Seal Beach Ca Government Officials

The gavel changed hands Tuesday when Councilwoman Gwen Forsythe was unanimously selected as the city's new mayor. Forsythe, who is in the third year of her first four-year term on the council, took Frank Laszlo's place as head of the five-member council. Marilyn Bruce Hastings was selected mayor pro tem. Forsythe said the most pressing issue for Seal Beach during her term as mayor will be the budget.

The Orange County district attorney's office has opened an investigation into whether Seal Beach City Councilman Shawn Boyd violated state conflict-of-interest laws by voting on a project involving a business associate. Investigators will probe Boyd's relationship with Richard Hall, who last year sold the Seal Beach Trailer Park to a nonprofit group with city financing. The group paid $7.4 million, using city-backed bonds and a state grant, which it will repay from future rents.

Councilman Paul Yost was elected mayor Monday, thwarting an attempt to have acting Mayor Patricia Campbell make her position permanent. Campbell, the mayor pro tem, had been acting as mayor for the last month after former Mayor George Brown resigned following his election to the Coast Community College District board. Councilman Shawn Boyd had nominated Campbell to be mayor, hoping to become mayor pro tem himself, but the move lost on a 2-3 vote.

Three weeks after granting an indefinite leave of absence to Seal Beach City Manager Keith Till, the City Council on Thursday accepted his resignation. "All matters related to Mr. Till's employment have been resolved," Councilman Shawn Boyd said after the closed session at which the action was taken. A terse announcement from the city said that Till "will be pursuing other professional opportunities" and wished him "success in his new endeavors."

Mayor George Brown said Thursday he will resign if he wins a seat on the Coast Community College District board on Nov. 3. Brown, 74, who had called a special meeting of the City Council, said he had learned belatedly that the charter prevents city officials from running for other elective office. One solution he proposed, to hold a special municipal election on Nov. 3 to change the charter, was abandoned.

Citing overwhelming support by her constituents, Mayor Gwen Forsythe on Monday night rescinded her decision to leave the City Council. On March 12, Forsythe announced her intent to resign, one day after she learned that a rifle cartridge with a threatening message had been sent to her in the mail. On Monday night, Forsythe said she had made that decision partly because of the threat and partly because of the Police Department's handling of the case.

Council members indicated this week that they will fill a vacancy on the City Council by appointment rather than by special election. Councilman Bill Doane quit last month in reaction to the election of slow-growth candidate Patty Campbell, a planning commissioner who voted against the Bixby Ranch Co.'s proposed 223-home residential and commercial development. Campbell ran against attorney Phillip Fife, a Bixby supporter who was backed by Doane.

City Council members will decide soon whether to appoint or schedule a special election for a successor to Councilman Bill Doane, who resigned in protest over the election Tuesday of a slow-growth candidate. The council will meet April 8 to decide how to fill the remaining two years of Doane's term. Doane, who turns 75 today, was appointed in 1991 to replace Joe Hunt, who also resigned his council seat.

A BEACH BECKONS: Keith Till, the city manager of San Marino, is leaving his position for a life at the beach. In this case, Seal Beach. Till, 42, will become city manager of the Orange County municipality next month, following approval of his hiring Monday by the Seal Beach City Council. "We are very disappointed to see him leaving," said San Marino Mayor Bernie LeSage. "But we understand that Seal Beach is about twice the size of San Marino, with many different challenges."

Crime has emerged as a top concern in Seal Beach since a string of armed robberies last summer. The City Council will decide how to spend nearly $120,000 of Proposition 172 money later this year. Residents who live in the Old Town district want a police substation in the neighborhood. Others say resources should not be concentrated in just one area.

The City Council passed a resolution commending retiring Police Capt. Gary Maiten for his 32 years of service at its meeting Monday. Maiten joined the department in 1967 as a reserve officer and his accomplishments include helping write the city's emergency procedures manual and serving as a liaison with the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.

Seal Beach City Manager Keith Till began an indefinite leave of absence Tuesday after the City Council granted his request for one at a closed session late Monday. Mayor Patty Campbell and other city officials would not comment on details of the meeting or the reasons for Till's request. Till could not be reached for comment.

Moments after Councilwoman Patty Campbell was appointed mayor by council members Tuesday evening, she took a subtle step toward improving City Council public relations. Although it was not on the agenda of a meeting primarily focused on swearing in new officers, Campbell asked newly appointed Mayor Pro Tem Shawn Boyd to sign a letter of recommendation for a former city employee.

The City Council has reversed a decision by the city manager to hire an outside evaluator of his performance, council member Shawn Boyd said Tuesday. Keith Till hired the facilitator last month to oversee the yearly evaluation of his job performance as city manager, but a majority of the council members voted for the City Council to do the assessment as it has done in the past. Till hired Dr.

At least two council members are calling for new "checks and balances" after the city manager's controversial decision last month to fire the city treasurer. Councilman Shawn Boyd has asked the city attorney to study whether the city charter allows the council to appoint a future city treasurer--a power previously exercised by the city manager. But Councilwoman Patty Campbell wants to go further: She wants the City Council to oversee all hirings and firings from now on.

Mayor Paul Yost, City Council members and staff celebrated the State of the City luncheon at the Naval Base on Wednesday. Although he expressed concerns over a loss of city revenue from utility tax exemptions, the mayor said the city's finances were sound. The celebration, however, was clouded by controversy at City Hall.