In an election where national political experience can at times be a four-letter word, Scott Wyant is embracing it as an asset. Wyant is a 27-year resident who has held a variety of jobs over several decades: a member of the Writer’s Guild, university professor, Indie cade organizer, television writer, systems analyst and city planning commissioner. The Planning Commission has proven to be a stepping stone to higher office in Culver City: Vice Mayor Andrew Weismann, former councilman Scott Malsin, and former councilwoman Carol Gross are all former commissioners. Now Wyant, who was a part of Malsin’s second campaign apparatus in 2010, is hoping to make the jump to one of the council seats in April. During an interview near the Culver City News’ office, it became clear that his experience in city government is one of the primary components of his campaign. “Beside (incumbent Councilwoman) Meghan (Sahli-Wells) I’m the only person who is in the position of making decisions that can change the future of Culver City,” Wyant asserted. “I know that Marcus (Tiggs, another candidate for council) also served on the Planning Commission and he’s a smart guy, but aside from Meghan, I’m the only person who can walk in there on April 14 ready to work. I’m the only one who can look at a traffic study, who can look at a budget, who can look at any document and know where the meat is because I’ve done it and I do it well.” Wyant underwent an ankle transplant several years ago and now is in good health, so he thought the time was right to throw his hat into the ring for city council. He pledged to govern the same way— if elected— that he says he has conducted himself on the planning commission: by listening and trying to work collaboratively with his potential council colleagues. “Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas,” Wyant said. In his campaign literature, the commissioner asks how the city will “ensure that there is enough money to maintain our streets, our parks, our schools, our water, power and sewer systems?” Asked that same question Wyant responded, “We’ve gone through a period in Culver City and in the world where we came really close to the abyss. Now our fiscal ship has been righted and we’ve put off all of these things that we need to do. As I’ve been walking around, I’m learning about all these things. All this will require a substantial investment, Wyant recognizes. “The best way to get money for our infrastructure is to continue to create conditions for businesses to want to move into this town.” Wyant say he is willing to spend — within reason and what is necessary— to improve Culver City’s infrastructure. “That would be my job,” he said. A city fiberoptics initiative that will include Overland Avenue is an example of how Wyant says the city can be innovative in drawing startups and other businesses to this “information superhighway,” as he called it. “All those little tiny bungalows over there are going to be real desirable places to work with high speed Internet. The city will own the infrastructure and soon no one in town is going to have to deal with AT&T or Time Warner anymore. In a year and a half, we’re going to be severed from the things that we really don’t like,” he predicted. He also states in his literature, “We cannot allow policy to be set by single –issue advocates, whether they are businesses, residents or interest groups.” Asked to elaborate, Wyant reiterated the term “any” includes anyone from “the businesses side, environmental community or anyone else.” Wyant said he could not recall any specific decision that he disagrees with the current council during its last term. The Culver City Chamber of Commerce, where Wyant was a former board member, endorsed him along with candidates Göran Eriksson and Tiggs as city council contenders who “have lived in Culver City since before the turn of the century. They have seen the change in Culver City making it a truly 21st century city in Los Angeles County.” One topic that is slowly becoming a campaign issue is large- scale homes that are being built in Culver City’s neighborhoods and Carlson Park residents feel that their neighborhood is ground zero for this what detractors call “mansionization.” Wyant, who lives in Carlson Park, has heard outcry from residents on the campaign trail and on the planning commission. While he believes the city can offer certain incentives though revising some areas of the residential zoning code, not all solutions can come via government mandate, Wyant said. “We cannot legislate good neighbors. What we can do is make it difficult to be a bad neighbor and we can reward you for being a good neighbor,” he asserted. “The issue of second- story massing is the issue.” The council can opt for a moratorium of 45 days on “McMansions” but then must extend it if no action is taken to at least 18 months under state law. That is what the Los Angeles City Council has done in anticipation of its “mansionization” ordinance. Nearby neighborhoods in Westchester, Venice and Mar Vista have moratoriums in place due to public pressure. “We have no flexibility under the law so [a moratorium] is not the right solution,” Wyant said. Wyant dismisses some homeowners’ claims that large out of scale homes are becoming a “tide” in Culver City. “It’s a trend,” he clarified. What to do or can be done with the Inglewood Oilfield is another topic steeped in controversy confronting the voters and the council candidates. Wyant acknowledged that Culver City cannot regulate the oil wells within county territory and used planning terminology to describe one of his solutions. “What we can do is increase the setback of the wells so whatever is happening up there is as far back as possible from people,” he said. What concerns him more is if oil and gas company Freeman- McMoRan engages in slant drilling with the natural gas storage facility in Playa del Rey in close proximity. “They’re using the same type of technology that was used in Porter Ranch (the site of an immense natural gas link in Oct. 23),” he noted. Wyant feels voters should vote for him because of his resumé. “I’ve been around this city for a while, I think I can be a good councilman and I think I can help,” he concluded. April 12 is election day. Gary Walker contributed to this story.
