BEACH TO THE FUTURE – RUSS LESSER LAUNCHES MB WEEKLY’S PROJECT 25:
MB Weekly is looking ahead with the debut of Project 25: The Future of Manhattan Beach, an ambitious series examining what the city could – and should – become over the next quarter-century.
Leading off the project is former Manhattan Beach Mayor Russ Lesser, a civic leader whose knowledge of the community runs as deep as his affection for it. Lesser devoted hours to a conversation with MB Weekly, offering candid observations, ideas and thoughtful predictions about the opportunities and challenges awaiting Manhattan Beach.
The wide-ranging discussion explores the forces likely to shape the city through 2051, including local government, public safety, development, transportation, technology, environmental concerns, city finances and the preservation of Manhattan Beach’s distinctive character.
Project 25 is designed to move beyond today’s headlines and election cycles. Its purpose is to encourage residents to think seriously – and creatively – about the decisions being made now and how they will affect future generations.
Few people are better suited to begin that conversation than Lesser, who truly lives and breathes Manhattan Beach. His insights launch what MB Weekly hopes will become a spirited community dialogue about protecting what works, confronting what does not, and building a stronger city for the next 25 years.
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The Future Of Manhattan Beach By Russ Lesser:
QUESTION 1: WHAT IS THE SINGLE GREATEST CHALLENGE MANHATTAN BEACH WILL FACE OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS?
A: Today Manhattan Beach is a great place to live. We have a small town feel where you know and are friends with your neighbors. In a recent poll Manhattan Beach received the highest “Wellness Index” of any city in the USA. The Wellness Index measures financial success, physical health, social relationships and community pride. Keeping this “Wellness Index” high will require maintaining the small town community feeling we have now. This will be our biggest challenge due to state mandates and rising costs of housing.
QUESTION 2: HOW CAN THE CITY PRESERVE ITS SMALL-TOWN CHARACTER WHILE RESPONDING TO STATE HOUSING MANDATES AND DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE?
A: We can’t. The state’s social engineering project if not ended will have a huge negative impact on fully developed cities like ours. There are certain cities where it makes no sense to have low cost housing. Ours is one of those where the minimum price for a small lot is over two million dollars. We have restrictive height limits to not allow huge high rise buildings next to single family zoned areas. The state took that away. The only solution is to pass an initiative giving zoning rights back to the cities where they have historically been. Our Neighborhood Voices (ONV) is a statewide organization working on getting an initiative on the ballot in 2028. It must pass if we are going to keep our small town atmosphere. Learn about how to get involved and support ONV.
QUESTION 3: ARE MANHATTAN BEACH’S RISING BUDGETS, STAFFING LEVELS, AND EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE?
A: No. While there are some valid reasons for the large increase in city staff over the past forty years (mostly caused by state mandates), I do not understand why we have almost 60% more city employees than we did years ago with a city with approximately the same population. For example we had 30 people in the fire department forty years ago. (We actually have a paramedic department that occasionally goes to a fire and they do a great job.) It increased to 31 in 2011. Now it is over 40. What changed in the past fifteen years that caused this increase? The same question should be asked of every department. The fact that revenue has increased dramatically does not mean it should all be spent. For example, in 1986 the city received a little over three million in property taxes, now it is over forty million.
QUESTION 4: WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS – STORM DRAINS, STREETS, UTILITIES, OR PUBLIC FACILITIES – REQUIRE IMMEDIATE LONG RANGE PLANNING?
A: I am not an expert on this subject. I do notice while walking around town that many of our alleys near the beach are in terrible condition. I know people who are trying to get their power lines undergrounded that are very frustrated at how long it takes to more forward with their projects. Undergrounding power lines is a sore subject with me. Back in the ’80s when I was on the council we sent out a survey as to who was willing to help pay for undergrounding their utilities. The area near the beach in the south part of town had the highest percentage of people willing to pay so we did that area first. Then when the westdrift Hotel was built on city owned land (it was not named the westdrift back then) and was generating new revenue for the city with the rent from the land lease and the bed tax, we designated all the revenue to go to a special account to be used to help finance the undergrounding of utilities throughout the city. By now much of the city could have underground utilities with the help of these funds, however due to political pressure after a new council was elected, the fund was discontinued and the funds just put back into the general fund. This was very frustrating.
QUESTION 5: HOW SHOULD MANHATTAN BEACH PREPARE FOR SEA-LEVEL RISE, COASTAL EROSION AND INCREASINGLY SEVERE WEATHER?
A: I have lived near the beach for over eighty years and go there often. While again, I am not an expert on sea-level rise, visually the beach is as least as wide as it was eighty years ago. If we have had sea-level rise or coastal erosion it seems to me that the beach would be smaller so I don’t know how to answer that question.
QUESTION 6: WHAT MUST THE CITY DO TO REMAIN SAFE AS CRIME, HOMELESSNESS AND REGIONAL INSTABILITY AFFECT SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES?
