by Garth Meyer
Five candidates vie for mayor of Redondo Beach in the March 4 election: the current appointed mayor, an eight-year city councilman, a former three-year councilman, a former arts commissioner, and the founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful”.
Mayor Jim Light was appointed last February, in a 3-2 vote, to complete the term of the late Bill Brand, Light’s close friend and longtime political compatriot. He took the oath of office through fissures of emotion. In the process to confirm Light, that evening he was asked by councilmembers if he would promise not to run for election.
He gave his word that he would not.
Why did it change?
“The day after I was sworn in, I started to learn things. So many things were piling up, it’s a critical time in the city,” Light said. “With my experience with project management, budgets, I was able to break things loose. I was surprised at how applicable it was. And I don’t see a mayoral candidate with the time or the background and experience to do what I’m doing at city hall to accelerate projects and keep things on track.”
Did he feel blindsided by the questions that night?
“I did feel a little badgered. I was still grieving my friend. I won’t use that as an excuse, I knew what I was saying and I meant it. But once I got my nose in the tent, there were things I could not have known being outside city hall.”
Eight-year city councilman Nils Nehrenheim supported Light’s appointment.
A longtime L.A. County Lifeguard, Nehrenheim now runs against Light, seeking to take the next step to lead the city.
Redondo Beach has two-term limits for both city council and the mayor’s seat.
Light previously ran for city council in District One in 2005 and 2013, losing to Steve Aspel, then Jeff Ginsburg.
Ginsburg, now running for mayor also, served on the council from 2013 – 2016, when he bowed out citing family reasons, wanting to be more available to his wife and ailing father-in-law.
Mayoral candidate Georgette Gantner served on the Public Arts Commission for two terms, and candidate Joan Irvine, founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful,” has long advocated for the city’s plan to open two retail cannabis stores.
The two city councilmembers who voted against the appointment of Light – Paige Kaluderovic and Scott Behrendt – now endorse his candidacy.
“I did not think Jim Light to be a unifying, positive force for north and south Redondo Beach,” Behrendt said. “Fast forward one year and candidly, I’m humbled to say, I was wrong. He has shown himself to be a unifier, giving both north and south the attention they deserve.”
Light’s detractors say that, in his 20-plus years of activism to limit waterfront development before becoming mayor, he and others cost the city unnecessary litigation and missed opportunities that could have led to a torn-down and cleaned-up AES power plant already.
The March 4 election marks the debut of ranked-choice voting in Redondo Beach, for which residents may rank all five candidates, according to preference. If their top choice is eliminated in the counting, their second-choice then slides in to help decide a winner.
Below are the five mayoral candidates’ answers to the same Easy Reader questionnaire sent to each.
GEORGETTE GANTNER:
What is your background?
Education? Work? Previous offices held or service
on commissions, etc.?
I received a B.A. in Art at Long Beach State University. For 25 years, I owned a successful talent payroll business. I was a docent with South Bay Hands on Art for a decade, then chaired the program. I was a two-time Public Art Commissioner. Our Leadership Redondo group put together the 9-11 monument that sits in front of City Hall. I was president of the Redondo Beach Art Group and produced their annual event, “The Power of Art.” I really enjoy collaborating with people.
How long have you lived in Redondo Beach? What brought you to the city?
I moved here when there was a great change in my life, and I wanted to relocate near the beach, someplace that was affordable, and 45 years ago, that was still possible in Redondo Beach. After I was married, my husband built our home while we raised our children who attended Redondo Beach schools.
Who are your campaign
contributors?
Friends.
What led you to decide to run?
I was inspired to run when I discovered who was running. Redondo has been stuck in a rut for too long and I felt that it was time for a fresh start, time to work in a more cohesive way. In the past year, I’ve attended council meetings, have shared original ideas and feel I can contribute.
What would you like to do/
focus on if you are elected?
I would like to help guide and complete projects in a timely manner, maintaining good relationships with all parties. Redondo Beach has a lot to look forward to: the November election brought the passage of [Measure] FP, $93 million to build a new police facility, renovate the annex and both fire departments, and the city and Cultural Arts Commission have budgeted $450,000 for public art and overall beautification of the Artesia corridor between Aviation Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.
