Lisa Landau and Nathan Steele were sworn in as the newest members of the City Council after the old council officially declared the winners of the runoff elections in Districts Three and Five.
After the ceremonies and comments were over, the new City Council elected District Two Councilman Tom Moore to serve as mayor for 2023. Councilwoman Schelly Sustarsic will serve as mayor pro tem.
New council members sworn
State Sen. Janet Nguyen administered the oath of office to District Three Councilwoman Lisa Landau.
City Clerk Gloria Harper administered the oath to District Five Councilman Nathan Steele.
District One Councilman Joe Kalmick, in his final act as mayor, asked termed out council members Sandra Massa-Lavitt and Mike Varipapa to step down.
Steele and Landau took their respective seats.
Councilwoman Landau started by thanking God. “Through Him, all things are possible,” she said.
She thanked her friend Sen. Nguyen for swearing her in. She thanked her son Cody. She thanked her entire campaign team, including the social media team and the volunteers who went door-to-door. “Each of you moved us on to victory,” Landau said.
Councilman Steele said he was a believer in Jesus Christ and he was there because he was following Him. “He brought me here; I am nothing without Him,” Steele said.
He said the theme verse for his campaign was Philippians 2:3 and 4.
He then thanked members of his team.
“It’s humbling to see so many people work so hard to get you into office,” Steele said.
He said he told the city manager that he was done with politics. He said his wife reminded him he wasn’t.
Election certified
Before the new council members were sworn in, the council certified the election.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters certified the results on Feb. 16.
The new council members were sworn in toward the end of a lengthy council meeting. (More than an hour was devoted to presentations honoring termed-out council members Massa-Lavitt and Varipapa, and City Attorney Craig Steele, who according to Councilman Kalmick is moving to San Luis Obispo to enjoy semi-retirement.)
“The City of Seal Beach City Council Districts Three and Five Municipal Run-Off Election was conducted by an all mailed ballot on January 31, 2023 – canvass and certification of election by the County of Orange was completed on February 16, 2023,” wrote City Clerk Gloria Harper in her staff report.
“District Three had an overall voter turnout of 58.6%; and District Five had an overall voter Turnout of 58.3%,” Harper wrote.
“The estimated cost of $60,000 for conducting the Run-Off Election is included in the FY 2022/2023 Budget for Elections,” Harper wrote.
Council reorganizes
Once the new council members were sworn in, it was time for the annual council reorganization. This was the last item on the agenda
That’s when the council members elect a mayor and mayor pro tem for the coming year. (Well, remainder of the year as the runoff election in Districts Three and Five delayed the reorganization.)
City Clerk Harper called for nominations.
Steele nominated District Two Councilman Tom Moore.
No one else was nominated. The vote was unanimous. Moore won.
Moore nominated District Four Councilwoman Schelly Sustarsic.
Again, no one else was nominated. Again, the vote was unanimous in favour of Sustarsic.
The council members thanked Kalmick for his service as mayor.
Presentations for
departing officials
The roughly two-hour-and-20-minute council meeting began with presentations for three departing city officials: City Attorney Craig Steele and council members Masa-Lavitt and Sustarsic. The presentation included certificates and proclamations from state senators Nguyen and Tom Umberg, Rep. Katie Porter, the Los Alamitos Unified School District, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, the Orange County Water Board (represented by Councilwoman Sustarsic), and the California League of Cities. Each council member received a small airplane in a small white bag from a Boeing representative.
Massa-Lavitt, Steele, and Varipapa each received a Seal Beach tile. The presentations included a video tribute to Massa-Lavitt and Varipapa.
Varipapa said his wife would have a lot of new decorations on the wall. He said he enjoyed his eight years on the council.
Each departing council member was offered a chance to say something about the other.
Massa-Lavitt gave her farewell address. Massa-Lavitt, a former urban planner, said she thought she knew a lot about government but not as much as city staff. She encouraged anyone who was thinking about it to run for office.
“I appreciate your thoughts and it’s time to say goodbye,” Massa-Lavitt said.
Kalmick said she was supposed to say something about Varippa.
Massa-Lavitt said: “Never mind.” She then asked if anyone remembered Roseanne Roseannadanna, referring to a classic “Saturday Night Live” character portrayed by Gilda Radner.
Massa-Lavitt said one of the things she loved about Varipapa was that he was so welcoming.
Varipapa told Massa-Lavitt: “I really appreciate the fact that you’re a straight-shooter.”
The council recessed for a reception for Massa-Lavitt and Varipapa.
As for City Attorney Steele, according to Kalmick, Steele will be going to San Luis Obispo to enjoy semi-retirement.
In his final city attorney’s report, Steele had nothing to report.