In an election where national political experience can at times be a four-letter word, Scott Wyant is embracing it as an asset.
Wyant is a 27-year resident who has held a variety of jobs over several decades: a member of the Writer’s Guild, university professor, Indie cade organizer, television writer, systems analyst and city planning commissioner.
The Planning Commission has proven to be a stepping stone to higher office in Culver City: Vice Mayor Andrew Weismann, former councilman Scott Malsin, and former councilwoman Carol Gross are all former commissioners. Now Wyant, who was a part of Malsin’s second campaign apparatus in 2010, is hoping to make the jump to one of the council seats in April.
During an interview near the Culver City News’ office, it became clear that his experience in city government is one of the primary components of his campaign.
“Beside (incumbent Councilwoman) Meghan (Sahli-Wells) I’m the only person who is in the position of making decisions that can change the future of Culver City,” Wyant asserted. “I know that Marcus (Tiggs, another candidate for council) also served on the Planning Commission and he’s a smart guy, but aside from Meghan, I’m the only person who can walk in there on April 14 ready to work. I’m the only one who can look at a traffic study, who can look at a budget, who can look at any document and know where the meat is because I’ve done it and I do it well.”
Wyant underwent an ankle transplant several years ago and now is in good health, so he thought the time was right to throw his hat into the ring for city council. He pledged to govern the same way— if elected— that he says he has conducted himself on the planning commission: by listening and trying to work collaboratively with his potential council colleagues.
“Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas,” Wyant said.
In his campaign literature, the commissioner asks how the city will “ensure that there is enough money to maintain our streets, our parks, our schools, our water, power and sewer systems?” Asked that same question Wyant responded, “We’ve gone through a period in Culver City and in the world where we came really close to the abyss. Now our fiscal ship has been righted and we’ve put off all of these things that we need to do. As I’ve been walking around, I’m learning about all these things.
All this will require a substantial investment, Wyant recognizes. “The best way to get money for our infrastructure is to continue to create conditions for businesses to want to move into this town.”
Wyant say he is willing to spend — within reason and what is necessary— to improve Culver City’s infrastructure. “That would be my job,” he said.
A city fiberoptics initiative that will include Overland Avenue is an example of how Wyant says the city can be innovative in drawing startups and other businesses to this “information superhighway,” as he called it.
“All those little tiny bungalows over there are going to be real desirable places to work with high speed Internet. The city will own the infrastructure and soon no one in town is going to have to deal with AT&T or Time Warner anymore. In a year and a half, we’re going to be severed from the things that we really don’t like,” he predicted.
He also states in his literature, “We cannot allow policy to be set by single –issue advocates, whether they are businesses, residents or interest groups.”
Asked to elaborate, Wyant reiterated the term “any” includes anyone from “the businesses side, environmental community or anyone else.”
Wyant said he could not recall any specific decision that he disagrees with the current council during its last term.
The Culver City Chamber of Commerce, where Wyant was a former board member, endorsed him along with candidates Göran Eriksson and Tiggs as city council contenders who “have lived in Culver City since before the turn of the century. They have seen the change in Culver City making it a truly 21st century city in Los Angeles County.”
One topic that is slowly becoming a campaign issue is large- scale homes that are being built in Culver City’s neighborhoods and Carlson Park residents feel that their neighborhood is ground zero for this what detractors call “mansionization.”
Wyant, who lives in Carlson Park, has heard outcry from residents on the campaign trail and on the planning commission. While he believes the city can offer certain incentives though revising some areas of the residential zoning code, not all solutions can come via government mandate, Wyant said.
“We cannot legislate good neighbors. What we can do is make it difficult to be a bad neighbor and we can reward you for being a good neighbor,” he asserted. “The issue of second- story massing is the issue.”
The council can opt for a moratorium of 45 days on “McMansions” but then must extend it if no action is taken to at least 18 months under state law. That is what the Los Angeles City Council has done in anticipation of its “mansionization” ordinance. Nearby neighborhoods in Westchester, Venice and Mar Vista have moratoriums in place due to public pressure.
“We have no flexibility under the law so [a moratorium] is not the right solution,” Wyant said.
Wyant dismisses some homeowners’ claims that large out of scale homes are becoming a “tide” in Culver City. “It’s a trend,” he clarified.
What to do or can be done with the Inglewood Oilfield is another topic steeped in controversy confronting the voters and the council candidates. Wyant acknowledged that Culver City cannot regulate the oil wells within county territory and used planning terminology to describe one of his solutions.
“What we can do is increase the setback of the wells so whatever is happening up there is as far back as possible from people,” he said.
What concerns him more is if oil and gas company Freeman- McMoRan engages in slant drilling with the natural gas storage facility in Playa del Rey in close proximity. “They’re using the same type of technology that was used in Porter Ranch (the site of an immense natural gas link in Oct. 23),” he noted.
Wyant feels voters should vote for him because of his resumé. “I’ve been around this city for a while, I think I can be a good councilman and I think I can help,” he concluded.
