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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Smart Speaker: Yeah, It’s Eric Preven from Studio City. And I’m here objecting to not being called up on the agenda items despite clearly being in the queue. I’ll make a general public comment in the meantime because I was hoping to address the vacation of city property, which as many of you recall. Jose Huizar was arranging to have people’s arms twisted. People who were seeking vacations from the city. He was coordinating with other council members, including Paul Krekorian and Mitchell Englander and Mitchell O’Farrell, encouraging people to donate to Richelle Huizar’s burgeoning campaign. So this is like a snapshot of big-city corruption. There was a code name at the bureau (a bitch and a couple mitches). I was hoping to bring this information forward before the council voted…not here in the general public comment, but you continue to de-select me and others, and you should know we are investigating carefully. Groat?
The other item is Thatcher’s Liquors. A very pleasant upscale area in Brentwood with a very fancy wine shop spinning off from one up in San Francisco. These people are not fucking around. I poked around their website and they have a category for the economically minded Angelenos: Bottles under $250!
Smart Speaker: What is that dracma? No, dollars. Per bottle. Yum
I wanted to drop by and say something nice and see if they would grease me up a little … or if they just want to pour something special for CM Park that is fine with me. I’m CD4. But out in CD11 a fancy bottle or two is par for the course. Just to say…Merci, beaucoup.
And once the event is over, there is no public comment, and the evidence goes right in the blue recycling bin. So, we bring it all around and Heal The Bay…
Re: $250 per BOTTLE ffs. Many of us out in the districts do enjoy drinking that kind of wine on someone else’s tab.
Scene: “You like it, Hugo.” “Wow, what a great wine.”
Paul Krekorian, Council President: Thank you very, much. Next Speaker.
Extra Time: Like Mr. McCosker who poured a tasteful $1,026 to fund a ceremonial sign ceremony, any technical corrections or clarifications to the fund transfer instructions in order to effectuate the intent of this Motion, including corkage fees in Council District 15.
County Hump Day:
Moderator: Our next participant is Eric Preven. You may begin.
The Marina Del Rey Hotel - Assignment is fun!
Smart Speaker: Thank you. Today is Wednesday, so well done. I'm from Studio City and obviously Supervisor Solis is sticking up for the residents so that Elephant Hill can be accessed and amended by the MRCA. This is a 110 acres piece. We have a similar property in Studio City where LIndsey Horvath and Nithya Raman have done nothing but go along with a plan put in place by Paul Krekorian, who was virtually bribed by the powerful trustees of Harvard Westlake School, Mayor Garcetti’s alma mater. And if you can believe it, the great Mark Pestrella, who we look up to, has not even engaged with the public — You want to talk about the watershed. We're talking about the LA County Flood District, who own a piece of land that the county does not have to lease to the imperious Academy. Where is the great fighter for the people, Lindsey Horvath?
Lindsey Horvath. Board Chair: This item is about the Elephant Hill project, if you can focus your comments on that, please.
Smart Speaker: I know you don't like it, Supervisor, but I'm talking about protecting the residents, and you should be doing that in your district where I live nearby, but you haven't been doing that… and because you feel bad about it, you’re trying to shut people out of comments on it. It was very upsetting, when Katy Yaroslavsky stood up for her residents when the Bulgari monstrosity was heading into her rich people’s neighborhood. I would say, respectfully, for shame on you. Executive Officer: Thank you, your time has expired. Next speaker, please.
Moderator: Our first participant is Eric Preven. You may begin.
Smart Speaker: You are all women, which is very powerful. Jimmy Carter noted that from the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indians, he meant indigenous peoples, and families, who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men. Jeez, they always try to stick the men in there. Let’s just agree that here at the county we, meaning you, made some very bad mistakes over the years.
The Amador settlement of $53 million for effectively looking up the butts improperly of female inmates for years. The utter failure of the Probation Youth program and some of us will never forget — Killing Mira Loma. Supervisor Solis and Barger will remember… it was out of our Love for women that we nixed the idea for a women’s jail in Valley Fever Country.
Executive Officer: Thank you, your time has expired. Next speaker, please.
Moderator: Madam chair, there are no other remote speakers to address the board.
Sleazy:
Marqueece Harris Dawson, CD8: I believe that was our final caller. We’ve taken public comment both in person and by telephone so public comment is closed on individual items.
Public Speaker: Ok, I wanted to talk on item 22, about retail theft money, but I’ll have to do it in public comment. Okay, item 22 is $2.7 million for Peregrine Systems Inc. for real-time decisions operation management. Well, according to wiki, PSI went bankrupt in 2004 after executives were prosecuted for fraud. So, if you use the language of the police commission attachment what comes up is a company called Peregrine Systems Inc. and that firm was started by Palantir alumni. Which is Peter Thiel which was used to help the Trump administration to try and prosecute families that crossed the border. They used that technology to try and map out the family relationships of the children. O, I don’t know which system the LAPD wants to use but people on the LA City Council really might want to reallocate and analyze the proposals in item 22 because it just seems like they want to rubber-stamp buying technology which has been used for inappropriate purposes. So, re-look at that.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Caller, your time has expired. Next Caller.