A: We have never really had a violent crime problem in Manhattan Beach. We have had periods of major property crimes. For example in 1980 we had months where we had more than 100 residential burglaries per month. My wife Charlotte founded the Neighborhood Watch program with complete support from the police department and ran it for 45 years and it had a huge effect on reducing burglaries. It had other positive effects. It got neighbors to know each other and look out for each other and that helps with the small-town feeling we have. It also made the policeman your friend who was helping keep you safe, not the person who gives you the speeding ticket. As far as homelessness, MB Safe has done an incredible job in our city. They work well with the city council and the police department who has officers well trained as to how to deal with homeless individuals. They also work with other agencies and keep the community informed and educated how to respond if they see a homeless individual. They work to have family reunification and to find shelters for people. They are excellent at finding a compassionate solution and give a hand up, not a hand out to people. We also have service clubs and area churches who assist with this problem. Another program that is a huge benefit to Manhattan Beach is the “Map Your Neighborhood” program. It teaches people how to work with their neighbors in case of a disaster such as a major earthquake. This program also helps to keep the “small town” feeling we have. It is important that programs such as MB Safe, Neighborhood Watch and the Map Your Neighborhood programs both continue to be supported by the city in the future.
QUESTION 7: HOW CAN MANHATTAN BEACH REMAIN ACCESSIBLE TO YOUNG FAMILIES RATHER THAN BECOMING AN ENCLAVE ONLY FOR THE EXTREMELY WEALTHY?
A: My grandfather purchased the house I grew up in a block from the beach in 1917 for $1,000 and for years complained that he had been ripped off …… He said it wasn’t worth more than $800. In 1978 I told someone that “They just sold a house on the Strand for one hundred thousand dollars. It can’t get higher than that, no one could afford to live here.” I think it is too late for this question as homes are already priced out of range for the vast majority of young families. The fact is that Manhattan Beach is probably one of the nicest places to live anywhere. The high Wellness index mentioned earlier, the friendliness of the residents, the low amount of crime, the schools, the beach environment, etc. mean that prices will probably continue to be very high. This is concerning in many ways. With smaller families the school age population will shrink which will have an effect on the schools. We now have people spending millions of dollars for a home and only live in it part time. If this continues this will have a negative effect on the sense of community we now have. On the other hand, we don’t want the city to make changes that result in home prices dropping. For example if we defunded the police, didn’t pick up the trash and encouraged crime, prices would drop. Who would want that?
QUESTION 8: HAS CITY HALL BECOME TOO LARGE AND BUREAUCRATIC – AND, IF SO, WHAT REFORMS WOULD RESTORE EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY?
A: When I finished my second term on the city council in 1986 we had 222 full time employees. Today there are 354, or an increase of 59%. We had a general fund budget of $11,911,170. In 2026 the budget is $105,580,229, or an increase of 786%. Some of that increase is due to state mandates which make it much more difficult for a city. The population has not changed much. If the budget had grown as fast as inflation it should be about thirty million, not over one hundred million. I think the city council should ask each department to prepare a report on what they do today vs. forty years ago and see if changes in their work load justifies the increase in personnel. In addition, I hear many more complaints today about how long it takes to get anything approved by the city than it did forty years ago.
QUESTION 9: HOW SHOULD TECHNOLOGY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND REMOTE WORK RESHAPE CITY SERVICES AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY?
A: I have no idea about what the changes will be in technology and artificial intelligence twenty five years from now. I learned to program on an IBM 360 model 20 computer in 1966 that had 8K of memory and punched cards. When we got a computer with a disc and 16K memory I was in heaven and figured I would never need any more memory than that. You now have thousands of times that memory in your cell phone. How will anyone know what the world will be like in twenty five years. As far as remote work I am not a big fan. Interaction with a live person is much better at getting a problem solved than dealing with someone remotely or even worse dealing with a computer generated voice. People should be able to go to city hall if they have a problem and speak with a real person. Also, if you are discussing new ideas and concepts in a creative way, in person meetings are much more productive than a zoom call. One of the great characteristics of our city and our country is the fact that people form civic groups, neighborhood groups etc. where they interact with each other in person. Neighbors help each other, not because they have to, but because they want to and it is the right thing to do. If someone is ill a neighbor will provide food. I have a big concern that social media and reduced contact with other people will have a huge negative effect on volunteering, talking with other people in person, etc. which will change in a negative way our entire culture.
QUESTION 10: IF YOU COULD LEAVE MANHATTAN BEACH LEADERS WITH ONE GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A: Try and do everything you can to keep the small town feeling we have today. Do this by encouraging and supporting programs such as MB Safe, Neighborhood Watch and Map Your Neighborhood. Also support and encourage our local events such as the Hometown Fair, the MB 10K Run, the Holiday Fireworks show, the concerts in the park and other events that really bring people in our town together. Doing this will keep our “Wellness Index” the highest in the country and continue to make Manhattan Beach the great place to live that it is today.
