Council Names Two to Public Works Commission, Unseating Incumbent Dunbabin

The Hermosa Beach City Council appointed Erin Bender and Nate Flory to the five-member Public Works Commission, filling two open seats from a field of 14 applicants and declining to reappoint long-serving commissioner and former mayor Kathy Dunbabin.

The Council interviewed candidates at an adjourned afternoon meeting on June 9 before voting that evening. Councilmembers repeatedly noted the strength of the field of 14 final applicants, with one observing it had been years since so many residents sought a single commission's seats. The Council took the two seats one at a time.

Bender, a senior environmental scientist with the State Water Resources Control Board's Division of Water Rights, won the first seat on a 4-1 vote. A 17-year resident who has worked on sea level rise vulnerability assessments and coastal hazard mapping, Bender told the Council the commission's most pressing issue is the Public Works Department's capacity, noting that staff are already committed for two years overseeing existing capital projects while major infrastructure work looms unfunded. She called for the commission to meet monthly and to adopt a structured decision-making matrix to keep project recommendations transparent and defensible.

The second seat produced the closest commission vote Council members said they had seen in years. Five applicants were nominated: land use attorney Edward Casey, Dunbabin, healthcare technology executive Nate Flory, nonprofit director Beckett Navarrette, and retired executive David Toomey. Over three rounds of balloting, the field narrowed to Flory and Navarrette, who tied before Flory prevailed 3-2 in a runoff. Mayor Mike Detoy, Saemann, and Councilmember Ray Jackson backed Flory; Councilmember Dean Francois and Mayor Pro Tem Michael Keegan supported Navarrette.

Flory, a national strategic account director for a healthcare AI company and a 22-year resident, is active in Hermosa Beach Little League, Neighborhood Watch, and youth athletics. In his interview he described the commission as a bridge between city staff, the Council, and residents, citing capital projects his own neighbors had never heard of and pointing to a roughly $30,000 net installed at Clark Field that he said reflected poor coordination between departments.

The decision turned on Dunbabin, the commission's current chair, who served on the City Council that created the Public Works Commission and is a former mayor. In her interview she said she hoped to see the City Yard and pier projects through and renewed a long-stalled effort to write a manual defining the commission's role. Saemann nominated her for reappointment and argued she was the most qualified applicant, pointing to her institutional knowledge and years of service. "There are very few resumes as impressive as hers," Councilmember Jackson said, while explaining his decision to support a newcomer instead. Dunbabin advanced through the first two rounds of voting before being eliminated ahead of the final runoff. The Council moved to recognize Dunbabin's service at a future meeting.

The Public Works Commission reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council on all capital improvement program projects, assists in developing design guidelines for public improvements, and addresses other matters referred by the Council. Members serve staggered four-year terms and must be qualified electors of the city.

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