Smart Speaker: Thank you, it’s Eric Preven, can I get some time for the items, as well, because I was in the queue, and Mr. Harris Dawson said, he’d call everybody but he didn’t call me.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: So, the public comment on the items has been closed, but you have one minute for general public comment.
Smart Speaker: Great, but you closed it when you knew or should have known I was in the virtual room, so you are an asshole and I will comment on the items.
Avak Keotahian, Room 334B is a leader of the assholes. This is a man who is very charming outwardly, he wears white Khakis and a blue blazer but he conveyed to me in good English — and I want all the new council members, even McOsker, to hear this — Avak said he did not feel the public should be in city meetings.
And he worked tirelessly to trick the public. He came up with so many great ideas to block participation and engagement. He suggested holding three committee meetings, all at the exact same time, 1pm, thereby making meaningful comment by those who have things to say… impossible. It was an inspired and diabolical idea.
He moved the pernicious building and safety lien items and vacations into a secret lair, where Herb J. Wesson (still not indicted) and Paul Krekorian and Mitchell Englander robbed Angelenos of money. Many never made it to the bait-and-switch location where they could defend themselves. It was a disgusting pogrom.
Avak also engineered with his sensei, Paul Krekorian, the idea that committee meetings like for item 40 today, where you are working on a big City Market Project development, and you claim that you took public comment in committee… But did you take virtual public comment in committee? Groat? Hello? Did you take virtual public comment in committee? No. No, you didn’t. So you didn’t take public comment and yet, you don’t take it here either, because it’s the section marked “Go fuck yourself, public, courtesy of Avak Keohtian.”
Groat, FYI your head appears to be expanding, which is off-topic. This is your first and only warning.
Paul Krekorian, Council President: Next Caller.
City Clerk: Caller, what items would you like to speak on?
Daniel Guss, Speaker: Well, I’d like to speak on the items I signed up for… is this an opportunity to do that?
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Good morning, you have one minute for general public comment. Please begin.
Daniel Guss, Speaker: Well, I was just asked which items, and I too was kicked out of this. So, you guys are going to get sued if you mess that. Daniel Guss on Substack dot com, explains why they keep kicking me and Eric Preven and other people who write about corruption in city hall…
County Update:
Miscellaneous Additions to the Board’s agenda included item 25 A, B, and C, which were posted more than 72 hours in advance of the meeting, as indicated on the supplemental agenda. (12-9995)
Smart Speaker (off mic, locked out): First, of all let me say congratulations to The LA County Beaches and Harbors. It is good work, if you can get it.
This group manages the lessee relationships down in the Marina. In the old days, Larry Hafetz and Tom Faughnan of County Counsel and the whole CEO team under Bill Fujioka and then Sachi Hamai, kept tabs on the very lucrative and lopsided leases.
Money makes everything possible for lessees.
To handle the minutiae, they brought in as outside counsel, first from Munger Tolles & Olsen and then, Glaser Weil, LLP the great, Richard S. Volpert. This man understood that “neither party may, at any time during the proceedings, introduce any written report which expresses an opinion regarding the fair market value of the Premises.”
In addition to being a master real estate attorney, Volpert managed all the book-cooking over at the Museum of Natural History aka the Mark Ridley-Thomas Museum of County Corruption.
Moderato (stand-in): Let’s stay focused. What has been happening down in the Marina? 25-C
Smart Speaker: Great question for Holly J. Mitchell, who is a fiscal conservative with an appetite for equity.
So, the Marina Del Rey Hotel on Parcel 42 and I guess 43 was owned by a mom and pop, named Invest West Financial, LLC.
In 2013 you can find the signature of Mark Ridley-Thomas along with his bestie, CEO Sachi Hamai, an assignment of the lease. Then there was a transfer in 2015 to MDR MARINA, L.P., a California limited partnership (Lessee) to MARINA DEL REY SMI ALMAR, LLC. The Amended and Restated Lease commenced December 22, 2015, and expires February 28, 2061.
The latest assignment is to SUNTEX MARINA INVESTORS LLC, has a net worth of over $500,000,000.
Smart Speaker: Very exciting! Who are they? Well, there’s Bryan Redmond, he’s the CEO and co-founder of Suntex Marinas. Guess what? In 2023 he was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year!
Also a part of the gang, none of whom own too much, is John Gonnella who is connected to a related company called Centerbridge.