As an artist and former Public Art Commissioner, I will encourage cultural arts businesses, like art galleries and art instruction. Perhaps the city might consider funding a childrens’ choir or theater company? What about an art center? Of course,the AES property and Beach Cities Health District development need resolution.
What is the best city project
of the last 10 years?
What is the worst?
As far as brick and mortar projects, the reconstruction of the North Branch Library was extremely well- done. Since, other city projects haven’t happened because they were not successfully negotiated. So, for the last ten-plus years, Redondo Beach has remained developmentally stagnant.
However, the school district has allowed new construction on its properties with Kensington, and The Friendship Campus. Measure S will provide $273 million to renovate old buildings in Redondo Beach schools.
The worst city projects in Redondo Beach have been those that were blocked, those that have failed because of a lack of communication, lacking the spirit of cooperation. As mayor, I would like to think that I could do a better job, enabling our city to move forward in a positive way that benefits the community.
The community, not special interests, is what matters most.
JEFF GINSBURG:
What is your background?
Education? Work? Previous offices held or service
on commissions, etc.?
In the early 1980s I went to SCROC (Southern California Regional Occupational Center) where I learned how to program computers (long before computers were popular); I got a great job as a programmer in Torrance, which eliminated my need to go to college since I had a better paying job than most people out of college! I then wrote a property management software program, which by doing so I learned how property management worked, so I then became more focused on property management, got my real estate broker’s license and opened my own property management company…
After I moved to Redondo Beach, I got on the Riviera Village Association (RVA). Since my company was in Riviera Village and the RVA worked with the city, I eventually attended the Leadership Redondo program, which got me very well-connected to city staff, etc., after which I then got onto the Public Works Commission, later followed by city councilmember for District One in 2013, all of which was a great experience.
How long have you lived
in Redondo Beach?
What brought you to the city?
I moved to Redondo Beach in 2007 after my wife of 10-plus years up in Palos Verdes wanted a divorce, and since my office was in Redondo Beach, I decided to get an apartment just a few minutes walk from my office; it was then I learned how awesome it was to live in Redondo Beach with the beach/restaurants/work just a short walk from where I lived, and the people I met along the way were so friendly too!
Who are your campaign contributors?
So far the only funds deposited into my campaign account are from myself; I have a friend who donated $500 via the website, but PayPal isn’t connecting correctly to the campaign account, so that’s something I will work on when I have some time; my focus has been knocking on doors.
What led you to decide to run?
I had a lot of people request I run for mayor so that is what got me to decide to do it.
What would you like to do/focus on if you are elected?
I feel like Redondo Beach is the best city out there, so my focus is to keep it the best city.
What is the best city project
of the last 10 years?
What is the worst?
One of the nicest projects was the new pavers along the Esplanade as the very-wide sidewalk attracts a lot of people to walk along the Esplanade; also the city is very dog-friendly, and from back in 2012 when I was knocking on doors to run for city council, I learned that about 80% of Redondo Beach residents in District One have dogs, so we also focused on adding pet dog stations along the Esplanade to make it easy for residents to pick-up after their pets, and then also “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful”, non-profit group got formed which has also focused on the Esplanade…
In addition, the Art Group added some mosaic art on the bollards so if you walk along the sidewalk you’ll get to see these nice things in addition to the view of the ocean. Just FYI, I focus on positivity so won’t be able to provide a “worst” scenario.
JOAN IRVINE:
What is your background?
Education? Work? Previous offices held or service
on commissions, etc.?
I’m a graduate of the University of Kansas. Over my 50-year career I’ve gained experience and the knowledge to help me serve Redondo. I was an early-adopter of technology as a programmer analyst at Bell Labs. I worked for national corporations in marketing, sales and client retention, at L’Oréal and Automatic Data Processing. I was CEO of international associations for 25 years whose mission was online safety and protection of children. I worked with Senate and Congressional staff, foundations, leading technology corporations and non-profits – all focused on online safety and security.
At both the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection and the International Foundation for Online Responsibility, I in addition spearheaded the development and monitoring of policies and award-winning technology.
Since then, I’ve been working as a marketing consultant focused on senior health and services.
