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Hermosa Beach council recesses to closed session after divided public comments on city manager Suja Lowenthal
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment sharply divided over City Manager Suja Lowenthal's performance, the Hermosa Beach City Council recessed to closed session to consider a personnel matter; the city attorney later reported no reportable action under the Brown Act.
The Hermosa Beach City Council recessed to closed session May 5 to consider a personnel matter involving City Manager Suja Lowenthal after an extended, at times heated, public-comment period that split residents and local officials.
The public comment period included several dozen speakers who urged the council either to retain Lowenthal, citing staff morale and city accomplishments, or to consider removal, citing late or over-budget projects, a controversial parking-permit rollout and delays connected to the city's housing element. After the closed session the city attorney reported that "no action was taken in the closed session that needs to be reported under the Brown Act." (City Attorney.)
The debate unfolded primarily during public comment, with supporters and critics both voicing detailed examples. Supporters pointed to staff loyalty and recent initiatives. "From day one, Suja has provided focus, effective and visionary leadership for our communities," said Stacy Armato, a former council member who spoke in favor of Lowenthal. Former community development director Carrie Tai said the housing element work "was able to advance... to certification," and noted a July 2024 letter from the state Department of Housing and Community Development confirming certification.
Critics raised project and personnel concerns and called for new leadership. Robert Aronoff, a longtime resident, told the council, "I have never seen a city manager generate such controversy as we have today," and cited what he described as raised staffing costs and diminished transparency. Multiple speakers linked a missed or delayed step in the housing element process to a subsequent project with a taller building than residents expected.
Several speakers sought to correct or clarify factual claims made in the public debate. Former Hermosa Beach Police Chief Paul LeBaron told the council that a widely cited $5,000 police-department chair was purchased with state grant funds, not the city operating budget: "That chair was purchased with grant funding that came from the state of California." LeBaron also said the decision to add doors to the city manager's office was made as a security measure and described it as his recommendation.
Speakers from both sides referenced costs and litigation tied to past projects; one commenter said litigation related to a project cost about $1,300,000. Other recurring topics included turnover and hiring levels at city hall, complaints about the parking-permit rollout, and frustration from seniors about access and notification processes.
Mayor Damon Seaman closed public comment and recessed the meeting to closed session. When the council reconvened briefly after the closed session, the city attorney told the council and public that no reportable action had been taken that must be disclosed under the Brown Act.
The council did not vote on the record at the May 5 meeting, and the city attorney said any reportable action taken in closed session would be made public after the meeting as required by law. The matter remains a personnel issue for the council to consider in closed session; no further public actions were announced at adjournment.
