Mayor Katapodis and Councilman Sullivan say goodbye in Huntington Beach
Hundreds of Huntington Beach residents showed up at the City Council meeting Monday night to bid farewell to Mayor Jim Katapodis and longtime Councilman David Sullivan.
“The city is sorry to see you both go,” said Joe Carchio, a former councilman and mayor.
“I am sorry Jim will be gone,” Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel said. “He is very loyal and he really works hard.”
“On behalf of every child and every teacher, we thank you for everything you have done,” Roni Ellis, a Huntington Beach school principal, told Sullivan.
Katapodis, 61, a retired Los Angeles Police Department sergeant, served four years on the council, including a stint as mayor in 2016.
Katapodis said in an earlier interview Monday that he was proud of his accomplishments as mayor, including playing a role in constructing the 9/11 memorial outside of City Hall and opening a 38,000-square-foot senior center in Central Park.
Katapodis said he was particularly glad that he helped bring the Huntington Beach Airshow to town. The inaugural show was held from Oct. 21 to 23, and next year’s event will be held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.
A happy Patrick Brenden hugs newly elected City Clerk Robin Estanislau after he was sworn into office as a Huntington Beach City Council member Monday.
Katapodis is taking a job in Sacramento as a consultant for the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
However, Katapodis said he will be back in Huntington Beach every weekend and plans on “keeping an eye out” for problems in his city.
In his closing speech at the council meeting, Katapodis spoke to the humility and teamwork required by the mayoral position.
“I can’t tell you how much I love this job,” he said. “You learn so much. It is amazing, the responsibility you have as a mayor.
“We may agree to disagree on different things, but we make things happen together, and I was so blessed to have a great City Council here. I can’t thank them enough.”
Lyn Semeta, right, is sworn in as a Huntington Beach City Council member Monday night by City Clerk Robin Estanislau.
While Katapodis said he believed every council member was important to the progress made in the city during his tenure, he noted in the interview that Sullivan was particularly significant to him.
“Dave was a great help to me and I will miss him,” he said.
Sullivan joined the council in 1992, and his service included two mayoral terms. He has been a big supporter of Measure C. Approved by city voters in 1990, it calls for a public vote whenever the city decides to sell open space or a recreational area.
Working against high-density development fueled Sullivan’s service.
“Large apartments destroy what people believe the city should be,” he said before the meeting.
Sullivan said he was also proud of his work toward establishing the new Senior Center in Central Park, which opened over the summer.
Sullivan, who has lived in the city for nearly five decades, is moving into retirement, and he quipped that he can now take advantage of the senior center.
Barbara Delgleize takes the mayor’s chair after her selection by the Huntington Beach City Council on Monday.
In his farewell speech to the room, Sullivan addressed the camaraderie among the council members.
“It has been an honor to serve this city,” he said. “I have great respect for the staff. Let’s stay friends, and I hope I don’t have to come to that podium” with a complaint.
An avid senior softball player, Sullivan said he doesn’t plan on sliding into golf like many retirees. Other than devoting time to sports, he hopes to travel, rest and “enjoy life a little more.”
Sullivan had planned on retiring from the council earlier but always returned when issues that he cared about arose.
Replacing Katapodis and Sullivan on the council are former planning commissioners Lyn Semeta and Patrick Brenden.
Semeta ran a grassroots campaign that focused on opposition to high-density development, a hot topic in the city.
Brenden ran a heavily funded campaign backed by the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce.
At the meeting, Councilwoman Barbara Delgleize was named mayor and Councilman Mike Posey was voted mayor pro tem.
The council’s the last meeting of the year is set for Monday.
Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
