The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 25 - June 20, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............4
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................10
Classifieds............................4
Community Briefs...............3
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Graduation Photos........ 2,11
Legals.............................. 9,11
Real Estate.......................5-9
School Spotlight..................3
Weekend
Forecast
Class of 2019 Caps Off the Year
Last Friday, as part of the annual tradition, members of the El Segundo High School graduating senior class hoisted their caps in the air to celebrate the culmination of their time at the campus.
Photo: Gregg McMullin
Council Hires New City Manager,
Bids Farewell to Greg Carpenter
By Brian Simon
A changing of the guard occurred on Tuesday
night, as the El Segundo City Council (with
Mayor Drew Boyles and member Chris Pimentel
participating via teleconference from remote
locales) unanimously voted to approve Scott
Mitnick as the new city manager. He will start
on July 1 and replace Greg Carpenter, who will
retire at the end of next week after more than
seven years at the helm at City Hall.
With over 20 years of executive level experience
as both a city manager and county
administrator, Mitnick will leave a private sector
position in Oakland to come to El Segundo.
Councilmember Don Brann, who spearheaded
the search and background check on the applicants,
said that Mitnick has a “calling to
be a city manager” and is “the match that we
were looking for.” Reporting that he is “thrilled
about the years ahead,” Brann added, “We’re
going to take it to the next level now.”
The rest of the members echoed Brann’s
sentiments, with Boyles pointing out that “at
least 70 hours of Council time” went to due
diligence. “We feel really good about our decision,”
he said, adding that he sees Mitnick
as someone who can lead people, create an
employer of choice environment and make
the tough decisions.
Addressing the Council after his selection,
Mitnick called it “an honor and a privilege” to
join the City of El Segundo and commended
Carpenter. “I look forward to building on the
foundation you have laid,” he said. He went on
to talk about his career, noting that he started
out at “the very lowest level as a volunteer
intern” and worked his way up. “I understand
the pressures the employees face. Employees
are the lifeline of the organization.”
Prior to his brief stint in Oakland, Mitnick
was Sutter County’s administrator for over
two years – a position he believes will help
El Segundo due to his inside knowledge of the
workings of running a much larger and more
complex operation than a city. “I can ensure
you we’re not going to have battles with LA
County,” he promised.
Before Sutter County, Mitnick was the city
manager of Thousand Oaks for 11 years (with
17-plus years of total service there), watching
the municipality transform into a built-out community
over that time and guiding it through
a difficult recession. “I’m so proud of what
was achieved [in Thousand Oaks),” Mitnick
said, praising the work of staff and department
heads he hired – most of whom are still there.
Mitnick described the El Segundo City Council
as “positive and progressive” and was pleased
to see the members “thinking long haul” since
“not a lot of cities are doing that.” Lauding
the long-term strategic planning approach now
shaping the Council’s policymaking, he said
he looks forward to “tackling challenges” and
hopes employees embrace that way of thinking.
The tackling even includes the ongoing
CalPERS issue that poses the greatest threat to
the City’s long-term fiscal solvency. Mitnick
viewed it as an opportunity rather than a problem,
with the objective of finding “interesting
and creative solutions” to address the matter.
In conclusion, he said he was proud to be a
part of El Segundo’s “bright future” and that
however long he serves as city manager, his
goal is to make sure he leaves the organization
in better shape than when he started.
Later during reports, Carpenter took the
time to thank staff, department heads, the city
See City Council, page 10
Book Tariff Is Summer Bummer
for Young Kids and Librarians
By Rob McCarthy
books -- including children’s illustrated titles
The top-selling illustrated children’s book
-- should be excluded from the 25 percent
this week in America is Oh, the Places
tariff, slapped on Chinese goods in May.
You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. It’s filled with wit
With summer reading programs under way
and wisdom for graduates who may feel
at South Bay public libraries, publishers and
small as they leave the cocoon of their
booksellers traveled to the nation’s capital
familiar childhood routines. The book’s
to testify before U.S. Trade Representative
theme boils down to this: leave the nest,
Robert Lighthizer and his staff. Workman
see what’s out there. And, expect some
Publishing, Publishers Clearing House and
hard times. That’s life.
The Association of American Publishers
Parents and librarians who buy children’s
sent representatives, who argued that raising
books in the hopes of turning youngsters
the import tax on books makes it harder
into lifelong readers could be facing hard
for families, schools and local libraries to
times of their own soon because of the tariff
afford new books and replace old favorites.
dispute with China. Publishers appeared
Oh, the Places You’ll Go would increase
this week at trade hearings in Washington,
from its list price of $17.99 for a graduation
D.C., where they made their case for why
See Book Tariff, page 11
Friday
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