Beach Trash Blues Song by Russ Lesser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9oRZ8qvEfA
Russ Lesser was raised in Manhattan Beach. He started kindergarten at Grand View School in 1945 and graduated from Mira Costa in 1958. He graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1964. He is a distinguished alumni of both schools. After serving in the army he worked for a CPA firm until 1990 when he was hired to be President of Body Glove. He was appointed to the Manhattan Beach Planning commission in 1973 and served until 1978 when he was elected to the City Council. He was reelected in 1982 and did not run again in 1986. He served two terms aw mayor. In 1978 he was one of the founders of the Manhattan Beach 10K Run which is now holding its 49 th annual race. After serving on the city council he was on the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce board and served as President in 1991 when he founded the Leadership Manhattan Beach program. He was President of Body Glove until 2016 when the majority interest was sold, and continues to serve as President of Dive N’ Surf. He and Charlotte have been married for 61 years and have three children and six grandchildren. He plays in a family band called Thin Ice along with his two sons, two granddaughters and some friends. He plays guitar and is a song writer. The song he is known best for is called Beach Trash and inspired the Shellback Bar to produce Beach Trash bumper stickers, t-shirts and hats. The band will be playing at the Hometown Fair on Sunday, October 4th from noon to 1:30.
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1. ** Well, I read the MB weekly interview with Amy Howorth. I think she is now qualified for the pantheon of Democratic leaders, along with AOC and Kamala Harris. All three word salad champions! —- Mark Burton, Former Mayor of Manhattan Beach
2. ** The MB Weekly Book Club now has a total 19 active members. If you are interested in joining the MB Weekly digital book club, please contact —- MBWeekly@TimeWire.net
3. ** I’m sick of burritos. —- Lilly Allsone, Hermosa Beach
4. ** As a recent former college professor, I can say comfortably that the steady decline of higher education’s standards, beginning back in the 1950s, has accelerated into a full-blown crisis. What started as subtle compromise has snowballed into complete institutional decay. No past generation could have envisioned today’s academic landscape. As Charlton Heston’s Taylor famously declared in Planet of the Apes: “It’s a madhouse!” —- H. Marano, Manhattan Beach
5. ** MANHATTAN BEACH HOMETOWN FAIR OCTOBER 3-4 – Save the date! Many MBX Booster Clubs will be at the fair hosting games and food booths, with proceeds benefiting their programs. Enjoy a fun weekend with friends and neighbors while helping enhance opportunities for our students. —- Mira Costa High School
6. ** Bad knees are one of those things that are so common. You can get it from not working out enough or even working out too much. —- M.Q., Redondo Beach
7. ** Abundant kudos to Paul Wafer and his tireless effort to deep-dive into and simplify our city’s financial debacle. He’s doing what city staff should do instead of making self-serving videos that say “all’s well.” Keep it up, Paul. —- Fred Taylor, Manhattan Beach
8. ** Hermosa Beach is diving into the search for better pool access. A new Aquatics Access Subcommittee will examine regional facilities, partnerships, programs and policies. But officials say building a municipal pool is not currently realistic because of budget constraints. For now, cooperation – not construction – appears to be the city’s path. —- Editor’s Note
9. ** Welcome to the new Manhattan Village Farmers Market on Thursdays, 2 pm-7 pm, at the Manhattan Village Mall next to Anthropologie, 3200 N Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach 90266. We give every kid/student a free $5 token to spend at any vendor.
10. ** World #1 female tennis player Ariana Bobalinka is wearing see-through fishnet blouses on the court that reveal her nipples. I like watching women’s tennis on TV. They already sound like they’re having sex while they play; they might as well look like it. —- T.A., Manhattan Beach
11. ** Be a mentor and make waves of impact! Join PS I Love You Foundation’s 25th Annual Day at the Beach on Saturday, September 19, from 8:30 am to 3 pm. Help 300 children experience trust, connection, joy, and love. Mentors must be 18+. Questions? Call Patricia at 310-420-4717.
12. ** NOW HIRING! Exact Staff seeks a full-time bilingual English/Spanish Administrative Assistant serving Paramount and Arcadia. Earn $27/hour, working Monday–Friday on first shift. Applicants need 2 years of administrative experience, advanced Excel skills, familiarity with AI, and excellent organizational and communication skills. Immediate opening. Apply: Talentlab@exactstaff.com or 916-336-5023
13. ** It’s kind of weird that we just squeeze cows and then pour that on our cereal. —- W.L., Hermosa Beach
14. ** Gavin Newsom just signed AB 2624, the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” which passed with all 30 Democrats in the State Assembly. Amazingly, this bill will actually punish journalists with fines and even prison for exposing the fraud of California taxpayer dollars. —- TJF, Manhattan Beach
15. ** Dear MB Weekly – You are sewing together a tighter community, and once we fix our money problem, we will look back at our hard work for our town with pride. Because of your publication, we all have a voice in our town. —- Tani G., Manhattan Beach
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