The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 45 - November 7, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................11
Classifieds..........................13
Crossword/Sudoku...........13
Entertainment......................5
Food.......................................6
Legals....................... 11,12,13
Obituaries.............................2
Pets......................................15
Real Estate.....................7-10
Sports.............................. 4,14
Weekend
Forecast
Coach Shev’s Memorable Finale
For his last game as the head football coach at El Segundo High School, Steve Shevlin received well wishes from many former star Eagle players who came by to honor him. Each of these former players
of Coach Shevlin was an All-League player. Photo by Gregg McMullin.
Brann to Step Down from Council,
TopGolf/Arts Fee Take Next Steps
By Brian Simon
In a meeting dominated by more TopGolf
discussion as well as the proposed percentfor
arts program, Councilmember Don Brann
might just have stolen the show with a surprise
announcement at the end of the evening that
he will step down from his position at the last
week of December. Though he reiterated that
he will not seek reelection in March, Brann
explained that a provision of a new Senate
bill recently signed by Governor Newsom that
will become law on Jan. 1, 2020 requires him
to choose between his role on the Council or
as a board member for the DaVinci schools
that he helped found 11 years ago. He can
no longer do both. Brann chose DaVinci. “I
love working with children and teachers,”
he said, adding that he is “not as into city
politics” as he is into education. “I want to
spend the rest of my life making that place
as good as it can be…” Brann added that
his mission is to “give young people the
opportunity to reach their potential” and “to
change the world through young people.”
After a challenge regarding Brann’s dual
role earlier in his term, City Attorney Mark
Hensley opined there was no conflict of
interest to remain in both posts since the
councilmember has no financial stake nor
receives compensation from DaVinci. But
the new legislation renders that moot. “I
have no choice,” Brann explained.
Brann’s departure means he will lose
the last three months of his term and the
El Segundo City Council will operate as a
quartet until it finds a replacement. The current
soon-to-expire Council terms will run a
month short due to the mandate to roll the
municipal election into that of LA County.
Election Day will be on March 3 rather than
the historical April, as the Council approved
the revised date on Tuesday night. Potential
candidates can begin pulling nomination
papers beginning next Tuesday, Nov. 12,
City Clerk Tracy Weaver confirmed. On a
related note, the Council introduced an item
brought forth by City Treasurer Crista Binder
to place a measure on the March ballot to
potentially make her position an appointed
one rather than elected for the first time in
El Segundo history. All five members indicated
their support for this on Tuesday and
could approve the request officially in two
weeks. Local voters will then make the final
decision. Binder’s rationale for essentially
doing away with her position is that the only
specific requirement to become treasurer in
El Segundo is to be 18 years of age or older.
With the complexities of city finances, she
explained that the right person for the job
ought to have a certain amount of education,
experience and credentials. If the position/
her department becomes appointed, it may
possibly fall under the auspices of the Finance
Department – which Binder felt would save
the City money and create efficiencies.
After approving seven TopGolf items at
the last meeting, the Council adopted the
remaining project specific plan on Tuesday.
Brann was again the lone dissenting vote
and he noted that a signature campaign for
a potential voter referendum to challenge
the Council decision was already underway.
If the movement yields enough autographs
from registered voters, it could delay the
start of TopGolf construction by as much
as two years (the next County election is in
2022) unless the City holds a costly special
election earlier.
Public communications featured several
proponents of the “Save The Lakes” campaign
who expressed their concerns about the
ethics of converting public recreation land to
commercial entertainment space. Resident
Marc Rener said that the issue “still keeps
coming back to life” when he thought it had
been left for dead. Other speakers, including
Planning Commissioner Ryan Baldino
and former Councilmember Dave Atkinson,
proclaimed their support for TopGolf and
pointed to the improved economics of the
deal as well as the many amenities (e.g.
night lights and a new clubhouse) and prior
programs that will remain in place or even
improve. Each of them warned that without
the influx of cash from TopGolf, The Lakes
will ultimately have to shut down. Baldino
noted that 90 percent of El Segundo doesn’t
use The Lakes and said those spearheading
the referendum effort represent the desires
of a “vocal minority” outside of town who
are “willing to torpedo” the project for their
own interests. In response, local resident Pat
Boydstun spoke of the “feeling of tranquility”
at the current Lakes and said that the
people concerned about the golf course “are
very sincere.”
During Council comments, Brann contested
the idea that the City of El Segundo needs
TopGolf to help address financial worries.
“We’re doing great,” he said, pointing to
growing transient occupancy tax revenues
and high reserves. He added that a telephone
poll he conducted while campaigning in 2016
revealed that 49 percent of “high-propensity”
El Segundo voters were against TopGolf and
See City Council, page 10
Friday
Sunny
77˚/61˚
Saturday
Sunny
82˚/59˚
Sunday
Sunny
79˚/57˚