I was selected as a public representative for No Way Measure A – for the protection of property rights for AES, and supported Measure B that would have allowed for mixed-use development of its property. More detail – https://www.linkedin.com/in/
How long have you lived
in Redondo Beach? What brought you to the city?
I moved to Redondo in 2007 because I wanted to live in a safe and beautiful beach community. Since I traveled 30-60% of the time for work, I wanted to live where I could be involved in its responsible growth. I visited the Esplanade at sunset – it was enough to nudge me to make the move.
Who are your campaign
contributors?
Current campaign contributors are local community, friends and family.
What led you to decide to run?
I’ve been involved in the community since participating in Leadership Redondo Class of 2008 and founded “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful.” With my commitment to Redondo, I’m an active participant in city council meetings and other community organizations. In the last 10 years, I’ve seen Redondo’s economic and infrastructure decline and felt obligated to be more involved.
I got so frustrated with the disrespectful behavior of certain city councilmembers toward residents during meetings that I knew I needed to step up to bring civility and common sense back to the governing.
What would you like to do/
focus on if you are elected?
Economic development: I’m committed to a more business-friendly Redondo Beach that balances economic growth and jobs to ease the tax burden on homeowners (and renters) while keeping the small-town beach vibes.
To name a few areas, South Bay Social District (Galleria) – once the largest contributor to Redondo’s revenue, the city government has delayed important revitalization of this project; Artesia Blvd. – for decades, the city government has not taken substantive action to develop a solid plan establishing Artesia as a community hub for shopping and entertainment; AES – lack of due diligence by the city council on decisions regarding AES has resulted in expensive lawsuits and continuous deterioration of the site. We need to take pragmatic steps before it is a bigger blight on our community; Redondo Pier – to reduce vacancies and increase revenue for the city, the Pier requires more than expensive cosmetic repairs to draw more residents and visitors; Waterfront – council leadership and strong direction are needed to coordinate the relevant agencies involved to create both an attraction and revenue-generator waterfront.
Government Efficiency: unfortunately, Redondo Beach city council has a reputation in the South Bay for inefficiency, lack of clear democratic procedures, poor contractual agreements, and Brown Act violations which have led to numerous costly lawsuits for the city. My leadership will provide more pragmatic and orderly meetings that not only follow regulations but reduce unnecessary litigation.
My mission is to increase efficiency and make some progress; lack of council member management experience limits wise action; disregard for the knowledge and recommendations of city staff creates delays; in-fighting between ‘reasonable growth’ vs ‘no-growth,’ city council factions undermine any practical decision-making.
Community Safety and Protection: I support maintaining Redondo’s fire department and of course our own police department – so important to our residents’ peace of mind.
I voted for Measure FP to fund the renovation of their facilities. We need continued support for their community outreach programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Volunteer in Policing, and Quality of Life programs.
Happy and Sustainable Living: I’m committed to Redondo as an ideal place to live for residents of all ages. I am committed to the principles of maintaining our Blue Zone City as a healthy community and to continued support for senior and recreation centers.
What is the best city project
of the last 10 years?
What is the worst?
Best: there are a few good projects – the BeachLife Festival, Kensington Senior Living facility, bike routes and Pallet Shelter.
Fortunately, city resources have been supplemented by resident groups and nonprofits: Leadership Redondo, Keep the Esplanade Beautiful, South Bay Parkland Conservancy, North Redondo Beach Business Association, Riviera Village Association, Redondo Beach Chamber, Parsons Public Art Foundation, Friends of Redondo Beach Art.
Worst: unfortunately, the city council’s delaying tactics and costly inaction have resulted in wasted opportunities: AES, waterfront development, Artesia Blvd., South Bay Social District (Galleria), Redondo Beach Pier revitalization.
JIM LIGHT:
What led you to decide to run?
Short answer: I am running for mayor because I care so much about our city and our quality of life.
I chose to live in Redondo Beach when the Air Force stationed me at L.A. Air Force Base in 1989. I fell in love with the community and left the Air Force so I could stay here. Since then, I have been fighting for the quality of life of the residents and character of this city for 24 years – from “Heart of the City” in 2000 to Measure C and harbor revitalization. We have turned the corner from two decades of stagnation and are gaining positive momentum across the city on more projects and issues than the city has ever tackled.
