Council Cans Centennial Carnival Event

The three City Council members present Tuesday night unanimously agreed to not move forward with a city-sponsored centennial event that could have cost the city as much as $80,000 to stage.

Councilwoman Amy Howorth, Mayor Pro Tem David Lesser and Mayor Wayne Powell also deferred discussion of what entity would pay the $37,000+ in expenses related to the centennial committee to a future meeting when Council members Nick Tell and Richard Montgomery would be in attendance.

Both men have served as city council liaisons on the centennial committee, which was formed in 2010 to plan for, fund raise and execute events for the city's centennial year [Manhattan Beach was incorporated in December of 1912.]. In May, Montgomery stepped down from the committee and Howorth replaced him. Tell remains on the committee.

City Manager David Carmany told council Tuesday night that Tell was "unavoidably detained on a business trip" and that Montgomery was on a U.S. trade forum in China.

The proposed event was to be staged downtown in early September and was to potentially include ferris wheels, merry go rounds, carnival games and concessions such as cotton candy, cinnamon churros, snow cones, popcorn and nachos with chili and cheese. Other proposed ideas included adding an open house, scavenger hunt, historic photo displays and music by local groups and a signature band so that people could picnic on the beach or enjoy being downtown or on The Strand.

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