Special City Commission Meeting - May 28, 2025: Advisory Board Appointments and City Attorney Candidate Review
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Special City Commission Meeting - May 28, 2025: Advisory Board Appointments and City Attorney Candidate Review
On May 28, 2025, the Hollywood City Commission held a special meeting at City Hall (2600 Hollywood Blvd) from 6:10 PM to 9:39 PM to appoint members to numerous advisory boards and committees, and to discuss the process for selecting a new City Attorney. All appointments were made by unanimous votes except where noted due to recusals. Mayor Josh Levy presided with all seven commissioners present.
Civil Service Board (R-2025-160)
- Public comment: Mitch Anton described the board’s unique judicial role handling employee disputes.
- Appointments: Blake Parker (Private Sector – Personnel Administration), Dr. Jalane Meloun (Private Sector – Non-Management), David Bennett (Private Sector – Management), Mitchell Anton (Public Employer). Motion passed 7-0.
Employees’ Retirement Fund Board of Trustees (R-2025-161)
- Public comments from Gary Arenson, Jeff Greene, and Barbara Armand, each citing pension experience.
- Appointed: Barbara Armand and Jeffrey Greene. Motion passed 7-0.
Historic Preservation Board (R-2025-162)
- Public comments from Stephanie Bendoym, Diana Pittarelli, and William Treece.
- After roll call, appointed Diana Pittarelli as Real Estate Broker/Salesperson and Stephanie Bendoym as Alternate. Motion passed 7-0.
Planning and Development Board (R-2025-163)
- Public comments from Odalys Delgado, Joseph Stadlen, Michael Gold, and Christine Corbo.
- Appointments: Joseph Stadlen (Design Member), Odalys Delgado (Professional Member), Christine Corbo (Citizen at Large). Motion passed 7-0.
Hollywood Housing Authority Board of Commissioners (R-2025-164)
- Public comments from John Canter, Julie Howe, Octavia Mills, Erin Marvasti, Shoshana Hill, and Nicole Rowe.
- Appointed: Alberto Collazo (Housing Area Resident); Julie Howe, Sara Lavenka, Erin Marvasti, Octavia Mills (Citizens at Large). Motion passed 7-0.
Sister Cities Advisory Committee (R-2025-165)
- Commissioner Hernandez recused himself (wife an applicant) and left the meeting.
- Appointed: Christine Corbo and Jeisse Hernandez. Motion passed 6-0.
General Obligation Bond Oversight Advisory Committee (R-2025-166)
- Staff explained the board is near sunset and recommended reappointing current members to fill a short period.
- Appointed 12 members: Louis Birdman (architect), Nicholas Danu (engineer), Molly Taylor (sports/recreation), Clive Taylor (Chamber of Commerce), Lynn Smith (finance), Terrance Cantrell (District 1), Mitch Anton (District 2), Thomas Lander (District 3), Annette Smith (District 5), Richard Petrovich (District 6), Alex Recio (District 3 At Large), Chris Cantor (District 5). Motion passed 7-0.
Hispanic Affairs Council (R-2025-167)
- Commissioner Hernandez recused again; Council had five applicants for seven positions.
- Initially appointed Melina Almodovar, Jeisse Hernandez, Cristina Moinelo, Maribel Ruiz (motion passed 6-0). Later, on a separate motion, appointed Alejandra Palacios to a vacancy (passed 7-0).
Community Development Advisory Board (R-2025-168)
- Public comments from Suzanna Gregoire, Lucas Puls, Mitch Anton, Julie Howe, Robert Gooljar.
- Appointed members: Mitch Anton, Robert Gooljar, Suzanna Gregoire, Shoshana Hill, Julie Howe, Lucas Puls, John Strater; primary alternate Myrna Corbett Quiles; secondary alternate Odalys Delgado; ex-officio Maria Woodson. Motion passed 7-0.
African American Advisory Council (R-2025-169)
- Appointed all eight applicants: Suze Dormevil, Carmella Gardner, Cynthia Horat, Georgette Lasley, Marcus Moise, Deborah Reaves Deveaux, Nicole Rowe, Valorie Weldon. Motion passed 7-0.
Sustainability Advisory Committee (R-2025-170)
- Public comments from Lucas Puls and Liliana Pacelli.
- Appointments: Lucas Puls (business member), Liliana Pacelli, Adam Roberti, Peter Schecter (citywide members), Zachary Manasse (student member). Motion passed 7-0.
Education Advisory Committee (R-2025-171)
- No public speakers.
- Appointed teacher members Carlos Gonzalez Garrido and Marcus Moise; members Wanda Colon, Deborah Reaves Deveaux, Adam Roberti, Jacelyn Shiring, Tera Tedesco Faso, Valorie Weldon; student alternate David Liebowitz. Motion passed 7-0.
