BCHD Looking For Manhattan Beach Candidates To Fill Vacancy On Board

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Beach Cities Health District Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint a new community representative to fill the void left by Lenore Bloss' resignation from the Board in April.

The board voted last month in favor of a community application process rather than a costly special election. The appointed representative will serve until the next election cycle, scheduled for November 2018.

Residents of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach are eligible to apply for the open seat. The board will appoint a representative during a special meeting slated for June 13, 2017 at 5 p.m.

Bloss, who was elected in November 2016 to a four-year term after initially being appointed in 2015 to fill the vacancy created by the unexpected passing of Dr. Robert Grossman, stepped down from the board on April 26, 2017 due to health issues.

BCHD Board President Michelle Bholat said that holding a special election was seriously considered but the high cost – roughly $300,000 – ultimately tipped the scales in favor of a short-term appointment.

“As an organization we believe in and value due process, however, we couldn’t justify spending more than a quarter-million taxpayer dollars to hold a special election when there is a local election cycle coming up in 2018,” Bholat said. “It makes more sense to invest that money in community health programming and, instead, appoint a qualified Beach Cities resident to serve an abbreviated 18-month term.”

To qualify for the board position, applicants need to be registered California voters and residents of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach or Redondo Beach. Each candidate must submit a current resume or curriculum vitae as well as the completed BCHD committee application by no later than 12 p.m. on June 8, 2017.

The board hopes to have a large pool of applicants.

“We really value diversity and inclusiveness as an organization, so the selection will reflect those principles," Bholat said. "The ideal applicant should have deep roots in our community as well as a demonstrated commitment to improving health and representing public interests with integrity. My colleagues and I encourage all interested residents to apply.”

BCHD’s five-person board is the governing body for the preventive health agency – responsible for guiding its public health objectives, community programming and finances.

The application is available online at www.bchd.org/vacancy or by calling BCHD at (310) 374-3426.

Photo courtesy of BCHD