After my appointment as Mayor I have been in City Hall nearly every single day. I was surprised to find my education and experience were valuable in helping staff, breaking loose project logjams, and accelerating critical projects. And being retired from my professional career means I can dedicate the time needed to continue this trajectory. After fighting for our quality of life for 24 years, I just could not just walk away at this critical time when I can contribute so much.
Another contributing factor to my decision was the encouragement across the community. The two councilmembers who voted against my appointment to mayor are now endorsing me. So is the councilmember who questioned if I would run for mayor during the hearing in which I was appointed. Despite being on opposite sides of legal battles, the city attorney encouraged me to run and has endorsed me. And there are many more. It became hard to say no to all those asking me to run.
What would you like to do/focus on if you are elected?
First, I would continue to prioritize and balance resident quality of life against other interests across all of the city.
Second, I would continue and build the momentum of revitalization across the city without overdevelopment. This would include revitalization of our city-owned parks and infrastructure and the expedient execution of the Measure FP bond for our public safety facilities [a new police station and two new fire stations].
It would also focus on economic revitalization of our business districts across the city. I will work with the city manager to focus on economic development across the city as it is required for fiscal sustainability. I have already worked up a strategy with the city manager to build up city staff capacity and expertise in acquisition, contracting and project management.
Third, I would focus on maintaining and improving public safety. This would include replacing and refurbishing public safety facilities and infrastructure through Measure FP and state and federal grants; prioritizing student safety such as crosswalk guards and campus protection and security; enhancing our award-winning homeless program; addressing evolving challenges such as e-bike safety, neighborhood cut-through traffic, and the proliferation of smoke shops and other undesirable businesses.
Fourth, I would ensure the city is prepared to respond quickly, proactively, and assertively to whatever happens in the bankruptcy proceedings at the AES site. I would work to maximize wetlands and public parkland on the site. I would also focus on eliminating the high power lines along 190th Street.
Fifth, I would focus on county, state, and federal opportunities and protections. I would work outside our city to influence grants for our projects. And I will continue to pursue the state bill I have drafted and other strategies that would protect our local control of zoning and project approvals.
Sixth, I would focus on partnering with other government organizations, businesses and non-profits to act as a force-multiplier in improving quality of life, and preserve the character of our town.
Seventh, I will strive to ensure unity and mutual respect on the council and across the community. By truly hearing those with different perspectives we can often achieve a better outcome than if those perspectives were simply silenced or rejected.
This is a big list of commitments. But as a retiree, I have the time to address each of these platform items. And my education and professional experience enable me to be a heavy-lifter in bringing these objectives to reality, rather than simply tasking staff and adding to their overflowing workloads.
My platform is much more detailed. Please visit www.jimlightformayor.com for my detailed platform.
How long have you lived
in Redondo Beach? What brought you to the city?
I first moved to the city in 1989 when the Air Force stationed me at LA AFB in El Segundo. I chose to live in Redondo Beach because of its unique seaside village character, beautiful beach, and iconic small harbor. I loved it here so much, I got out of the Air Force and stayed.
What is your background?
Education? Work? Previous offices held or service
on commissions, etc.?
Education: I have a degree in aerospace engineering and a masters in business administration (MBA) specializing in leadership and strategy. Since retiring, I have also become a certified California Naturalist.
Background and work and why they matter: I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. After high school, I applied for and won an Air Force ROTC scholarship at Penn State for a degree in aerospace engineering. After graduation, I served as an officer in the Air Force and worked space programs for most of the 13 years I served. And after I got out of the Air Force, I worked in the aerospace industry for another 27 years until my retirement three years ago.
I worked projects from the Space Shuttle, to space communications systems, to a variety of space launch systems, to building launch pads and related facilities, to keeping satellite and launch-related facilities and services up and running. In the Air Force I moved up from systems engineer, to project engineer, to commander. And in the aerospace industry, I worked my way from program director to executive leadership and board membership in several start-up companies.
An example of my success: I developed and executed the strategy for one company to grow from startup to over 400 people.