Artwork Selection Committee (R-2025-172)
- Public comments from Alexander Anapolsky, Robert Gooljar, Alejandra Palacios, Stephanie Bendoym.
- Appointed: Alexander Anapolsky, Stephanie Bendoym, Taurie Gittings, Robert Gooljar, Alejandra Palacios (members), plus an Art & Culture Center designee. Motion passed 7-0.
Marine Advisory Board (R-2025-173)
- Public comments from Richard Kniffin and Erin Marvasti (later withdrew).
- Appointed: Richard Kniffin (marine industry professional), Jon McMillian (Hollywood resident), Jay Kimmal, John McCarthy, Tera Tedesco Faso (members), Zachary Manasse (youth member). Motion passed 7-0.
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Advisory Board (R-2025-174)
- Public comments from Vic Leibofsky, Patricia Antrican (supporting Claire Garrett), Claire Garrett, Alexander Anapolsky, Andrea Smith, Michael Gomez.
- Commission voted to increase adult membership from 9 to 13.
- Appointed adult members: Alexander Anapolsky, Claire Garrett, Michael Gomez, Vic Leibofsky, Cristina Recio, Andrea Smith; youth member Zachary Manasse. Motion passed 7-0.
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (R-2025-175)
- Public comments from Chris Canter and Julie Howe.
- Appointed: Melissa DeOliveira Assis (actively engaged not-for-profit), Shoshana Hill (real estate professional), Maximiliano Ricca (Hollywood resident), Julie Howe (citizen representing employers), Chris Canter (essential services personnel), Nicole Rowe (advocate for low-income persons), Cynthia Horat (real estate professional alternate), Tera Tedesco Faso (Hollywood resident alternate). Motion passed 7-0.
Discussion: City Attorney Candidate Selection (D-2025-02)
- Commissioners discussed narrowing the field of eight applicants for City Attorney.
- It was agreed to conduct a group interview with semifinalists.
- Selected four semifinalists: Aleksandr Boksner, Douglas Harrison, Damaris Henlon, Angela Rosenberg. Motion passed 7-0. Next steps include scheduling a public interview session.
Meeting Transcript
All right. All right. Thank you, everyone. Welcome to City Hall here in the city of Hollywood. Today is Wednesday, May twenty eighth, twenty twenty five. We are here for a special city commission meeting, our annual meeting where we have the opportunity to appoint uh citizens to serve on our advisory boards. And so uh welcome to all of you. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Shoeham. Here. Commissioner Hernandez. Here. Commissioner Callary. Here. Commissioner Gruber? Here. Commissioner Biederman. Here. Mayor Levy. Here. All right. Thank you all. Uh again, thank you to everyone who is here to speak on uh on your request and uh application to be uh appointed to a advisory board, as we say, uh at these meetings each year. We have more applicants, and we're thankful to have more applicants than we do positions. Uh and it's a really difficult uh predicament that we're in oftentimes when there is only, for example, uh one uh o open uh opportunity for an appointment with multiple people who we know are more than qualified and are interested, uh, that are vying and are interested for that that one position. And so uh the commission has to, of course, uh, in the end, choose someone. Uh and sometimes it's uncomfortable, but uh, we do nonetheless appreciate everybody's application uh and your willingness and desire to offer yourselves to volunteer to be on a advisory board. Uh a hundred years of the city of Hollywood, and since day one, this city depended on uh ordinary citizens, as we all are, who volunteer their time uh for the betterment of the city. And so all of you share that spirit of volunteers going a hundred years back. And so I just thank you for your willingness and for being here today. Uh, we're gonna go forward with uh the agenda in the order, of course, in which it is presented. Uh and we'll go ahead and if you are here to speak, of course, Pat, if you wave your hand, that's our city clerk, you might know. Uh, if you'd like to speak, and we really encourage you uh to speak because otherwise we don't have an opportunity to uh to hear from you. Uh, make sure to fill out a speaker card with the uh clerk there so we can call on you uh when the relevant board that you applied for is called. Does anyone have uh a need to go and fill out a speaker card? If you do, please go up right now. We'll wait a minute while you guys do that. So we have just an order here. So if you didn't fill out a card, we really encourage you to do so. And Pat, do they need to write down the name of the board that they're applying for? Write down the name also of the board that you're or multiple boards that you're requesting an appointment to do. So if you filled one out before and you applied for two boards, come on up and fill out a second card for the second board. All right. Thank you all. That was a useful recess. So let's go ahead with uh the resolution of the city commission appointing four members to the city's civil service board. Um looks like there are four categories. Tammy, is there an addition? Greetings, yes, there is. We, as you know, the Civil Service Board has five specific seats with very specific criteria for members to be in that seat.
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