[img]123|left|Sen. Ridley-Thomas||no_popup[/img] In contrast with the self-styled distancing element central to the personality of his cool predecessor, second-year County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas not only can find Culver City without aid of a GPS, he frequently, and impishly, looks as if he is going to launch the punch line before you finish reciting the story.
For that reason alone, you don’t hesitate to wade into the briny deep and ask about his December embarrassment.
Question: When you decided to remodel your main office for your 31-member staff and announced on Dec. 1 it carried a $2 million pricetag, did you have any notion it was going to be a hot, and critical, story for the next month?
“Yes, I did,” he said. “In the media business, I believe it is called low-hanging fruit. But it would be an overstatement on my part if I were to suggest it would go so far and get so ugly.”
The media protest over asserted excess became so shrill that not only did the Supervisor scale back the costs by two-thirds, down to $707,000, he posted a pertinent Q-and-A on his website to stanch the rhetorical bleeding.
“We understand that many are upset by news of this expenditure,” Mr. Ridley-Thomas’s website message began. “But we believe at least some of this is due to distortions presented by some in the media. We believe our building work is appropriate and wish to provide as complete an account as possible.
“Why does it cost $707,000?
“We are performing major construction work on an aged building. While $707,000 has been authorized, we hope it will cost less. Parts of our headquarters have not been updated in 50 years. Our repairs include electrical work and renovation to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The total space in the office is 6,400 square feet. The estimated cost for the job was determined by the County’s Internal Services Department using accepted industry guidelines. All jobs will be performed by workers who are paid fair wages and benefits.”
He insisted that no frills were involved, saying: “We don’t think public buildings should be excessive. At the same time, we think maintaining an office that maximizes productivity and meets legal and regulatory requirements is important, as is maintaining a professional appearance that shows our regard for the public we serve.”
Although criticism has cooled since the first of the year, Mr. Ridley-Thomas said that “to some extent, the story did become a distraction. But we are so focused on the work we are doing, around the King Hospital, around the light rail line, around the environmental work we are doing, Culver Crest, Ballona Creek, and elsewhere, the public safety agenda and a whole range of other things.
“The constituents of the Second District have not been distracted. The distraction, significantly, has come from other parts of the County and the media.”
Question: As ordered by the Board of Supervisors, the County’s CEO presently is evaluating the $707,000 cost. Was it a gaffe on your part to undertake the remodel now?
“I think it would have been an issue, to some extent, no matter when.. But the fact is we have worked very hard to essentially put a new face on the Second District so that the residents of Culver City will have a new sense of pride about the business of the County as it relates to them.
“All of this is in the context of being able to say, We are here to do business in a particular way. A local priest, who is a resident of the District, told me, ‘We simply want our environment to reflect the dignity and respect that the constituents of this District are due. Nothing more, nothing less.’”
Question: Was he referring to a difference in energy between you and your predecessor, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke?
“Yes, but also the way it represented itself, physically, materially and otherwise. It is a statement to be appreciated that a lack of investment over a 25-year period clearly is a reflection on the style of leadership, to put it mildly.
“I don’t wish to dwellon the past. The future is before us. The energy we have brought to the Board of Supervisors is well documented. The excitement that has been created is palpable.”
As for the remodel flap, “we choose not to be distracted,” Mr. Ridley-Thomas said. “We are focused.”
Mr. Ridley-Thomas, whose commentary appears weekly, may be contacted at http://ridley-thomas.lacounty.gov
