Hometown Hero: Ken Genser

“Being on the Council is a tremendous responsibility, but I feel blessed to be able to assume that responsibility. It ‘s the most amazing seat to be in to learn. I meet amazing people and have a great staff. This job has brought me tremendous personal growth in abilities and knowledge.” Ken Genser, Santa Monica Mayor and 6 term Council Member.

The first time Ken Genser went to a museum, his Aunt and Uncle took him to the Southwest Museum. His strongest memory of that visit is of the tunnel into the museum. He was impressed with the thickness of the tunnel walls. It was the beginning of a lifelong interest in walls, architecture and how things are built. Although he went on to work for design firms and worked with Bill Alexander, who designed one of the first cantilevered houses in the Hollywood Hills, it was his interest in buildings that propelled him into local politics.

He was a boy of 9 when he started having physical problems. His family lived in Ladera Heights. The area was subdivided but empty. Tumbleweeds blew out from the oil fields and across his neighborhood and jack rabbits were plentiful. It wasn’t until he was in High School that his doctors were able to put a name to his physical problems. With all his medical problems he had a hard time in high school. That didn’t stop him from schoolwork or from going on to Berkeley to study architecture and to be part of Berkeley political life. The philosophy of the architecture school was that social problems could be solved through good design. He learned theory but not the nuts and bolts of architecture and so he came back to LA to the newly founded Southern California Institute for Architecture (SciArc). This was when the school was on Nebraska in Santa Monica.

While at SciArc he got an opportunity to move into the Sea Castle apartments. It took him a week to decide to move into the then seedy area where Sea Castle was located. But with rent at $180 per month, including utilites, he moved in and lived there for 12 years. In an important way living at Sea Castle was the start of his political career. The Sea Castle owners defaulted on the mortgage and the tenants formed a Limited Equity Partnership. HUD wouldn’t deal with them but they got the attention of Anne Morgenthaler who wrote an article about the tenants. Ken’s photo was published in the Outlook story and that got him onto the Ocean Park Community Organization (OPCO) Housing Committee.

Ken remembers his first time speaking in front of the Planning Commission was to support the R2R zoning ordinance. “It was a real stretch for me to speak in public that time and for many years after that.”

By 1983 he was appointed to the Planning Commission. The arthritis he’d had since he was 9 was still with him but didn’t stop him from working for American Youth Hostel Inc. and, more importantly for Santa Monica, running for Council in 1988. He has been a Council Member since that time. During the 2000 campaign he had to be rushed, by friends, to Cedar’s, but continued running the campaign from his hospital bed. He won but it was also the year he had to be on dialysis and eventually he had to have a kidney transplant.

He says his good friends get him through his medical problems and his work on the Council is very motivating. “I think I help to effect issues. I’m not the one with the big vision but I hope I bring a sense of what Santa Monica means and a dose of practicality to make sure things can be implemented. I know there are people who will disagree, but I really try to represent the people in our community.

What Say You: The Herb Katz Seat

City Council watchers are talking about the anticipated February 24th Council vote to fill Herb Katz’s seat. A five-time council member, Katz was well known for his support for education, his interest in city planning, his straight talking style and his openness. Discussion and disagreement and agreement over criteria to select his replacement are ongoing. Criteria being proposed include: appointing someone who shares Katz’s values, his style, and his opinions; holding a special election as that would be more in the democratic spirit; using the appointment to repair the gender and geographical imbalances of the existing Council.

At their January 27 meeting the Council called for any and all interested persons to submit an application and a statement of interest to the City Clerk by 5:30 on February 17. The City Charter requires that the vacancy be filled. The vote is scheduled for the February 24 Council meeting. Failing to get four votes for any one of the applicants, the City is required to hold a special election.

Maybe an amazing candidate will emerge from the application process, uniting the Council Members in an enthusiastic, unanimous endorsement. Perhaps a neutral candidate, acceptable to all and publicly committing not to use an appointment as an opportunity to run in the 2008 election, will emerge. It is more likely that the choice will be among the four top contenders. In alphabetical order they are: Gleam Davis, Patricia Hoffman, Terry O’Day and Ted Winterer. Each has strong support in the community.

All four have run for office previously. Ted Winterer in 2008, Terry O’Day and Gleam Davis in 2006, and, Patricia Hoffman in 2004. All were next in order, after the winners, in numbers of votes cast. All four are very active community members. Winterer is the President of OPA (Ocean Park Association), a Recreation and Parks Commissioner, a supporter of Proposition T. O’Day is a Planning Commissioner, a well known environmental advocate and an opponent of Proposition T (which was on the November 2008 ballot and was defeated). Davis and Hoffman are the current Co-Chairs of SMRR (Santa Monicans for Renter’s Rights). Davis is also the co-chair of the BB Committee and a Planning Commissioner. Hoffman was the President of the Board of Education and has been a long­time advocate for affordable housing and for public health.

Some are saying that the choice will be either Davis or Hoffman as they are SMRR members. Four of the sitting Council Members, Ken Genser, Pam O’Connor, Kevin McKeown and Richard Bloom are SMRR members. Bob Holbrook and Bobby Shriver are not. Herb Katz was not.

As important as all the defined criteria are, also important will be something that only the Council Members can know. They have to consider the dynamic of the Council and pick the person they think will be a beneficial addition to that dynamic.

Herb Katz can’t be replaced. But we can and should honor his memory by seating a Council Member who loves our City as he did and who will be, as he was, dedicated to serving the people of the City and a constant presence in its public life.