3 departing Newport councilmen reflect on their service and look ahead
There will be a changing of the guard on the Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday, with three of its seven members stepping down to make way for new ones elected last month.
Two of the departing councilmen — Keith Curry and Ed Selich — are termed out of office after serving about 20 years combined.
Councilman Tony Petros opted not to run for reelection and is leaving after one four-year term.
Curry, whose District 7 seat represents Newport Coast and Newport Ridge, was first appointed to the seat in 2006 and won subsequent elections in 2008 and 2012.
He called his decade on the council “among the most exciting and rewarding years of my life.”
Curry said he’s proud of his time as mayor in 2010 and 2013, when he guided the city through the recession while having to reduce the city workforce and simultaneously maintain city services. He also pointed to the creation of the Civic Center and Oasis Senior Center as highlights, along with the hiring of City Manager Dave Kiff in 2009.
“We interviewed some capable, experienced candidates,” Curry said. “But Dave had the best sense of the heart of the city. I think we have validated that decision every day since then.”
Replacing Curry is Will O’Neill, who currently serves on the city Finance Committee.
Selich first joined the council in 2005 as an appointee. He had been on the city Planning Commission for 10 years before that.
He represents District 5, which includes Newport Center and Balboa Island.
Selich noted that in his two decades on the council and the Planning Commission, he never missed a meeting.
“I pretty much planned my whole life around meetings,” he said.
Like Curry, Selich said he’s proud of the Civic Center and Oasis. He’s also proud of negotiating more than $100 million in public benefit fees through various developer agreements, he said.
“One of the great benefits of being on the City Council is I got to meet so many people in town,” Selich said. “I got to know so many people. Personally, it was very gratifying to just interact with so many people and help solve their problems.”
Replacing Selich is Jeff Herdman, a retired educator.
Petros, who was elected in 2012, represents District 2, which includes Newport Heights and Newport Crest.
He said he’s looking forward to returning to private life, though he’s proud of helping revitalize or create three parks in his district: Sunset View, Sunset Ridge and Cliff Drive.
On the council, Petros said, he tried to bring a sense of “civility and maturity.”
“On all of the rocky roads I tried to demonstrate taking the high road,” he said. “I really made an attempt to communicate in my district and to everybody in the city.”
Newport Beach activist Susan Skinner of the group Still Protecting Our Newport credited Petros for casting the lone dissenting vote Nov. 29 in the council’s approval of Museum House, a 25-story, 100-unit luxury condominium complex planned for Newport Center. Line in the Sand, the political arm of SPON, is gathering petition signatures to try to force a public vote on the project.
“He really stood up for what he thought was right,” Skinner said.
Replacing Petros is Brad Avery, a city harbor commissioner.
Steve Rosansky, president and CEO of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and a former councilman, credited Selich for his knowledge of development, Curry for his financial savvy and Petros for his expertise on traffic and land planning.
“They were definitely business-friendly and well-respected in the community, all three of them,” Rosansky said. “I think they all had unique qualities that will be missed on the council.”
Rosansky noted that the new version of the council will be the first — at least in recent memory — in which none of the members had joined as an appointee. All were directly elected.
Selich said one of his post-council goals is to ride his Harley-Davidson to next year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. He also wants to focus more on his land development business.
Curry, who ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly in 2014, said he doesn’t plan to run for public office again. He plans to travel, play golf and spend time with his grandchildren, he said.
Petros said the only thing he’ll be running is “around my neighborhood and on the beach.” He invited the community to join him.
“Seek me out,” Petros said.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
