Much anticipated fallout from the March City Council election came to fruition Monday night as the council opted not to reappoint longtime Transportation Commissioner Scott Schmidt to his at-large position on that commission.
Schmidt, a communications advisor who has been on the commission since 2007, was expected to be cut from the seven-member commission as a result of serving as the campaign manager for the successful term-limits ballot initiative. The measure, which limits council members to three four-year terms, passed by 62 percent in the March election.
Four of the five councilmembers went on record as being opposed to term limits, even though the measure is not retroactive – all current councilmembers are allowed three more four-year terms, provided the voters keep electing them. Only Councilmember John D’Amico publicly supported term limits.
To be appointed to an at-large seat on any of the city’s boards or commissions, a majority of the council members must approve the nomination. But Monday night, Schmidt, who indicated he wanted to continue on the Transportation Commission, was not even nominated for an at large position. In his place, the council appointed educator Amy Walia-Fazio, who had been a member of the Women’s Advisory Board.
Schmidt declined to comment, but previously indicated he knew the risk he was taking by serving as the term-limits campaign manager.
Another core member of the group pushing for term limits, Elyse Eisenberg, did not submit her name for reappointment to an at-large position on the Public Facilities Commission.
In April, Sam Borelli, an unsuccessful candidate in the March election who supported term limits, resigned from his at-large position on the Public Safety Commission. Borelli, who had been on that commission for 10 years, said he was ready to do other things.
The other appointments to the city’s six advisory boards and nine commissions offered few surprises. The vast majority of the current board/commission members were reappointed, while a few switched to different commissions.
Public relations advisor Andrew Oldershaw moved from the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board to the Human Services Commission. Business owner Misti Cooper moved from the Business License Commission to the Transportation Commission.
New appointees include attorney Garrett Charity and stylist Chad Cromer to the Business License Commission. Marketing specialist Tina Moore and writer Anne Toole join the Women’s Advisory Board.
With the exception of the five-member Rent Stabilization Commission, each of the city’s commissions is made up of seven members (one direct appointee by each of the council members and two at-large positions).
With the exception of the 10-member Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, each of the city’s advisory boards is made up of nine members (one direct appointee by each council member and four at-large positions).
The recently created East Side Task Force also has nine members (one direct appointee by each council member and four at-large positions). Members of that task force were announced in February.
Below is a list of the appointees to each board/commission along with the name of the council member making the appointment. An asterisk indicates a person is new to that board/commission. A handful of seats remain vacant as the council has yet to decide on some direct and at-large appointments.
Appointments are for two-year terms.
[hr_dotted]
Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission (7 members)
Beverly Denenberg (Land)
Dallas Dishman (Duran)
Candice Illoulian Beroukhim (Heilman)
Todd Williamson (Prang)
Yellena Zhelezov (D’Amico)
Peter Mays (at large)
Madeleine Rackley (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Business License Commission (7 members)
Garrett Charity (Duran)*
Steven Kay (Heilman)
James Kazakos (Prang)
Pat Rogers (Land)
Vacant (D’Amico)
Chad Cromer (at large)*
Sibyl Zaden (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Historic Preservation Commission (7 members)
Craig Charles (D’Amico)
Yawar Charlie (Duran)
Ed Levin (Land)
Paul Rice (Heilman)
Brad Torgan (Prang)
Danny Castro (at large)
Gail Ostergren (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Human Services Commission (7 members)
Ruth Cislowski (Land)
Steven Davis (D’Amico)
Jimmy Palmieri (Duran)
Heidi Shink (Prang)
Anne-Marie Williams (Heilman)
Andrew Oldershaw (at large)*
