Keep City Business in the City

00:00:00:01 – 00:00:03:30
David Martin
This is the good government show.

00:00:03:35 – 00:00:30:25
Chris Pimentel
So we stay in our lane and we focus on what cities do, and that allows the economy and the population around us to flourish. The kids can bike around. We’ve got an old main street. It is a very small town feel in the middle of a big city. The right answer is the one that works. You don’t fall in love with your plan B, be immediately ready to change your plan and discard.

00:00:30:25 – 00:00:55:43
Chris Pimentel
It is a sort of a really useful tool in governance. People, if they can stay involved and not just an election year. I mean, that is what makes local government go. The deepest secret about local politics. The secret of it is that it’s incredibly fun. It is just so much fun.

00:00:55:48 – 00:01:12:33
David Martin
There’s more than enough to do in his city, says the mayor of El Segundo, California. For him, that means he really is laser focused on the issues of his city and not worrying too much about problems in neighboring cities or taking on problems best handled by state or federal government. Welcome to the Good Government show. I’m Dave Martin.

00:01:12:47 – 00:01:29:10
David Martin
First, help us share the message of good government by liking us and sharing us. Where are we are? And all your favorite social media. Make sure of us and send our show everywhere. We all need to talk about good government. Chris. Pam Intel is the mayor of El Segundo, California. If you’ve ever flown into Los Angeles, you’ve been to El Segundo.

00:01:29:15 – 00:01:49:02
David Martin
It’s about a five mile square city tucked into a corner of Los Angeles. But as you’ll hear, there’s a lot going on. It’s the home of the LA Chargers, the Kings hockey team and the Lakers. And those are just some of the notable businesses that have set up their headquarters in his city. As you’ll hear, Chris is an ex-Marine, which I’m sure gives him the self-discipline he needs to stay focused on his job.

00:01:49:07 – 00:02:06:11
David Martin
And to him, his mission is clear. Just focus on El Segundo so he may not be a long snapper for the LA charges, and you’ll hear more about that. But he has a good idea of how he wants to be mayor of his city. Coming up, El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel.

00:02:06:15 – 00:02:28:37
David Martin
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00:02:28:44 – 00:02:51:34
David Martin
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00:02:51:47 – 00:03:15:49
David Martin
Editorial content from trusted community leaders and cities that are helping spread the good news. Let Hello Nation lift you up and lead the conversation. Visit Hello nation.com to learn more. Once you wrap up this episode of The Good Government Show, give a listen to our friends over at Good News for lefties. This daily podcast highlights news stories that show there’s more good news out there.

00:03:16:03 – 00:03:30:10
David Martin
Other people in government are really trying to do the right thing. That’s good news for lefties. Listen, we’re listening now. Welcome to the Good Government show. I’m happy to have with you my guest from El Segundo, California, the mayor Chris Pimentel.

00:03:30:12 – 00:03:31:37
Chris Pimentel
Thank you very much. Very happy to be here.

00:03:31:47 – 00:03:41:43
David Martin
Happy to have you. El Segundo, California I’ve been there, several times. Both. On my way into and out of Los Angeles and down to the beach. How are things in El Segundo?

00:03:41:48 – 00:03:46:57
Chris Pimentel
We are great. And we are booming at the moment. It is the fastest growing economy in California.

00:03:47:11 – 00:03:50:15
David Martin
It’s El Segundo. What drives the economy in El Segundo?

00:03:50:22 – 00:04:03:11
Chris Pimentel
So innovation, what we call deep tech and hard tech. So instead of people who are building software, if you are innovating and creating things, tangible things, principally in the hard sciences, that’s what we do.

00:04:03:16 – 00:04:06:33
David Martin
And how is the city of El Segundo helping that alone?

00:04:06:42 – 00:04:30:13
Chris Pimentel
I think probably our main guidepost is we’re ruthlessly disciplined on our level of governance. We do not step outside into big social issues, federal issues. We stay focused on allowing innovators to come in with a predictable, transparent tax system, and creating a flexible zoning process that allows them to get the sort of physical plant operation they need in a timely manner.

