayor. And dating back to his time on the Planning Commission in the early aughts, Lesser has never missed a meeting.
\u201cYou have a passion to really listen to our community, even with the toughest topics,\u201d Charelian said. \u201cAlthough council doesn\u2019t vote five-zero all the time, you always find the most diplomatic way to listen to all council members and sum up what we are trying to really say.\u201d
Councilmember Amy Howorth, who has served three terms on the council alongside Lesser, called herself his \u201cwork wife.\u201d In all that time, she said, Lesser has demonstrated an unparalleled unflappability.
\u201cHe keeps his cool, and I\u2019m here to tell you, as his work wife, I know it\u2019s not easy,\u201d Howorth said. \u201cBut you keep your cool because you are in service to the residents. That\u2019s what this is about for you, building this team of colleagues, making sure our voices are heard. Because you know that maybe Joe\u2019s voice represents something different from Steve\u2019s voice, represents someone different from my voice. You understand that\u2019s important, and it means a lot.\u201d
The chamber was full of former mayors, including Russ Lesser, Bob Holmes, Steve Napolitano, Mitch Ward, Nancy Hersman, Wayne Powell, and Richard Montgomery. Powell, also president of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults, was first to the podium.
\u201cI just came down because I want to commend Mayor Lesser on an exemplary term as mayor,\u201d Powell said. \u201cYou did the residents well in serving them well.\u201d
Brian Goldsmith, a candidate for California State Senate, said meeting Lesser had been one of the unexpected benefits of his campaign.
\u201cDavid Lesser is one of the most impressive mayors, public servants that I\u2019ve come across,\u201d Goldsmith said. \u201cGetting to know you has been a wonderful education for me on the variety of issues that confront our communities, from public safety to land use, housing, the cost of living, environmental protection, and clearly the residents of Manhattan Beach agree, because they keep electing you. As they should.\u201d
When Lesser took the microphone for his outgoing remarks as mayor, he ticked through a list of what he saw as the council\u2019s signal accomplishments during his term: code reforms addressing e-bike safety, safety measures approved for Sepulveda Boulevard following a string of pedestrian fatalities, council direction to proceed with the long-awaited Senior & Scout Community Center, a proactive response to the Chevron El Segundo refinery fire last October, and continued environmental stewardship through the city\u2019s tree planting partnership with Grades of Green.
But it was the way the council had conducted its work that he wanted to emphasize.
\u201cI have sought, as you\u2019ve heard, to facilitate council discussions through consensus building, through civil conversations, in direct opposition to the divisiveness and corrosiveness in the political dialog that surrounds us,\u201d Lesser said. \u201cEach of us is willing to stand up and fight for what we believe in, but we start with listening. We start with a discussion. We try to find a consensus, then we vote, and we move on. It\u2019s what government should be.\u201d
The motion to appoint Franklin as the next mayor passed 5-0.
Franklin is in the second year of his second term, after first winning an historically close election in 2020, by 88 votes. Like Lesser, his primary impetus is not so much a defined policy objective, though he\u2019s left an imprint on e-bike safety education. On Tuesday he vowed to help lead the battle against state housing laws that he believes threaten the fabric of the community. What most animates Franklin is less a set of laws, however, than an almost overflowing sense of love for his adopted hometown. As he was sworn back in as mayor, it was clear that love is very much returned.
An outpouring on behalf of the incoming mayor began with the surprise appearance of his son Jimmy, who lives in North Carolina. The Franklin family had not all been in one place for five years.
\u201cI flew out here yesterday and worked all day in San Diego, and drove down here for this, trying to surprise him,\u201d Jimmy Franklin said.
He spoke of growing up watching his father work, of carrying that ethic into the Marine Corps and into his current job and family life.
\u201cWhat I thought was normal has proven to be exceptional in all that I do, and that is because of seeing him busting his butt to get the job done and still be able to be there for his family,\u201d Jimmy Franklin said. \u201cHis unwavering dedication to serving this community, from literally being Stopper, the stop sign from the Do Stop Don\u2019t Speed campaign from when I was a kid, to even now serving at the highest capacity for the city he has called home for almost four decades now, is incredible, and something to admire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayor Joe Franklin\u2019s daughter, Taylor, and son, Jimmy, celebrate the beginning of his mayoral term. Photo by Jefferson Graham<\/p>\n
His sister, Taylor Franklin, followed. She offered her dad advice \u2014 to keep connecting with people. \u201cThat\u2019s how you won your first election, and it\u2019s still your greatest strength,\u201d she said. \u201cYou take the time to remember everybody\u2019s name, which still completely baffles me, because I can\u2019t remember what I had for lunch today. Second, keep listening. You have this way of making people feel heard and reminding them that what they have to say matters.\u201d
\u201cRemember why you started. It was never about the title, it was about making Manhattan Beach the best place it can be for the community you genuinely love,\u201d she said. \u201cYou introduce yourself as mayor to visitors every chance you get, and maybe to some people that sounds boastful, but to me it just shows how much you genuinely love the city and how excited you are to make someone\u2019s trip a little more memorable.\u201d
Resident Lucia La Rosa Ames thanked Franklin for his work alongside MB Safe, a community group focused on homelessness and public safety.
