The End of an Era at City Hall : Politics: After 38 years--the last 12 as a councilwoman--Joan Milke Flores bids farewell amid plaudits and tears.

Joan Milke Flores did not cry in public June 8, the day she lost her 15th District City Council seat. But after her last council meeting Wednesday, the hugs from her friends, congratulations from her colleagues on a job well done, and loving words from her staff brought her to tears time and again.

Finally, it struck home that her 38 years at City Hall, 12 on the council, had come to an end.

The council put aside political squabbles Wednesday to send off in style its four departing members: Flores, 7th District Councilman Ernani Bernardi, 3rd District Councilwoman Joy Picus, and 13th District Councilman Michael Woo.

Council President John Ferraro whizzed through the agenda, finishing in barely 15 minutes. Then Ferraro called upon Flores, Bernardi, Picus and Woo to join him at the podium in the aisle.

“As you know, when we leave, the city can’t give you a watch because we can’t afford it, and we can’t give you a chair because it’s city property,” Ferraro said, to laughs from the audience. “But we can give you a proclamation,” he said, and did so. Each of the four recipients then addressed the audience.

Flores, who suffered a surprise runoff loss last month to Rudy Svorinich, the owner of a Wilmington paint store, spoke of humility.

“The day I took office, John Gibson gave me one piece of advice,” Flores said of her mentor, who held the harbor-based council seat for 30 years before her. “He said, ‘Joan, be sure that when you leave, your hat size is the same size as it is today.’ ”

Her staff kept her ego in check while making her look good over the years, she said. Many of those staff members had claimed the front row of seats for the occasion, and most cried off and on during the meeting.

Flores continued: “And I have to thank my colleagues. They never got upset with me, and never lost patience with me, even though sometimes I wanted more time to check out the smallest detail before voting.”

She cited council achievements ranging from new libraries in her district to Proposition 5, a measure she sponsored that allows the council to reconsider and overturn decisions of other city boards.

A note of levity came when Councilwoman Ruth Galanter introduced a jazz band hired primarily in Bernardi’s honor. The band swung into Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train.” Then Bernardi, who once played with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, picked up a saxophone and played a slow, sentimental rendition of “Stardust.”

The music seemed to put the sometimes fractious council in a harmonious mood. Debates were recalled fondly, and council members spoke of the respect they had for one another.

Bernardi may be the council’s longest-serving member, having held his seat 32 years, but Flores has been at City Hall even longer, counting her years as a stenographer and as an aide to Gibson. Her expertise and experience repeatedly drew praise from colleagues Wednesday.

“She got elected coming to this body with a wealth of experience,” Councilman Nate Holden said. “When people in the 15th District needed anything, she was there. And when she hangs onto her position, you know you’re in for a fight.”

Councilman Joel Wachs also lauded her professionalism, “from the smallest detail to the biggest issue.” And lest she begin to miss the council, Wachs presented her with videotapes of last Wednesday’s nightmarish, eight-hour council meeting. “We put together four two-hour tapes for you, so if you ever forget, it’ll bring you back to reality,” he said.

The council ceremony capped two days of goodbys for the councilwoman. Tuesday, Flores had what she called her “Last Hurrah” reception in the City Hall rotunda, where about 100 people stopped to say farewell over cookies and punch.

“I came to be with her because she’s always been there with us,” said Watts community activist (Sweet) Alice Harris.

City Atty. James Hahn, whose sister Janice challenged Flores for her seat in the April primary and then endorsed her in the runoff campaign, also attended.

“Joan is so professional and such a fine person that I probably felt more uncomfortable and more awkward (by his sisters’ election bid) than she did,” Hahn said.

“We had our battles, but Joan was very supportive of our office,” Hahn said. “We battled particularly over the Harbor Department, which she felt was not doing enough to help the community it’s in.

“She got caught in a wave of dissatisfaction and the perception that government is not delivering,” Hahn said. “But even though residents didn’t always realize it, she was very effective, and they were getting very good service.” Flores’ immediate plans are to go on vacation for a couple of weeks. She has been approached by Mayor Richard Riordan’s transition team about a possible job, but has made no decision about her future other than to resolve to learn to play the piano and, possibly, write a script for a situation comedy.

“You’re not going to believe this, but you know ‘The Golden Girls’? Well, I had the idea for that long before it was on television. When it came on, I was so mad I could hardly watch it,” Flores said with a laugh.

Speculation has been rampant that should Riordan choose to replace Port Executive Director Ezunial Burts, Flores would step into the position. Flores says she has not been offered the position.

Wednesday, after the departing council members had spoken and the rest of the council had praised Flores and the other departing colleagues, the room remained silent a moment.

“Well if there are no more motions, it’s with sadness that we adjourn this meeting and say goodby to four wonderful friends,” Ferraro said.

After speaking to well-wishers, Flores went downstairs to her office to finish packing, making way for Councilman Nate Holden and his staff, who move in today. Around the corner, on Holden’s door, warning signs protected the glistening letters of Rudy Svorinich’s freshly painted name.