City prepares to fill Garofalo’s spot

Danette Goulet

With two days left to apply, 39 residents have picked up the

application for the council seat vacated by Dave Garofalo earlier this

month, but a mere nine have actually applied for the job.

Of those nine, only two have have much in the way of name recognition

in town -- 2000 City Council candidate and high school teacher Diane

Lenning, and Jill Hardy, also a high school teacher at Huntington Beach

High School, a city planning commissioner and an active member of the

community. Hardy also was appointed to California’s electoral college in

2000.

The remaining seven applicants have had minimal or peripheral civic

involvement in the past.

That is likely to change in the next day or two. The City Clerks

office is expecting a flood of applications as the anticipated

front-runners have yet to file, and in many cases have yet to pick up

papers, although applications are available online.

Neither of the dueling columnists, Bill Borden or the Independent’s

Ron Davis, are on record as having picked up papers. The oft-touted Tom

Livengood picked up papers, but has yet to turn them in, as have former

candidates James Young and Norm Westwell.

“I definitely intend to apply,” Livengood said. “I just want to make

sure I make a good presentation on it - it’s important to me.”

Livengood said he intends to turn in much more than the required two

pages and expects to hand it in late Thursday or early Friday.

Whether known or unknown, each applicant will get their 15 minutes of

fame after an attempt to expedite the process by Mayor Debbie Cook failed

to get council support.

Cook’s suggestion, to reduce the number of people interviewed by

allowing each council member to select three applicants, was soundly

rejected by her peers Tuesday night. They said they wished to hear what

each hopeful had to say and did not want the process to appear biased.

Councilman Peter Green was the first to speak up, saying it wouldn’t

take more than eight hours or so and that he felt it was well worth his

time.

“I only know 10 of the 33 applicants -- there may be someone

exceptional in there,” Green said.

“This may well be the most important thing we do all year,” he added.

To avoid accusations of back room deals and “good ‘ole boys” clubs,

and to give each applicant a fair shot at the seat, council members have

added more interview times and pushed the decision day back to Feb. 2 at

9 a.m.

Council members also decided Tuesday night, which questions they would

ask applicants.

First, a round of general questions will be asked.

General Questions: 1. What are your qualifications to serve the city

of Huntington Beach? What has been your involvement in city affairs? 2.

What do you believe are the top issues for the city over the next five

years and how would you address them? 3. How would you enhance city

income to pay for needed services and capital improvements? 4. What is

your vision for Huntington Beach?

Following that, council members will have the opportunity to zero in

on topics of interest by asking one of the following specific questions:

Specific Questions: 1. How would you address the city’s infrastructure

needs? 2. How would you deal with youth sports needs? 3. How would you

deal with senior citizen needs? 4. What are your views on the 301H waiver

under which the Orange County Sanitation District is operating? 5. What

do you think should happen on the Bolsa Chica Mesa? 6. How can the city

recruit and retain a highly qualified staff?While Councilwoman Shirley

Dettloff said she hopes to get an off-the-cuff answer to some of these

specific questions, candidates tend to be prepared.

“I think the top issue is keeping Bolsa Chica out of the hands of

developers as much possible,” said candidate Laurence Korn, 67. “I’d like

to keep as much parkland for our children and grandchildren as possible

-- there’s only so much land we have left.”

Another key issue is education, Korn said. Although he is not

necessarily in favor of the $30-million school bond proposed by the

Huntington Beach City School District, he has been active in providing

scholarships to high school students over the years, he said.

Another little-known candidate, Jim Moreno, 57, would also like to see

a focus on youth.

“There is a large population of seniors in town and I think there is a

lot of potential for [a] symbiotic relationship with our youth,” Moreno

said.

With the departure of Garofalo the council is left with a distinct

environmentalist bent and Moreno would offer a bit of development advice.

“I’d like to see the [Huntington Beach] mall revived. I went to

college at Long Beach State and I think that it was the leading edge mall

in the nation. Attention needs to be given to it -- make it a block kind

of venue, it’s something that could be a jewel,” he said.

A third potential candidate, Neal Gagliano, 51, is interested in

seeing Downtown revitalized.

Each of the candidates will have a 15-minute interview with the City

Council beginning next week and a new member will be chosen before the

next regular council meeting.

Richard Bowen

Huntington Beach resident 26 years

Occupation: Director of operations for Astrotech Space

Operations

Civic / Service : Member and past president neighborhood watch program

Conrad James Moreno

Huntington Beach resident 13 years

Occupation: Mental health care administrator

Civic / Service:

* Current chair of the Huntington Beach Citizens Participation

Advisory Board, member three years of board that makes recommendations to

council regarding community development block grant.

* Member Paralysis Project of America golf tournament committee

Neal Gagliano

Huntington Beach resident 10 years

Occupation: unemployed purchasing agent

Civic / Service:

* President of Venture Forth, a singles organization at St.

Bonaventure Church

* Chairman of new singles organization for the unity of all

Catholic singles group in Orange County

Eddie Ramirez

Huntington Beach resident 8 years

Occupation: Physician and surgeon

Civic / Service:

* Volunteer teaching staff Long Beach Memorial Medical Conference

Division family practice

* Volunteer basketball coach St. Hedwig School

* Volunteer Basketball coach Murdy Park, 1996, 1997, 1998 Joan Cobane

Huntington Beach resident 12 years

Occupation: Business owner

Civic / Service:

* Board of trustees First United Methodist Church Huntington Beach

* Board of directors Sea View Little League

Diane Lenning

Huntington Beach resident 26 years

Occupation: High school teacher

Civic / Service:

* 1960s decade connector of the Huntington Beach Alumni Assn.

* State central committee republican party

* Kiwanis

Jill Hardy

Huntington Beach resident 28 years

Occupation: High school teacher

Civic / Service:

* Planning Commission

* Huntington Beach Tomorrow since 1993, on board since 1994

* Sister city Assn.

* Committee of 400 campaign worker since 1994, precinct leader

* Huntington Beach Historical Society* Huntington Beach Youth Board,

chair 1988-1989

Laurence Korn

Huntington Beach resident 30 years

Occupation: retired dermatologist

Civic / Service: None

Armand Alvillar

Huntington Beach resident for 23 years

Occupation: Auto Technician

Civic / Service: None