A Shake-up on Rancho Palos Verdes Council

The makeup of city government in Rancho Palos Verdes is now nearly unrecognizable after three new members took their seats on the City Council Tuesday night, marking the end of the outgoing group's longtime service and the beginning of new leadership in the city.

A packed council chamber at was full of outgoing and incoming members' family and friends there to show support for new council members Susan Brooks, Jerry Duhovic and Jim Knight, in addition to outgoing Mayor Tom Long and members Doug Stern and Stefan Wolowicz, who are termed out.

The new council also took on a first item of business Tuesday night and named Anthony Misetich as mayor and Brian Campbell as mayor pro tem.

"We've left the city better off," Long said, echoing his colleagues' remarks that it had been an honor to serve the city.

Wolowicz and Long were first elected to the council in 2003, while Stern was elected in 1999. All three outgoing council members remarked on accomplishments in past years such as controversial , the preservation of the city's open spaces, fiscal responsibility and infrastructure renewal.

"I have not taken this task lightly. I attempt to always do what is right for our community," Wolowicz said, adding the group didn't always agree. "We do ... represent strong and sometimes differing opinions."

Long said it will be nice to transition into a new role in the community.

"It will be fun to be in the role of constituent," he said.

And, repeating much of the same sentiment regarding a "culture of mediocrity" in Rancho Palos Verdes voiced at a , Long questioned whether the city was meeting its full potential.

"There's still plenty of room for improvement," he said.

The council's newest faces aren't entirely new to the city, however, with former councilwoman, mayor and congressional candidate Brooks, finance advisory committee member Duhovic and planning commissioner Knight taking seats.

Duhovic and Knight said they looked forward to representing residents of Rancho Palos Verdes.

And though she's served on the council in the past, Brooks said things won't be the same this time around.

"It's very different now," she said, her election marking the first time a woman will sit on the council in eight years. "I have a different approach to addressing issues at this point."

Misetich said the council will focus on improving the city's finances and on finding additional funding for the , where serious erosion has potential to cause irreparable damage to the area.

"We're in good shape going forward," Campbell said.