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Manhattan Beach council fills dozens of board seats in annual appointments
Summary
At its May 5 meeting the Manhattan Beach City Council conducted its annual appointments, filling multiple commission vacancies and reappointing incumbents; staff reported 57 original applicants (46 after withdrawals) and the council advanced or appointed candidates to 19 vacancies.
Manhattan Beach — The City Council completed its annual appointments to local boards and commissions at a May 5 meeting, filling multiple vacancies and reappointing incumbents while hearing no public comment.
Deputy City Clerk Brianna Contreras told the council the city clerk’s office received 57 applications for this appointment cycle, 11 were withdrawn before or during the interview process, leaving 46 applicants for the council’s consideration and 19 upcoming vacancies to fill. “This evening, you will be filling in 19 upcoming vacancies,” Contreras said.
The council opened nominations and made appointments across planning, parking and public improvements, the Board of Building Appeals, parks and recreation, cultural arts, library commissions and an external trustee seat. Highlights include the appointment of Dina Traeger to Planning Commission at-large seat No. 2 to finish a term through May 31, 2027 (the appointee will be automatically reappointed to a three‑year term); Jill Schechter to Planning Commission seat No. 3; Robert Ciemack to Planning Commission seat No. 4; and the reappointment of Rachel Hackett to seat No. 5.
For the Board of Building Appeals the council confirmed incumbent Michael Kling for seat No. 1, appointed Joel Sprague to seat No. 2 (subject to his willingness to serve) and reappointed Robert Tokashiki to seat No. 3; council also voted to fill seats 4 and 5 and recorded the appointments as passing on a unanimous vote. The council appointed Steven Bealey to Parking and Public Improvements Commission seat No. 3 and reappointed Hillary Rosen as the Los Angeles County West Vector Control trustee, setting the term at four years.
Student representative and arts seats were also filled: Elena Mahan was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission student representative seat No. 7, Geneva Wong was appointed to the Cultural Arts Commission student representative seat No. 7, and Ben Heiss was appointed to the Library Commission student representative seat No. 7. The council ratified the Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s reappointment of Karen Komintinsky as its nominee to Parks and Recreation seat No. 2 and appointed Robert Duncan to Library Commission at-large seat No. 4.
Council action on routine appointments was frequently unanimous. The meeting record includes several roll-call acknowledgments and multiple nomination rounds for contested student and commission seats; the clerk said appointment confirmations and updates would be emailed to all applicants the morning after the meeting. There were no in-person or Zoom public commenters on the agenda item.
The council adjourned after the appointment process. The city clerk will follow up with individual appointees and post updated commission rosters.
