Mayor Sharon Kalani Morning Meeting at Torrance Bakery (Full Videos)

 

Mayor Kalani wouldn't provide specifics about how she would bring in more police officers. She stated during the campaign that the previous mayor had failed to bring in more police officers. I wanted to know what specifically the previous mayor had failed to do, and she wouldn't speak to that.

On a positive note, she announced her opposition to red light camera ticketing and all the other schemes.

Big win! This is great, and I sense that this whole scheme is going to crash and burn. Don't let this issue slip by!

She provided everyone an opportunity to introduce themselves. Some of the people attending the meeting were city commissioners. I think that more residents should be attending. With all due respect, I think that commissioners attending is not the most representative for the city.

This was a bigger discussion, for sure. The deadline for filling councilwoman-turned-mayor Kalani's seat on the council was today at 5:00pm.

The city council will appoint the next councilmember on August 25th, 2026.

I brought up that the city needs to change the charter and the process so that the voters get to choose the next city councilmember. It's unfair for the city council to make the first choice and set up the successor with an election advantage on the council.

Either we allow a special election to fill the seat, or we should change the policy so that whoever is appointed cannot run for election for a full term. I am open to other suggestions, but this is wrong.

I recall in 2014 how local leaders were hoping to put Ray Uchima in the seat. They had had numerous discussions behind the scenes to make this happen. It was really dirty. Ultimately, the city council appointed Mike Griffiths to fill the seat vacated by newly elected Pat Furey as mayor.

I am glad that Sharon wants to change this process, too, but we need to organize the elections so that the successor election will take place in November after the city elections in March. Those are my thoughts. Another lady at the meeting agreed with me that we should figure something out.

Homeless issues came up. If anyone wants to challenge the points made, I am listening. For my part, I am glad to see far fewer homeless people wandering and loitering about. There are still issues here and there, but it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. Commissioners at this meeting also shared that the homeless moving into tiny housing have gotten care and training so that they move into housing and off the streets.

It costs less to replace sidewalk pieces than to clean them. Who knew? Is there another way to fix these issues?

Another resident asked why the city is taking control of all of Hawthorne Blvd. This is a big issue, but at least the city will have more say on how to run and clean and reorder the whole thoroughfare.

I have not been following the Hawthorne Metro takeover as closely as other issues, but the LA Metro Board has voted to shove this project onto our city, and there's nothing we can do about it ... so far.

There have been so many legal and political delays, however, that we may never (have to) see any Metro trains coming down Hawthorne Blvd. That works for me!