New City Manager Mark Scott, in his second month at City Hall, continued his Get Acquainted Tour with the community when he addressed the monthly meeting of the Culver City Democratic Club for an hour on Wednesday night.
He continues to impress.
After Mark introduced himself, he talked about his history of service to the communities of Beverly Hills and Spartanburg.
I found especially interesting his vision of himself as a servant of the community.
He made a point of mentioning and highlighting that he “builds community” and not just the development projects, but especially the people within the community.
He talked about why he came to Culver City.
Among the reasons, he talked about how he envisions Culver City as having the potential for being a model city in L.A.
Because of our diverse population and our central location, he thinks that we can provide a model for how to run a successful city that Beverly Hills (because of their upscale reputation) would not be able to provide.
When talking briefly about the budget, he mentioned two interesting things in particular.
First, he said that while Culver City, like every other city, is likely to experience some tough times over the coming years, he thinks that we are well-positioned to come out of it and rebound quicker than many other places.
Second, he said that in reviewing the budget everything is on the table. Nothing is sacred. The City Council and the community will have to make some hard decisions. (Not everything can be solved by increasing efficiency.)
Club member Tom Camarella asked Scott about consultants, and whether they pose a budgetary problem.
Mark Scott mentioned that consultants are a mixed bag. Some are more necessary than others.
He said that a list has been compiled of every consultant.
Staff will be reviewing with the City Council to determine which could be done by staff and where it is more financially viable to go with an outside firm.
Questions were raised about environmentalism, and Mark Scott said that he supports trying to “go green.”
But, he said, it has to be done using the extensive knowledge in the community.
It sounded as if an environmental / sustainability committee to work with staff was in his plan.
He also talked about how this can often be a money saver.
I asked about a better relationship with the School Board and the School District.
Mark Scott mentioned that he already has a meeting set with the Superintendent, Dr. Myrna Rivera Cote.
He was very clear that it makes no sense for any animosity to be present and that he will work to bring them together.
Later in the evening, there were questions about MLK Weekend Tribute committee, joint purchasing, and more. But let's start with that.
A note: John Dean, one of the most talked about political figures of the 1970s, will be the special guest at the Wednesday, Aug. 12 , meeting of the Culver City Democratic Club.
Mr. Silbiger, a candidate for the School Board in November and an officer of the Democratic Club, may be contacted at ksilbiger@juno.com