00:04:30:17 – 00:04:32:40
Chris Pimentel
Our permitting process takes about 21 days.

00:04:32:45 – 00:04:35:10
David Martin
And you said you are ruthlessly, ruthlessly.

00:04:35:11 – 00:04:58:30
Chris Pimentel
We are ruthlessly disciplined as a as any elected officials with the city council level, the mayoral level or staff level. It’s very easy in a place like Los Angeles County to get pulled into issues that are outside the purview of a city, and that’s a complete distraction, and it leads to really bad, inefficient governance. So we stay in our lane and we focus on what cities do, and that allows the economy and the population around us to flourish.

00:04:58:35 – 00:04:59:25
David Martin
Is that hard to do?

00:04:59:29 – 00:05:21:15
Chris Pimentel
It is really, really, really hard to do. We are human beings wise. It’s the motions and passions and we read and you see the news and things like that. But making sure that we, in aggregate to the state legislature what they need to do to our, to our federal officials, what they need to do. And we’re vocal with them, but we we make sure city business, a city business, and we’re very disciplined and that pays off.

00:05:21:20 – 00:05:32:06
David Martin
There’s a lot going on which is outside of your purview in Los Angeles County. How is it affecting the citizens and what you’re doing us as mayor in your city?

00:05:32:11 – 00:05:46:45
Chris Pimentel
I think a big part of leadership is to communicate with people about how it impacts them and what you’re doing to get a sense that they understand you have what we are working on under control. But there’s a lot going on in El Segundo. We have $24 billion of economic activity in the last five years.

00:05:46:54 – 00:05:47:28
David Martin
That’s a lot.

00:05:47:30 – 00:06:03:14
Chris Pimentel
Oil refinery have three major sports teams, and we have all the defense primes. And we have all of your satellites or for the US government or purchased through El Segundo. I mean, it’s it’s a there’s a lot going on to begin with, let alone getting caught up in what happens at our the city of LA or in the region.

00:06:03:19 – 00:06:05:06
David Martin
What are the three major sports teams you have?

00:06:05:07 – 00:06:12:44
Chris Pimentel
So we have the Lakers, Kings and Chargers are all based in El Segundo. Yeah. So L.A. Lakers, L.A. Chargers and the Hockey Kings.

00:06:12:49 – 00:06:14:32
David Martin
And are there offices there or.

00:06:14:44 – 00:06:30:44
Chris Pimentel
Office practice facility the entire piece. Oh, really? Yeah, all of it. So we have a big three sheet ice rink where the Kings and the Junior Kings play. We have the Lakers home facility, which is also home to UCLA Sports Medicine. And then the Chargers moved in just a few years ago with a giant $150 million facility with three practice fields.

00:06:30:44 – 00:06:31:32
Chris Pimentel
It’s great.

00:06:31:37 – 00:06:32:20
David Martin
That’s all there.

00:06:32:22 – 00:06:38:05
Chris Pimentel
It’s all there. And all of the most important 5.5mi² of economic activity in Southern California.

00:06:38:09 – 00:06:40:32
David Martin
And, So which team are you a supporter of?

00:06:40:38 – 00:06:42:08
Chris Pimentel
Well, you have to be a supporter of all of them.

00:06:42:15 – 00:06:43:18
David Martin
I think it’s I guess.

00:06:43:18 – 00:06:45:10
Chris Pimentel
Like California, typically people struggle.

00:06:45:18 – 00:06:46:12
David Martin
Over.

00:06:46:17 – 00:07:03:34
Chris Pimentel
We got to be like the Chargers. I mean, look at the state. Our great corporate citizens, the Spanish family coming up from San Diego has been absolutely wonderful to work with. They’re incredibly inclusive of the community. They immediately adopted all of our Pop Warner and, and flag football teams. I mean, they’ve been great. They did absolutely great.

00:07:03:39 – 00:07:10:43
Chris Pimentel
Run the Kings over a long time. The Kings of Energy for 20 years. They’re just wonderful as well. We have a large hockey playing populace, which is sort.