You have a chap who was formerly in gaming and lodging at Goldman Sachs, Cyril Pietrafesa. To celebrate women’s history month, we have Amy Miles Who is bashful, so omitted that she was previously with Deloitte & Touche, LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (both!).
And while we are recognizing women movers and shakers, why not thank Judy Turchin. Global C-suite executive {x Equinox COO & Blackstone Real Estate)
Smart Speaker: Isn’t Blackstone, a pernicious private equity gobbler— is that the type of leadership—
Moderator (stand-in): Please shut him up.
The other cofounder is Johnny Powers. This man has a highly impressive education.
Johnny founded Harvard Property Trust, a Texas-based, private real estate investment trust that acquired approximately $200M in suburban office buildings in Texas and Minnesota.
He serves on the Board of the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships for families of deceased and disabled veterans.
Smart Speaker: That’s sweet.
Ashley Marks was an Associate at MacFarlane Partners, a real estate private equity firm in San Francisco, and held previous positions at Robertson Stephens in the Technology Investment Banking group and Stanford Management Company where she focused on portfolio management and risk analytics as well as hedge fund investing.
Smart Speaker: Hedge Fund? Sweet of her to help the County, the “net” for all Angelenos.
There is William Rahm. Billy was a member of the Real Estate Private Equity Group at The Blackstone Group L.P., where he completed investments in lodging businesses and real assets. Billy is the Chairman of the Board of Suntex Marina Investors and serves on the Boards of Directors of Brixmor Property Group, Inc., Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (and affiliated entities) and Indus Realty Trust. He went to Yale College, B.A., cum laude, Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude. And Harvard Business School, M.B.A., with distinction.
Matt Dabrowski. Prior to joining Centerbridge, Matt was a member of the Real Estate Private Equity Group at The Blackstone Group L.P. Matt serves on the Board of Directors of Merit Hill Capital and Suntex Marina Investors, LLC.
This whole group is dedicated to addressing complex challenges that require creative problem-solving, committed partners and cross-sector collaboration.
Progress is best achieved through ongoing and rigorous assessment of results to learn and improve.
Learning, Reflection & Improvement.
I wonder if the LA County Counsel would mind checking to be sure that all the LLCs are in compliance because when you hire outside counsel things can get a little squirrelly.
Supervisor Barger: Today, I want to take a moment to extend my heart-felt congratulations to two dedicated Los Angeles County employees. Matt McGloin, Senior Manager, CEO and Steven Robles, Assistant Chief Executive Officer Risk Management retiring from county service….
Matt, even through the most difficult of times your work helped the county earn our highest credit rating ever during your 36 years of service. Steve, your 32 years of public service and 11 with Los Angeles County have led to the creation of the most advanced risk, data analytics, claims and leave management programs and platforms in the country…
Smart Speaker: That the 3rd district has made sure the public never hear about. Shameful, Sheila!
Supervisor Barger: Savor the joys of life that you may have missed during your busy careers.
Congratulations. You've earned it. We look forward to your continued guidance even in retirement.
Smart Speaker: Yes, for instance what is the deal with this confusing ownership structure…on item 25-C posted late?
Not too shabby!
Private Equity and Outside Investors:
Suntex REIT LLC
Suntex Marina Investors, LLC - Apparently, no owner owns, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of Suntex Marina Investors, LLC.
Can we see who these LLCs are registered to, Faughnan? Nora! Nicole!
RCP SMI Hold, LLC
CP Fresh Dock-B, LLC
SMI TRS Op-Co, LLC
Suntex Up-Co, LLC
SMI PropCo HoldingsCo, LLC
Marina Del Rey SMI Almar, LLC
Also, we understand b) the proposed sales price of $40,000,000 for Parcel 43 leasehold appears to be justified based on an independent analysis of the proposed assignment by the County’s economic consultant.
But, I wonder if the fact that parcel 43 has such a high vacancy rate (one of the highest in the marina) was considered? And why is parcel 43 not noted on the map of marina parcels?
Sneaky?! Jk srsly
You know who would know about all this is Holly J. Mitchell, it’s in her district. The county’s outside counsel has reviewed and approved the proposed assignment as to form. I wonder if Covington & Burning reviewed it. Selling long-term county leases… hmmm, I wonder if they did an RFP? Aren’t they supposed to offer it to public agencies?
Anyway, the county that owns the land only gets a couple of million? Of the County’s $2,019,990 Net Proceeds Share amount, approximately $1.5 million will be directed to the Marina Accumulative Capital Outlay (ACO) Fund for continued maintenance and improvement of the Marina del Rey public areas and infrastructure. The remaining $510,000 will be reflected as one-time over-realized revenue in Fiscal Year 2023-2024.
Smart Speaker: That would cover a lot of lifeguard school admission fees.
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch. The opinions are of Mr. Preven and not necessarily those of CityWatchLA.com.)
