Council Makes Ochoa, Kim Surprise Choices for Commission Seats

They blew up formfulness, which has been the Council’s trademark, whereby friendships with private persons who carry high or rising profiles around City Hall are rewarded.

Not this time.

In two of three cases, the winners were the longest shots to emerge from crowded fields.

Riding the wings of a powerhouse speech as the final presenter to the Council, Marianne Kim, previously regarded as barely more than an afterthought, defeated a fleet of favorites to win the seat recently vacated by Charles Deen on the Parks and Recreation Commission.

A similar scenario — a pragmatic, no-nonsense plea — may have sprung trial lawyer Richard Ochoa over a clutch of better known personalities to gain the open seat on the Civil Service Commission.

In a two-person race for the landlord seat on the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board, Judy Scott, like her fellow winners, made an outstanding presentation.

If the confident, accomplished Ms. Scott did not overwhelm the City Council with a stirring narrative of her history as a Wade Street activist — three words that are hardly ever strung together — she came close enough to grab the members by their noses and maintain their attention until she was finished.

Her competition, Mary Ann Webster, was at least respectable, but fell short of matching the plain-spoken, heartfelt delivery of Ms. Scott. Therefore, Ms. Scott won the landlord seat, the only voting settled in one round.

The manner in which the three winners were chosen, from a field of 15, indicated that there may be a new sheriff in town, a new voice of influence on the City Council.

Both Mr. Ochoa and Ms. Scott can thank first-year Councilman Mehaul O’Leary for shrewdly and stubbornly steering them to victory. As for Ms. Scott, the Councilman related a poignant personal story that must have been persuasive.

In the case of the Civil Service Commission, it took an unusually long three rounds of balloting for Mr. Ochoa, regarded as an unknown quantity going in, to outpoll Tom Camarella and Phil Tangalakis.

In the first round, four persons received support from the five Council members, including former Councilman Alan Corlin, Mr. Tangalakis, Mr. Camarella (2 votes) and Mr. Ochoa.

With a stalemate looming, Mayor Scott Malsin spoke up. “No reason for anyone to change his vote,” he said, “that is if you want to stay here until 1 a.m.”

Only One Change

In the second round, four voters did not budge. But Mayor Malsin took his own advice, changed horses, and he joined member Andy Weissman in backing Mr. Tangalakis.

That made the score Tangalakis 2, Camarella 2, Ochoa 1.

Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger and member Chris Armenta supported Mr. Camarella through the first 2 rounds while Mr. O’Leary stayed with his nominee, Mr. Ochoa.

In Round 3, Mr. Weissman, voting first, was loyal to his nominee, Mr. Tangalakis.

Mr. Armenta, voting second, abruptly switched to Mr. Ochoa. He explained why: “It didn’t take a genius to see the handwriting on the wall,” that his choice, Mr. Camarella, once again was not going to be able to attract a decisive third vote.

Then it was the Irishman’s turn.

Councilman O’Leary made sure his choice prevailed by “steadfastly,” in his word, sticking with his nominee, Mr. Ochoa, while two of his colleagues eventually, quietly, quickly, without fanfare, abandoned their opening choices and climbed onto the Ochoa bandwagon.

The tension was building as Round 3 began. Mr. Silbiger stuck with his longtime pal Mr. Camarella. With the score at Ochoa 2, Tangalakis 1, Camarella 1, the Mayor was the fifth and final voter. Without elaboration, Mr. Malsin voted for his third different person in as many rounds, simply saying, “Richard Ochoa,” to clinch the Civil Service Commission appointment.

Behind Ochoa

The selection is being made belatedly because there were no candidates for the opening during the spring. Council members went recruiting. Mr. Weissman chose his longtime friend, the lawyer Mr. Tangalakis.

Mr. O’Leary, who vets commission candidates thoroughly, said that he solicited Mr. Ochoa’s candidacy because “he is a friend of mine” who played a meaningful role in Mr. O’Leary’s recent successful run for office.

When he appeared before the City Council to make his case for appointment, Mr. Ochoa made 3 notable identifying points:

The balloting for the Parks and Recreation Commission seat was a little stickier. Vice Mayor Silbiger recused himself because his son, Karlo, was a candidate for the second time in a couple of months. The Vice Mayor said he was not required to step aside, but it was a decision he made.

With an even number of voters remaining, 4, chances of a deadlock were heightened, and so 2 rounds were required to select M Club of Southern California.

Six of the 7 candidates made presentations. Tt probably was Ms. Kim’s good fortune to be last in the queue, therefore positioned to make the most immediate, direct impression.

She may have scored points with the Council when she opened by saying that the previous 5 speakers had been well prepared and she was not. With that, the scholarly young woman calmly swirled into an engaging hurricane of personal reasons for choosing her.

Clearly charismatic and cogent — a rare combination in public life — the sound of minds changing on the dais almost was palpable.

COUNCIL NOTES — Since Fiesta La Ballona starts 4 weeks from today, it should be worthwhile attending Council meetings the next 4 Monday nights — at 7 – just to hear Fiesta Chair Ronnie Jayne sing the opening of her reminder-style presentation…Kevin Commins, President of Friends of the Julian Dixon Library, announced what should be a fascinating subject for a community meeting on Thursday night at 6 at the library, 4909 Overland Ave.: Joy Horowitz, once a reporter for the late and lamented Herald-Examiner, more recently the author of “Parts Per Million: The Poisoning of Beverly Hills High School,” will speak on the hottest subject of the season in Culver City, oil drilling, gas leakage and accompanying dangers…