by Megan Barnes, The Beach Reporter

Want to have a bigger say in public health issues in the South Bay beach cities?

The governing body of the Beach Cities Health District is accepting applications to fill an 18-month term replacing former board member Lenore Bloss, who stepped down last month due to health issues.

During its monthly meeting on May 24, the preventative health agency’s board of directors opted to fill the vacancy via an appointment process rather than a special election estimated to cost $300,000.

Applications are available online and will be accepted with resumes until noon June 8 via email, fax or mail. Hopefuls must be registered voters and live in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach.

The board is slated to choose a replacement at a special meeting June 13.

The shortened term will run until the November 2018 election cycle, when two other seats held by physicians Michelle Bholat and Noel Chun will be up for election.

The Beach Cities Health District, which formed 60 years ago to manage the former South Bay Hospital, today runs a variety of community health initiatives and programming for residents of Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan.

Bloss was appointed to replace the late cardiologist Robert Grossman in September 2015. She won a full four-year term in November 2016, when she ran in a slate of incumbents against one challenger, holistic wellness advocate Vish Chatterji.

Bloss announced her resignation in April, citing emerging health issues, and also stepped down from the Redondo Beach Harbor Commission.

In a statement, Bholat said the board decided to fill the vacancy with a community application process to save taxpayers money.

“As an organization we believe in and value due process, however, we couldn’t justify spending more than a quarter-million taxpayer dollars to hold a special election when there is a local election cycle coming up in 2018,” said Bholat, who is board president. “It makes more sense to invest that money in community health programming and, instead, appoint a qualified beach cities resident to serve an abbreviated 18-month term.”

Last year, the district hired former Hermosa Beach City Manager Tom Bakaly to replace former CEO Susan Burden. The agency is exploring building new senior housing and renovating an aging medical building on its 11-acre Prospect Avenue campus in Redondo Beach.

For more information and to download an application, visit bchd.org/vacancy.

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