00:07:10:43 – 00:07:14:41
David Martin
Of I did a little research and I saw you at a groundbreaking for a new, hockey rink.

00:07:14:41 – 00:07:25:48
Chris Pimentel
For, for our roller hockey rink. And that’s all sponsored by the Kings and the Lakers. The bus family been have been wonderful for a number of years. Obviously, they’ve just sold that team, so there’ll be some turnover there. It’s been wonderful.

00:07:25:53 – 00:07:28:49
David Martin
And all this in El Segundo. Describe El Segundo for people who don’t.

00:07:28:49 – 00:07:50:57
Chris Pimentel
Know if you if you landing in Los Angeles, you fly directly toward the beach. Right. You see the ocean if you look to your left on the beach, that’s El Segundo. All right. So we are tucked between a Chevron oil refinery that, as Standard Oil, is what founded the city. We have an air force base to the east, LAX airport to the north, and we’re tucked into that enclave sort of a little bit isolated in a 5.5mi² grid.

00:07:51:02 – 00:07:57:51
David Martin
And there’s, there’s a part of El Segundo that is just absolutely what you think of when you think of beautiful LA.

00:07:57:55 – 00:07:58:19
Chris Pimentel
That’s right.

00:07:58:21 – 00:08:04:23
David Martin
It’s a residential community. It’s got the whole palm tree thing.

00:08:04:27 – 00:08:17:52
Chris Pimentel
The water palm tree, very Mayberry feel to it. Because we are isolated a bit, it makes it easy for people to leave their doors unlocked. The kids can bike around. We’ve got an old main street. It is a very small town feel in the middle of a big city.

00:08:17:57 – 00:08:34:13
David Martin
One of the things I have learned at this conference, we’re here talking to the Conference of Mayors. I attended a conference, a breakout session on trees. And I have learned in all recently that the palm trees in Los Angeles, first of all, are not trees, and need to be replaced. What are you doing about this?

00:08:34:13 – 00:08:35:11
David Martin
How are you dealing with this?

00:08:35:20 – 00:08:36:05
Chris Pimentel
I will tell you.

00:08:36:05 – 00:08:36:28
David Martin
A huge.

00:08:36:28 – 00:08:54:12
Chris Pimentel
Problem. The palm tree is a scourge because it is a grass. As anyone figures out when they try and cut one down, it’s enormously painful to cut down. And the roots are a giant ball of of of of grass roots. You know, we have not had as big an intrusion problem with them where they sort of dot the city.

00:08:54:20 – 00:09:19:32
Chris Pimentel
We about 40 years ago put in tons of ficus, which added a lot of shade, like it’s a horrible tree to put in because it’s roots just as much. It adds a ton of shade on the top cover underground. It goes laterally as well and destroys your sewage pipes and your sidewalks. So we are one of the cities in the midst of a giant sort of retreating, but with specific kinds of native trees whose roots will go straight down and not destroy sidewalks in California.

00:09:19:32 – 00:09:23:47
Chris Pimentel
That’s I could go on for hours about the number of lawsuits you face for unbalanced sidewalks.

00:09:23:47 – 00:09:26:35
David Martin
Have you have you stopped by the, American forest?

00:09:26:38 – 00:09:44:21
Chris Pimentel
I have I have ruined their entire trip. I think they wanted to talk to a lot of people. And not just me, but I’ve got the entire piece. We have, like, a lot of things with, particularly with interest issues like trees that typically run by a nonprofit or volunteer organization. And for us, we had a very strong one for a long time.

00:09:44:21 – 00:10:00:16
Chris Pimentel
But those also tend to have very poor succession planning. So all of a sudden your your nonprofit can age out. And in a year during Covid, our beloved tree musketeers shut down. So the city has been seeking to, to restock its arboreal, involvement groups.

00:10:00:23 – 00:10:08:54
David Martin
All right. You said you were a vice mayor before, and you’re your mayor now. This is your second year. No second year mayor. What does the government look like in El Segundo?

