Surf City leaders bid farewell to City Council

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- With a total of 14 years of city government

experience between them, Councilmen Tom Harman and Dave Sullivan will

both retire from the dais Monday, but they’re headed in different

directions.

After six years on the council, Harman, a 59-year-old attorney, is

moving on to the state Assembly, where he’ll represent Huntington Beach,

Fountain Valley and five other surrounding cities in the state’s 67th

District.

At 63, Sullivan, a retired orthodontist, said his appointment book is

empty for the first time in the eight years he’s served as a councilman.

The two men have frequently been paired together politically -- they

attribute that to their similar views and ideals. And both look back

proudly on their time as city officials.

“I think the fight to save Bolsa Chica, which is ongoing though it’s

been eight years and nothing is up there yet, and helping to save the

city money stand out,” Sullivan said, adding that he was happy to see a

public works commission formed during his time on the council. “I think

that insisting on citizen input and encouraging an open government have

been something to be proud about.”

Sullivan, who is originally from Roslindale, Mass., has lived in

Huntington Beach for 34 years. He was active in the community before

being elected in 1992. In addition to being a past president of the

community watchdog group Huntington Beach Tomorrow, he was, with

Councilwoman-elect Debbie Cook, a coauthor of the 1990 Measure C city

charter amendment, which requires any development on county beaches or

parkland to be approved by a majority vote of residents.

Harman grew up in Kansas City, Mo., and rooted himself in Huntington

Beach in 1972. He founded Huntington Beach Tomorrow in 1988 and was its first president. After being appointed to his council seat in 1994 at the

urging of former Mayor Victor Leipzig, Harman was instrumental in forming

the council’s intergovernmental affairs committee, which seeks state and

federal funds for city projects.

“When I first joined the council, the city was only garnering between

$2 [million] and $5 million in grants,” he said. “Now we’re up in the $20

million level, which is important for city infrastructure.”

Harman also said he was proud to support the protection of Bolsa Chica

and helping to form the city’s legal affairs committee to review lawsuits

against the city.

“I think both [Harman and Sullivan] have brought a very strong

perspective to the City Council,” Councilwoman Shirley Dettloff said.

She added that Sullivan’s efforts to keep the community involved and

address the needs of children in the city have been admirable, and

Harman’s legal perspective and experience have prepared him for a

different role as an assemblyman.

Bob Biddle, a planning commissioner and current president of

Huntington Beach Tomorrow, said Harman has established himself as a

leader during his time on the council on issues ranging from urban

forests to finding outside funds for the city. Biddle added that Sullivan

has always fought to keep public comments -- crucial for community access

to government -- at the start of council meetings.

While Harman will continue his involvement in local politics, Sullivan

has no such plans.

“I haven’t really even considered it,” he said of a future return to

the council dais. “I think I’ll continue to be involved though.”

After his last council meeting, Sullivan said he plans to travel

around the southwestern states with his family and will entertain

relatives during the winter holidays.

Harman will be sworn into a two-year term in the state Assembly on

Dec. 4, with the first session convening on Jan. 2.