Those in attendance at the March 22 Signal Hill City Council meeting applaud the selection of the new mayor, Lori Woods. ” captionposition=”center”] [aesop_image imgwidth=”350px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-2.29.16-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”During the March 22 Signal Hill City Council meeting, new Mayor Lori Woods (left) commends Larry Forester (right) for his tenure as mayor in the previous 12 months.” captionposition=”left”] It was with a spirit of supportiveness and appreciation that the Signal Hill City Council and a full house of community members in council chambers Tuesday night celebrated the end of outgoing Mayor Larry Forester’s most recent term in office. Forester will now resume his seat as a councilmember, as others on the council assume the positions of mayor and vice mayor, as part of a rotation of service that has been customary for decades in Signal Hill. The focus of the regularly scheduled city council meeting was placed less on the usual business matters and more on Forester’s service in the last year and welcoming Lori Woods as the new mayor.
That tone of support carried over from commendations of Forester to helping Woods navigate through helming her first council meeting as mayor. It was a challenging one, characterized by some confusion among the council members and city staff as to what the procedures are for nominating, closing nominations for and selecting the next mayor and vice mayor, but between them, unanimous decisions were reached to choose Woods as mayor and councilmember Tina Hansen as vice mayor.
Shortly thereafter, Hansen explained to those in attendance that the State has recently changed its expectations of the parliamentary procedure that city officials are to use in city council meetings and that, consequently, the council is undergoing an adjustment period as they figure out the new approach.
Before that nomination and selection process had begun, City Manager Charlie Honeycutt summarized how the procedure would occur.
“This is your annual meeting where the city council reorganizes by selecting a new mayor and vice mayor. The city clerk will preside over the selection of the mayor,” Honeycutt explained. “Council members can nominate any member from the city council, and no second is needed for that nomination.
After nominations are closed, the city clerk will conduct a roll-call vote and then declare the results of the vote. The new mayor will then preside over the selection of a vice mayor, using the same process to select a mayor.”
Thus, Tuesday became the first day of Woods’s first term as the city’s primary leader. The newest member of the city council, Woods was elected on March 5, 2013 and has served as vice mayor in the last year. She and her husband, Lance, have four children, all of whom were present during Tuesday’s meeting, along with other family members.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”350px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-2.29.37-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”After literally giving up his seat at the center of the dais, outgoing Mayor Larry Forester (center) switches out his name placard with that of new Mayor Lori Woods.” captionposition=”left”] After Forester literally gave up his seat at the center of the dais, he walked to the front of it and switched out his name placard with Woods’s.
Woods then approached the lectern, where she presented the outgoing mayor with proclamations and introduced others who recognized his service, not only for the previous year, but for decades.
“Mayor Forester has had a very busy year, and he is to be really appreciated and acknowledged for that,” Woods said. “Not only did he have his own personal health challenges this past year, he kept a busier schedule than most mayors do.”
In presenting Forester with a proclamation from the City, Woods acknowledged some of his achievements as mayor, including: helping to reduce water usage by 21 percent; leading efforts to secure $11 million to construct a regional stormwater quality facility and the widening of Cherry Avenue to address congestion along that street. The proclamation Woods presented to Forester also commended his contributions to local business improvements, including the opening of a new BMW showroom and service center, the success of shopping centers and the opening of new restaurants.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”350px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-2.29.52-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Pastor James Kaddis (left) of Calvary Chapel Signal Hill thanks Larry Forester for his support of the church and gives him an engraved Bible during the March 22 Signal Hill City Council meeting.” captionposition=”left”] The award also acknowledges Forester’s service as chair of the housing authority, through which 72 units of workforce housing are under construction to provide homes for working-class and disadvantaged families.
Woods presented other commendations to Forester, on behalf of U.S. Rep Alan Lowenthal, the City of Long Beach and 1st District City Councilmember Lena Gonzalez.
A representative from 33rd District State Sen. Ricardo Lara’s office then presented Forester with an award in recognition of his fourth term as mayor.
Connie Sziebl, field deputy from L.A. County 4th District Supervisor Don Knabe’s office, then spoke about Forester, as well as other council members, and shared memories of the decades she has known them. She drew laughs from the audience when she recounted that when she first met Forester and Councilmember Michael Noll, she was intimidated by them. She shared that, during one event aboard the Queen Mary, she hid behind pillars to avoid them.
“I would kind of go around [the pillars], hoping they wouldn’t see me,” Sziebl said. “But it’s because of their intense advocacy on behalf of all of you. That’s what it is. They have been incredible advocates.”
Fire Station 60 staff then approached the podium, where Battalion chief Tim Fordham thanked Forester.
“On behalf of Los Angeles County Fire Department, the men and women, we would just like to thank you for your last term of service and all the city council members,” Fordham told Forester. “One of our core values is hometown attentiveness, and due to your leadership, and the leadership of the people on the council, we really feel that we’re part of your city and that we’re at home here.”
Pastor James Kaddis of Calvary Chapel Signal Hill was then given the floor, and he said Forester has a very special place in his heart and the heart of his church. Kaddis commended Forester for his support of the church when they had outgrown the space they were using at Burroughs Elementary School and were ready to find a more permanent home.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”350px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-2.29.44-PM.png” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”Connie Sziebl (left), field deputy from L.A. County 4th District Supervisor Don Knabe’s office, shares memories she has of her experiences getting to know Larry Forester (right).” captionposition=”right”] “We came and approached this City— the Planning Department specifically— about being able to get the necessary permits to be in another building so that we could gather together as a church,” Kaddis said. “And, as we met with the Planning Department head— he was wonderful, very open, very kind— [Forester] walked in— I think he knew about it, I have a hunch— and, basically, from beginning to end, gave us his unyielding support. I mean complete and total support. He pushed everything through for us. He was there for us.”
Kaddis said the congregation has grown much since then, and he presented Forester with an engraved Bible.
Other community members who spoke in recognition of Forester’s tenure as mayor were 2007 Signal Hill Outstanding Older Americans Chan Brainard and Gil Griego, former Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce President Terry Rogers and LGBTQ Center Long Beach President and Board Chairperson LaDawn Best.
At the end of the meeting, Woods asked Forester if he would like to share comments, and he accepted the invitation to do so.
“I’ve had 18 years on city council— four times as mayor,” he said. “Each one has been a challenge, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. But again, if it wasn’t for the citizens of Signal Hill electing me for my fifth term, for the council choosing me as mayor, for the staff…nothing would be accomplished. We could set all the goals in the world, but we need you. For the city attorney, your counsel has been invaluable.”
Forester listed a number of accomplishments from the previous year and thanked several individuals, including: 70th District Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, for his help in working with the Department of Finance to secure funding for the new library; and the late Ellen Ward, who had served on the city council and as mayor, for starting the Mayor’s Clean-up.
He also thanked: residents for their efforts in helping to meet and reduce state water-reduction requirements; the Public Works Department for their work on the Cherry Avenue widening project, Well No. 9 treatment and the stormwater urban runoff infiltration project; Caltrans for $11 million; city staff for their work to attain those Caltrans funds; the Community Development Department for their numerous projects; the city’s business community; and the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce.
“As Michael Noll would say, Signal Hill is a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Forester said. “And we are truly the Little City That Could— and Did. And I’ve been told, ‘Oops… and Does.’ So, thank you so much.”