00:10:09:06 – 00:10:32:14
Chris Pimentel
I mean, honestly, I really I really bang the table for municipalities like ours to stay focused on their local community and adding clarity and efficiency. It is just so easy to be distracted by the sort of the political whims around you. And that can really it polarizes communities. It’s inefficient. It gets people hung up on things that don’t mean they matter in a grand scale.

00:10:32:14 – 00:10:40:40
Chris Pimentel
But at a city level where we are pensions, power lines, pavement, all of those kinds of things, it makes it really difficult to do. If you’re continually litigating feelings.

00:10:40:52 – 00:10:47:17
David Martin
How do you explain that to people when they come up and they want to complain about something, and it’s just not a city problem. How do you deal with that as mayor?

00:10:47:19 – 00:11:05:36
Chris Pimentel
Well, I think part of it, we engage at all levels, even in the schools with civic education and make sure people know who their different legislators are, okay. Make sure where they’re assembly person is, make sure they understand. Here’s what the county does. Here’s what the city does. We really, really, really focus on civic educate like classic civics.

00:11:05:36 – 00:11:05:56
David Martin
Okay.

00:11:05:56 – 00:11:22:23
Chris Pimentel
And then when someone comes up on the Dias for public comment and reads you the riot act about something, it’s we’ll take a moment, be okay. Here’s the process for that. Here’s how this Will went through the district court, here’s how this was played out in the legislature. And put some of that there. And frankly, we bore people quite a bit.

00:11:22:28 – 00:11:22:57
Chris Pimentel
We it’s really.

00:11:22:57 – 00:11:24:38
David Martin
Boring. I don’t think you bought anyone.

00:11:24:45 – 00:11:31:50
Chris Pimentel
We bore him to death. But it’s also part of it is understanding, like, here’s what we control and here’s what we do not, and here’s a and here are the ways you.

00:11:31:55 – 00:11:32:23
David Martin
Go over there.

00:11:32:29 – 00:11:46:06
Chris Pimentel
You know, I think in the first we don’t really put it off. People can feel like they’re being sort of shuffled along. Right. But then when you say, no, this is this is we are also fortunate that that’s the part that’s exactly the problem. Our state Senate office is in El Segundo. So he’s right there, you know.

00:11:46:19 – 00:11:49:54
David Martin
But but they come to a city council. They go, I want you to do this. Well, that’s not my problem.

00:11:49:55 – 00:11:50:42
Chris Pimentel
Well, yes it is.

00:11:50:56 – 00:11:52:16
David Martin
That’s there. Now how do.

00:11:52:16 – 00:12:08:52
Chris Pimentel
You do you do you make sure it is your problem? Yeah. I mean, it’s very much your problem, but you don’t always own the solution. Okay. So you can you can tell me like. Yes, this is our problem. Here is what we are doing on the. And here’s what you can do to look for a solution. And here’s the person or group that owns the solution.

00:12:08:52 – 00:12:13:57
Chris Pimentel
So it’s very different from telling people it’s not your problem. It is our problem in a very real sense problem.

00:12:14:01 – 00:12:18:13
David Martin
Thank you for the correction. But understand what you’re saying. Yeah I just I go over well.

00:12:18:18 – 00:12:27:13
Chris Pimentel
I think as long as people understand that your what your intentions are right, and they have faith and we’ve demonstrated our ability and willingness to go to bat and those things, they trust you.

00:12:27:18 – 00:12:30:07
David Martin
I know you out of the community. Are you are you. Oh, no.

00:12:30:12 – 00:12:30:37
Chris Pimentel
You have to.

00:12:30:37 – 00:12:31:38
David Martin
Be, I guess. Yeah.

00:12:31:38 – 00:12:39:31
Chris Pimentel
You can. Yeah, I stood I was there at a, adult softball game when I started getting in the air from the umpire. Umpires. That’s, you know.

00:12:39:31 – 00:12:40:56
David Martin
That’s going to be the other way.