\u201cYou have never treated homelessness like just another issue on the list,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s in your heart to take care of our homeless residents. You have treated [them] with deserving care and dignity.\u201d
Resident Tiffany Barbara said she had first met Franklin in 2020, during what she called \u201cthe dark days of Covid,\u201d when she had gone to the Franklins\u2019 home to pick up an MBPD support sign.
\u201cHe and his beautiful wife came out offering me wine. We made fast friends,\u201d Barbara said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a very challenging six years, and I want to thank all of you guys for thriving during those challenging six years.\u201d
Tarnay, in remarks following her own selection as mayor pro tem, said she has been studying Franklin in preparation for her own eventual turn in the chair.
\u201cIt\u2019s been a marvel watching Joe\u2019s bottomless energy,\u201d Tarnay said. \u201cWhen most folks retire, they tend to slow down, travel, spend more time with grandkids, and maybe play a round of golf or two. But not Joe. Joe has somehow managed to turn community involvement into a full-time job. He\u2019s doing everything everywhere all at once. Michelle Yeoh has nothing on Joe.\u201d
She described running into Franklin at the Farmers Market, at ribbon cuttings, at community events, at Shellbacks and Uncle Bill\u2019s.
\u201cHe\u2019s deep in conversation with residents about homelessness, e-bikes, Nathan Hochman, traffic circulation, or art installations,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s something genuinely admirable about that level of commitment, because underneath the visibility and the conversations is someone who deeply cares about the city and loves his job representing it.\u201d
When Franklin finally took the gavel, he began by acknowledging his wife.
\u201cThank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to join in the time-honored tradition of our city\u2019s mayoral [rotation]. Or, as my wife, Nancy, says, \u2018Dear God, again,’\u201d Franklin said.
He spoke of two touchstones in the council chambers \u2014 the photo wall of past councils behind the audience, and the speaker\u2019s podium directly in front of the dais.
\u201cCouncil members should not judge the merits of words or who speaks them,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cFrom these discussions, our duty is to allow them to be spoken and understand why they are being said. From these discussions, we craft ordinances, rules, and make decisions on infrastructure, buildings, budget, our public safety, and more, guided by our residents and businesses, the taxpayers. Even if we don\u2019t always agree, a resident\u2019s passion and perspective should never be misconstrued or characterized as divisive.\u201d
Franklin laid out a fiscal posture for his year as mayor that included a series of transparency sessions on city operations, and what he called a \u201cno net new positions\u201d approach to staffing.
\u201cFiscal stewardship means approaching this challenging budget year with discipline, accountability, and a commitment to protecting the long-term fiscal health of our city,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will pursue strategic budget reductions that preserve essential services while ensuring we live within our means.\u201d
Then, at the end of his speech, Franklin took a sharper turn. In six years on council, he said, he had never used the words \u201cexistential threat.\u201d But he was using them now.
\u201cSacramento zoning overreach, the overt power grab of our local zoning control with one size fits all building density mandates, is an existential threat to our way of life and the safety of our residents,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cIt\u2019s heartbreaking to see huge swaths of our community threatened by oversized, out-of-character developments with outsized density, too little onsite parking, and dangerous proximity to unsafe streets.\u201d
He said state assembly and senate representatives have been unable to provide meaningful help, despite what he called \u201csome gallant efforts.\u201d The path forward, he argued, would have to come from outside the legislature.
\u201cA citizens initiative is needed to combat this threat to our local control,\u201d Franklin said, pointing to Our Neighborhood Voices, a statewide effort to put a measure on the 2028 ballot returning zoning control to cities. He also encouraged residents to sign on to Stop the Rise, a local grassroots group that he said has already drawn more than 3,000 residents.
Franklin closed by quoting from the recent memorial service for longtime Manhattan Beach resident (and Hyperion Outfall Serenaders bandleader) Bob White, at which White\u2019s son reflected on his parents\u2019 contributions to the city.
\u201cThese past generations gave us the gift of Manhattan Beach,\u201d Franklin said, quoting from the eulogy. \u201cThey gave us paradise. It\u2019s up to us to keep it that way.\u201d ER<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mb mayorsIncoming Mayor Joe Franklin and outgoing Mayor David Lesser. Photo by Jefferson Graham IF ROOM: Mb franklinsMayor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":251884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[75,84,83,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-251883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}