Washburn, founding father, and Groveman sign off

Council members retire in Calabasas



Dennis Washburn and Barry Groveman

Dennis Washburn and Barry Groveman

Friends, family and community organization representatives packed the Calabasas City Council chambers last week to praise the achievements of Mayor Barry Groveman and Mayor Pro Tem Dennis Washburn, who are retiring from city government.

Newly elected Fred Gaines and Lucy Martin took the oath of office yesterday and will replace the two on the council.

Councilmember Jonathon Wolfson said Groveman and Washburn provided exceptional leadership for the city.

“You both care very deeply about what happens to the people who live in this city,” Wolfson said.

Washburn, a founding member of Calabaasas, was elected in 1991 and served longer on the City Council than anyone. He is president of the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains and was recently appointed secretarytreasurer of the executive board of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, a statewide agency.

Washburn also serves on the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, the League of California Cities, the Southern California Association of Governments and Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments.

“If it were not for Dennis, I doubt that this city would exist,” said Marvin Lopata, who joined Washburn on the first Calabasas City Council.

Although Los Angeles Country tried “desperately to kill incorporation,” Washburn persisted to guide the movement for independence in the region, Lopata said.

Groveman, an environmental lawyer who was elected in 2003, received accolades for addressing the city’s school traffic problems and for intiating new ordinances calling for a ban on public smoking and the inspection of aging septic tank systems.

“(The smoking ordinance) is not only good for the residents of Calabasas; it’s good for the entire state and world,” said Jack Nicholl of the American Lung Association.

Today, 12 cities in Southern California require no smoking sections in apartment buildings and many others, such as Los Angeles, are also working to restrict public smoking.

“On all my eight years on the council, this achievement for me was my finest hour,” Groveman said.

Washburn and Groveman also helped to improve public safety and create strong bonds between the city and schools.

“We worked with both of you for many years and could not do what we do without your support,” said Cindy Iser of the Las Virgenes Unified School board of education. “You’re going to be greatly missed,” said Westlake Village Councilmember Mark Rutherford.

James Bozajian, who has been on the Calabasas council for 14 years, said the financial oversight championed by Groveman helped maintain the city’s fiscal stability.

“Though we’ve often disagreed over the years on matter of public policy, we’ve never allowed those differences to become personal or affect our friendship,” Bozajian said.

He then turned to Washburn.

“Dennis is one of our founding fathers. He was immediately selected as first mayor and he has a long list of accomplishments. The tremendous success Calabasas enjoyed over the year can be traced to the city’s strong leadership,” Bozajian said.

“I know of no other individual who’s given more generously of his time for his fellow ‘Calabasasians.’ He’s a kind and equitable soul,” he added.

Washburn and Groveman said their resignation from council doesn’t mean they’ll remain idle.

“I will continue to have a full schedule of activities, but they will be more philanthropic,” Washburn said.

A former advertising, marketing and brand development executive,

Wasburn yesterday retired from his post as executive director of the Foundation for Pierce College, which he held for five years.

Groveman plans to pursue other opportunities in the public realm, but wouldn’t be specific.

“The experience in Calabasas was really rewarding,” Groveman said. “I’m looking forward to serving at a higher level. . . . I have a whole other chapter coming up.”


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