Riley Names Veteran Land Planner to Replace Herman

Supervisor Thomas F. Riley on Wednesday picked veteran county land planner Tom Mathews to replace a top aide who quit last week under fire.

Mathews, 43, was chief of land planning at the county’s Environmental Management Agency until last June, when he became land-use assistant to Bruce Nestande, who resigned from the Board of Supervisors in January. Mathews stayed to work on 3rd District land-use matters after Nestande left, reporting to Board of Supervisors Chairman Roger R. Stanton.

Mathews replaces Peter F. Herman, 39, whose power was so great that he became known among county officials and developers as “the sixth supervisor.”

“I approach things differently than Peter,” said Mathews in a telephone interview Wednesday. “. . . I see my role as trying to see how the county EMA can best respond to the needs of the community.”

Herman resigned from his $63,000-a-year post last Friday, citing criticism about his actions that he wrung concessions for open space and parkland from developers seeking county approval for their projects.

Some developers accused Herman, an 11-year veteran of Riley’s staff, of using strong-arm tactics at the same time that he accepted thousands of dollars worth of free meals and gifts.

Riley complained this week that he learned only recently that Herman had stayed in the Hawaiian home of developer and prominent Democratic Party fund-raiser David Stein during a vacation last April.

Members of Riley’s staff said Wednesday that the supervisor recently issued new instructions, requiring them to report their outside contacts and meetings in writing. Previously, the staff casually informed secretaries orally.

Riley aide Paul Carey said Wednesday that the new policy was put into effect before Herman’s resignation.

Riley could not be reached for comment Wednesday but issued a statement praising Mathews’ performance “during the short time since coming to the board floor,” a reference to Mathews’ work for Nestande.

Herman said he was one of several people who had urged Riley to hire Mathews.

“I think he’s the best person possible for the job. . . . I think he’s independent. He may not be as fervent as I was, but he thinks things through, and that’s most important.”

Mathews was a demographics specialist in the county administrative office between 1974 and 1979. He switched to land planning at EMA after obtaining a certificate in land-use planning at UC Irvine.

Mathews also has a master’s degree in geography from Cal State Fullerton.