Mark Zangrando (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Planning Commission (7 members)
David Aghaei (Heilman)
John Altschul (D’Amico)
Donald DeLuccio (Prang)
Roy Huebner (Duran)
Marc Yeber (Land)
Sue Buckner (at large)
Vacant (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Public Facilities Commission (7 members)
Keith Anthony (Duran)
Cole Ettman (Prang)
Elena Goldenberg (Land)
Donna Saur (D’Amico)
Greg Woodell (Heilman)
Vacant (two at large positions)
[hr_dotted]
Public Safety Commission (7 members)
Bob Burke (Prang)
Chris Clarkin (Heilman)
Norma Kemper (Land)
Marcy Norton (D’Amico)
Desiree Sol (Duran)
Ruth Williams (at large)
Vacant (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Rent Stabilization Commission (5 members)
David Gregoire (Heilman)
Charles Henry (Prang)
Richard Maggio (D’Amico)
Gail Sanes (Duran)
Agassi Topchian (Land)
[hr_dotted]
Transportation Commission (7 members)
Misti Cooper (Duran)*
David Eichman (Heilman)
Steven Greene (Prang)
David Warren (D’Amico)
Steve Wayland (Land)
Lindsey Horvath (at large)
Amy Walia-Fazio (at large)*
[hr_dotted]
Disabilities Advisory Board (9 members)
Larry Block (D’Amico)
James Chud (Prang)
Amy Semonco (Land)
Louise Smith (Heilman)
Rick Watts (Duran)
Michael Arrigo (at large)
Thomas De Lorenzo (at large)
Suzanne Dietrich (at large)
Vacant (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board (10 members)
Ivy Bottini (Prang)
Amy Ruskin (D’Amico)
Elizabeth Sandberg (Heilman)
Sue Sexton (Land)
Ruth Tittle (Duran)
Paul Chavez (Duran)*
Robert Gamboa (D’Amico)
Matt Palazzolo (Land)
Enrique Reveles (Prang)
Vacant (Heilman)
[hr_dotted]
Russian Advisory Board (9 members)
Larisa Danilova (Duran)
Valentina Matidzhi (D’Amico)
Andrey Pronin (Heilman)
Yefim Stolyarsky (Land)
Vacant (Prang)
Raisa Aguf (at large)
Luybov Levitan (at large)
Vika Safrigina (at large)
Diana Volman (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Senior Advisory Board (9 members)
Esther Baum (Heilman)
Pat Dixon (D’Amico)
Barbara Krupa (Duran)
Bernice Levin (Land)
Rita Norton (Prang)
Sofia Gelman (at large)
Ric Rickles (at large)
Muriel Schoichet (at large)
Lee Walkup (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Transgender Advisory Board (9 members)
Maria Carmen Hinayon (Duran)
Coco Lachine (Heilman)
Karina Samala (Land)
Carolyn Marie Weiss (D’Amico)
Vacant (Prang)
Erika De La Cruz (at large)
Edward Jaye Johnson (at large)
Drian Juarez (at large)
Mariana Marroquin (at large)
[hr_dotted]
Women’s Advisory Board (9 members)
Molly Casey (Land)
Tina Moore (Duran)*
Susan Pinkus (D’Amico)
Nadia Sutton (Prang)
Anne Toole (Heilman)*
MaryAnn Szyskowski (at large)
Vacant (3 at large positions)
[hr_dotted]
East Side Task Force (9 members)
Lisa Andreson (Prang)
Adam Bass (Land)
Rob Bergstein (Heilman)
Chad Blouin (D’Amico)*
Alicia Matricardi (Duran)
Carlos Flores (at large)
Michael Jay (at large)
Steve Levin (at large)
Ruth Williams (at large)
There is absolutely no subtlety is politics. No good deed goes unpunished. No petty payback too petty. Remember those who made this decision and ask them why. Scott Schmidt has nothing to explain.
We need term limits on boards and commissions and board members and commissioners that have ‘seniority’ should be aloud to rotate to a new commission or board. Ive spoken out about term limits and 3 types of ‘members’, at large citizens, direct appointments and seniority. It appears to me that Scott Schmidt has graduated and should not have been cast aside because of his support for term limits. In my mind, and Im a direct appointee chairman of the disability board and being the person that knocked on steve martins door asking him to write the term limits language.. scott… Read more »
this was merely the city council’s way of reminding most voters why they voted for term limits. petty small town politics at it’s best. oops, there goes my shot at a commission appointment..
Where is the outrage about the blatant display of vindictiveness against Scott Schmidt? This is not the first time that commission seats have been used as leverage. Former Commissioner Schmidt has served the city of WeHo well and now, because he felt change was needed in the city government, he has been systematically left out and cast aside. Recently, a Commissioner quit during a council meeting because he wasn’t following “orders” from his appointers. The late Bruce Kaye spoke out against the practice of being told for whom he should vote. Something is very wrong with all of this. Do… Read more »