From Sewage to Safety: Mayor DiVirgilio Is Vital to HB

Mayor Michael DiVirgilio is a planner. He told our club on April 22 that he actually has a strategic plan with short-, long– and midterm (5-year) goals that involve our city’s sewage, public safety, bike traffic, sales and property tax revenues, and, perhaps most important, accountability on the part of City staff.

To make all of this happen, he says the most important first move was hiring our own Tom Bakaly as City Manager. “Tom brings a new level of sophistication to our city,” the mayor said. “We’ve already implemented specific programs for training and inspiring our staff, all thanks to Tom’s experience with other cities.”

The mayor was quick to note that the previous city manager had been saddled with spending 20-40% of his time on the McPherson lawsuit. “Now that it’s settled, we can address vital concerns like economic development, a bike plan and our sustainability initiatives.”

For more information on the strategic plan, visit the city web- site at www.hermosabeach.org