My education and experience in the Air Force and aerospace industry provide foundational experience and expertise for my role as mayor. My education and 40 years of professional experience allow me to understand both the technical and administrative aspects of city projects and efforts. I have deep experience in leadership, strategy, government budget management, acquisition, and contract/project management of large government contracts as an Air Force officer and as a government contractor. I have 40 years of experience with setting and executing successful vision, strategy, and execution at levels from a system engineering level, to project level, and to executive and board level. And over those 40 years, I have demonstrated proven success in effective leadership and delivering results.
Local Community Service: In 1994, I started on the executive committee for the local South Bay Surfrider Foundation chapter. This is where I first met Bill Brand, and we grew to be best friends. In 2004, when Bill started South Bay Parkland Conservancy (SBPC), he asked me to be on the founding board of directors. I have been on the board ever since and served as president twice. I am very proud of the impact SBPC has had on our community in its 20 years – expanding habitat for the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly, reestablishing native plants at Wilderness Park, and building Redondo’s first Community Garden.
These projects have engaged literally thousands of Redondo residents, many of them kids from our local schools. In 2005, we needed a non-profit to tackle overdevelopment issues in the town. So, I formed Building A Better Redondo (BBR), a 501-C4 non-profit, that was needed for efforts such as Measure DD, Measure A, and Measure C. And we won on two of those initiatives: Measures DD and C.
Service on City Committees and Commissions: In 2008 and 2009, I was appointed to Mayor Mike Gin’s Citizens’ Growth Management and Traffic Committee. In 2016, I was appointed to the Harbor Commission and served on the commission until I was appointed mayor. In parallel, I served on the General Plan Advisory Committee until it was finished in January 2024.
One thing I learned through the large committees is that when people with diverse perspectives on issues truly listen to one another, you can usually find common ground, and in some cases the outcome is better than what any faction would have proposed on their own.
On all these I used my education and professional experience to “get my hands dirty” by actually drafting entire documents or contributing significant portions of the documents – these documents include the Harbor Amenities Plan, redesign of Seaside Lagoon, and the Open Space and Conservation Element of our General Plan update.
As Mayor since February 20, 2024, I have made much more progress than I would have thought possible in just 10 months. I was able to drive the first unanimous approval of the city budget in over a decade. When a resident was threatened by a coyote, I found the city could not act without an approved Coyote Management Plan. So I consulted with state experts and drafted one.
I also authored the Wilderness Park Master Plan that is being used as a guide to prioritization of projects in the park. Mayor Brand had intended that after the Harbor Amenities Plan was finalized the city would create a Harbor Commercial Plan that would dovetail with the Amenities Plan. Rather than wait for an RFP, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and delay progress for two years, I drafted a Harbor Commercial Plan based on my 20 years of participation in the public processes in the harbor area.
This plan has been approved with recommendations by the Harbor Commission and will be coming to city council. When I asked where the city was with getting funding for an Education Center at the Joe’s Crabshack site, I found that all activity stalled once Mayor Brand’s health deteriorated. I identified that the Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) was interested in building their facility on a new site and started discussions between the City and MMCC on building their new $25 million facility in our harbor. Another task I tackled was filling commission vacancies on our commissions, which had been neglected as Mayor Brand’s health declined. There were so many vacancies, that rather than just refill them I worked with staff to develop a more efficient and effective construct for the commissions. The end result, unanimously approved by the council, was combining four commissions into one and eliminating or reassigning several boards. One final example, I was concerned that Mayor Brand’s statewide initiative to protect local control of zoning and project approvals had been stalled for several years with no end in sight. So, I briefed our state representatives on how the housing mandates were creating unsustainable fiscal impacts on housing-abundant cities such as Redondo.
They agreed to support a bill if I drafted it to exempt cities like Redondo from the housing mandates. That first draft has come back from the state legislator’s attorneys and I am starting final coordination with our state legislators and I am building an advocacy briefing to take to Sacramento and to the governor’s office.
I never expected to be doing so much when I accepted the mayoral appointment. It demonstrates that I am not just a talker or a tasker adding work to overburdened city staff, I am a doer. I will take on heavy- lifting, applying my education and years of applicable experience.
