Culver City Observer -

By Lynne Bronstein

Observer Reporter

With a light late summer agenda, the City Council’s August 24 meeting took care of some less noticed but still essential matters by filling appointments to two city boards.

The Council appointed two at-large members to the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board and a Culver City representative to the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County West Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Control Unit.

The two Members-At-Large are Olga Vaysberg and Reverend Leonardo Wilborn. The West Vector appointee is Jay Garacochea.

A Member-At-Large of the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board must be a resident of Culver City and must neither be a tenant nor hold any ownership interest in any residential-income producing property in Culver City.

The city had received emails from seven applicants indicating their interest in the Landlord-Tenant board position. Vaysberg had originally applied for a Landlord position but her status was changed after she notified the city in July that she was no longer a rental property manager.

Reverend Wilborn was present at the meeting but had not submitted a speaker card to campaign for the position. He was asked by the council if he wanted to speak and he replied that he had just wanted to show up and hear what was going on.

However, the council persuaded him to speak and he finally came up to the podium. Modestly, he admitted that he was simply “ready, willing, and able to do what must be done.”

Reverend Wilborn had served previously on the Landlord-Tenant Board for three years, “and then I took a vacation,” he explained.

Another applicant, Amy Cherness, also spoke for herself, citing her experience as a negotiator in hospital work and her participation in the Farragut School PTA and the Culver City Democratic Club.

As the council members voted (verbally) it became clear that while Cherness had some votes, Vaysberg and Wilborn were the leaders.

Vaysberg will serve a term ending June 30, 2017. Wilborn will serve a term ending June 30, 2018.

The West Vector Board appointment proved a bit problematic for some council members as one of the applicants, Laurence Hadjas, was not present and had not “reached out” to the council. The other applicant, Jay Garacochea, was present and spoke briefly about his qualifications.

Garacochea received the appointment for a term ending December 31, 2016.

Mayor Mehaul O’ Leary advised that future applicants “reach out to us” and make themselves known to the council rather than simply submitting applications and waiting for a vote.

In fact, the council thanked Reverend Wilborn for appearing and “showing enthusiasm” for the position he had applied for.

In other actions, the council approved an ordinance granting a franchise to Crimson California Pipeline L.P. for the operation of existing pipelines located in the public rights-of-way for transportation of oil and other products. The motion passed as written and will return in two weeks for second reading and adoption.