Burbank Official Withdraws Bid for W. Hollywood Post

Larry J. Kosmont, the director of the Burbank Redevelopment Agency who was one of four administrators being considered to become the first city manager of West Hollywood, withdrew his name Thursday, two days after two city councilmen were voted out of office.

The West Hollywood City Council then appointed someone else.

Kosmont, 33, has been redevelopment director for 16 months. He said his decision to stay in Burbank was connected with the election of three new council members in Tuesday’s general election. He also said he was more committed to Burbank than to West Hollywood and wanted to maintain the momentum of redevelopment projects on his agenda.

“West Hollywood offered some good opportunities, but Burbank is where I want to be,” Kosmont said. “I’m very committed to developing projects like the Towncenter shopping mall, and I’m sure all the projects we’re working on will go forward despite the change in the council.”

The West Hollywood City Council on Thursday night appointed Paul Brotzman, 38, as the new city manager. Brotzman has been city manager of Martinez, a city of 28,000 in the San Francisco Bay area.

Burbank City Councilwoman Mary Lou Howard, who helped engineer the defeat of Mayor E. Daniel Remy and fellow incumbent Councilman Larry Stamper by endorsing three other candidates, said she felt Kosmont had been “an outstanding redevelopment director, and I think he feels the atmosphere around City Hall will be different than it has been.”

Howard has said that Remy and Stamper’s government style was marked by cronyism and an excessively pro-development mentality at the expense of residents’ concerns. The three Howard-backed council members-elect--Mary Kelsey, Michael Hastings and Al Dossin--will be sworn into office May 1.

Howard said she thought Kosmont would work well with the new council. “It’s in the best interests of Burbank to keep him here,” she said.

Kosmont said he did not feel that the new council would steer the redevelopment of Burbank in an entirely different direction.

“I was certainly very aware of the election and the (effect) it might have on my being able to complete the projects I’ve started,” Kosmont said. “But it seems, based on the preliminary information I’ve received, that this council will want the best for Burbank and will continue to support redevelopment.”

As redevelopment director, Kosmont, who reports to City Manager Andrew Lazzaretto, makes $54,000 a year. The West Hollywood city manager’s position would have paid $70,000, “so there was a salary consideration involved in weighing the two cities,” Kosmont said.