Who are your campaign
contributors?
Because I made the decision to run late, I have focused on my campaign and not fundraising. So I am largely self-funded. Once I had momentum in my campaign, I started focusing on fundraising. My contributors are from people across the community – residents, boaters, business leaders, friends, and those I have worked with in the community groups and projects I have worked through the years.
What is the best city project
of the last 10 years?
What is the worst?
The worst city project in the last 10 years was easily the failed CenterCal mall project. The project ignored residents, violated state law and our own zoning laws, will cost us well over $30 million that we will be paying on for decades to come, and wasted over a decade of time that could have been spent revitalizing our pier and harbor without overdeveloping it. The negative impacts continue to haunt us today.
From my perspective, the best city project in the past ten years is a four-way tie between the city’s homeless program, the Harbor Public Amenities Plan, the dining deck/sidewalk dining in Riviera Village, and the fight against the power plant. Each of these represent major contributions to the community in totally different ways.
NILS NEHRENHEIM:
What is your background?
Education? Work? Previous offices held or service
on commissions, etc.?
I was overwhelmingly elected to be a city councilmember in 2017, and again in 2021. My work in the community has been immense, working for the past 29 years as an L.A. County Lifeguard on our local beaches, with over 20 years as a Junior Lifeguard instructor. I’ve owned and operated a computer business for 25 years, providing web services to a variety of clients. I founded multiple community groups, which focused on our quality of life and produced development projects more in line with our community.
How long have you lived in Redondo Beach? What brought you to the city?
Born and raised in the South Bay, I moved to Redondo Beach in 2007. Working as a Lifeguard and a Junior Lifeguard instructor on our local beaches, I found the beauty of Redondo Beach. My love for the ocean, from my boating background, swimming, surfing, fishing, and beach lifestyle kept me living here and fighting to keep our beach town, a beach town.
Who are your campaign
contributors?
I do not take campaign contributions or endorsements from anyone who does business with the city such as leaseholders, labor groups, license holders or vendors. My campaign is powered by contributions from residents and businesses alike.
What led you to decide to run?
As a councilmember for the past eight years, I have been extremely successful at finding solutions for issues that we have faced. For instance, our pension debt was our fastest-rising cost year-over-year, threatening massive service cuts. By paying off our pension debt for a low-interest bond, we are saving over $100+ million over the bond’s life, preserving our quality of life. I led the implementation of online services, from paper forms, and full transparency in our yearly budget. For instance, we now have a line-item budget, which is created digitally. Many of these solutions came from ideas spurned from the relationships I have created and fostered with elected officials outside of the city.
These success stories give me the energy and motivation to do even more for our city. We can do big things and bring success to our city, and they have inspired me to be a leader of our awesome little beach town.
What would you like to do/
focus on if you are elected?
My focus will be on preparing us for the World Cup and Olympics and executing the many infrastructure projects that we have planned. Using the success that I have had in the Riviera Village as a model, I see significant opportunities for growth in our Harbor, Artesia Boulevard and PCH.
When I ran in 2017, I wanted to bring a startup mentality to the way our city was run. That mentality brought us online permitting, a new website, digital services, new vendors, and cutting expenses, resulting in record revenues and a record number of construction permits being issued.
What is the best city project
of the last 10 years? The worst?
The best city project has been the King Harbor Amenities Plan, which was completed in 2022. This Plan included a location for the boat ramp, which led to a unanimous city council approval, and a subsequent design/build contract.
This was a first in the history of Redondo Beach. This Plan also led to the utilization of the $10 million grant from the state to rebuild the Seaside Lagoon, which also had its planning process completed because of the King Harbor Amenities Plan. Lastly, the Plan called for the revitalization of the International Boardwalk, which had a major portion of the Plan completed this year with the new pavers on the boardwalk.
With hindsight being 20/20, we can look back and see that the harbor waterfront retail project cost the city millions of dollars, with no fruitful outcome. The project was ill-timed, with a supposed partner that resorted to costly legal warfare against this community. The outcome was something that this community has only recently healed from, with the Harbor only now producing near-record revenue for the city, with multiple public improvement projects coming online. ER