Hermosa Beach public speakers overwhelmingly back city manager as council continues review

Dozens of residents, labor leaders and city staff urged the Hermosa Beach City Council on April 22 to retain City Manager Suja Lowenthal and to handle any evaluation transparently.

The public comment session drew sustained, often personal testimonials about Lowenthal’s leadership from employees, union representatives, school and faith leaders, police managers and residents. Many speakers credited Lowenthal with rebuilding departmental capacity, securing grant funding and improving public-safety staffing and interagency partnerships.

The comments came before the council recessed into closed session to consider a personnel evaluation. City Attorney staff later reported the city continued the public-employee evaluation to a future meeting tentatively scheduled for April 28 around 7 p.m., and that 32 members of the public spoke on the closed-session item.

Why it matters: The city manager is the council’s chief executive and the single employee formally evaluated by the council. Public testimony at the April 22 meeting framed the item as consequential for city operations and staff morale; many speakers said abrupt action would undercut ongoing capital and public-safety initiatives.

What speakers said: John Cordova, superintendent and representative of the Hermosa Beach Professionals and Administrative Employees Association, told the council Lowenthal “rolls up her sleeves to make it happen” and credited her with securing “critical long overdue upgrades” that let staff serve residents safely and effectively. Dr. Susan Wilds, superintendent of the Hermosa Beach City School District, said Lowenthal had “elevated what’s possible” in school–city collaboration and urged the council to oppose any change to current leadership.

Representatives of city labor organizations also spoke. Carlos Rubio, president of Teamsters Local 911, said the city had “made progress in day-to-day operations, labor relations, and overall negotiations” under Lowenthal. Joe San Clemente, public works director, and members of the police management group described results in capital projects and public-safety staffing; Landon Phillips, speaking for the Police Management Association, highlighted a fully staffed police department and recent federal partnerships that he attributed in part to the city manager’s office.

Opposing voices: A small number of speakers questioned Lowenthal’s practices and the timing of the review. Matt McCool alleged hiring practices that he characterized as efforts to “buy loyalty,” and raised other accusations; those claims were contested in public reply by many who testified in Lowenthal’s support. Several speakers urged the council to respect personnel confidentiality and to follow standard evaluation processes.

Council action and next steps: After public comment and a closed-session recess, the city attorney reported the evaluation item was continued to a future meeting tentatively set for April 28 at about 7 p.m. The council did not take a public vote on the city manager’s contract or termination on April 22. The council also received a closed-session report noting 32 public comments on the closed-session agenda.

What to watch: The council’s next posted agenda or staff reports for the April 28 meeting will show whether the evaluation item is placed for action, which would be an explicit public step toward any change in employment status.