00:12:41:01 – 00:12:46:39
Chris Pimentel
I hear the umpires in my ear about a zoning decision. That’s great. But that’s part of that’s part of local government. It’s all.

00:12:46:39 – 00:12:52:13
David Martin
Right. And we talked briefly about, my favorite bar, which I thought was it also good. Segundo. It is it the shack.

00:12:52:18 – 00:12:53:15
Chris Pimentel
The beloved shack.

00:12:53:15 – 00:13:01:19
David Martin
Beloved shack. And, so when you when you go there, just over the, over the border to somebody is very welcome. I’m glad, Mr. Mayor. Glad you’re here.

00:13:01:19 – 00:13:14:41
Chris Pimentel
No, no. And that’s the advantage of this. As you probably recall, the shack, there’s very little talking. It’s. How do you want your burger? How you sit down. And I think it’s a, it’s a, it’s a Chatham house. I think of, of West Los Angeles.

00:13:14:41 – 00:13:32:54
David Martin
This is a, Elvis shack is a beach front bar that is the the quintessential, Hollywood central casting beachfront bar. That’s right. Just over the line just outside of El Segundo. So, good government. You know what? What have you been able to, to get done and that that shows that things are working well there.

00:13:33:07 – 00:13:34:04
Chris Pimentel
You know, I think the.

00:13:34:09 – 00:13:34:47
David Martin
Super.

00:13:34:47 – 00:14:05:42
Chris Pimentel
Predictable taxation, right. People can do their business license online. It takes about ten minutes every January. It makes it very easy on businesses are zoning processes and our permitting process are very clear. They’re very transparent. And we have an ethos within those departments. It’s really responsive. So you can come in to our to our planning instead of it being a shell game of, well, I think I’d like to do this, but you can just ask them, here’s what I’m trying to do, and they will look to you and say, well, here’s the way you can do it, and not instead of here’s why you cannot.

00:14:05:47 – 00:14:08:09
Chris Pimentel
And that gets things done very, very quickly.

00:14:08:18 – 00:14:31:53
David Martin
That does sound like we’re streamlining the process. Well, we’re going to get to your real thoughts on government in just a moment. The Good Government Show is sponsored by our. That’s oh you are for our community. Get involved. We hear that all the time from government leaders. Our brands with your governments name and logo, your staff and the people you serve are connected and part of your community.

00:14:32:05 – 00:14:58:37
David Martin
From any device. Your members provide reliable data and meaningful feedback. Ask a question like do we want more parkland or better homeless services? More engage conversations come through the our app. Visit our co that’s ou rco.com and book a demonstration. After you get done with this episode, hear more good government stories with our friends at How to Really Run a City for mayors.

00:14:58:37 – 00:15:23:22
David Martin
Kasim Reid of Atlanta and Michael Nutter, a Seattle delphia, and their co-host, journalist and author Larry Platt talk with guests and other mayors about how to really get stuff done in cities around the nation. Check them out where you’re listening now or through their nonprofit news site, The Philadelphia Citizen. Dot org slash podcasts. So we have the Good Government Show questionnaire.

00:15:23:22 – 00:15:29:14
David Martin
This is something I ask, government leaders across the nation. And we’re going to find out what you really think of government. Are you ready?

00:15:29:19 – 00:15:34:33
Chris Pimentel
I should say for the for the people watching at home. I have not see these questions before.

00:15:34:38 – 00:15:38:04
David Martin
I have the I have the printed out in front of me.

00:15:38:09 – 00:15:43:02
Chris Pimentel
If there’s a train going down the track and I can say one person I know or hundred people, I don’t know what it.

00:15:43:02 – 00:15:43:57
David Martin
Is, no matter how.

00:15:43:57 – 00:15:45:38
Chris Pimentel
Good the show be, no bad.

00:15:45:45 – 00:15:47:04
David Martin
Define good governance. What is it?

00:15:47:12 – 00:16:05:22
Chris Pimentel
Responsive and predictable. I mean, if you are responsive to to to people and you are predictable and give them something that they can base off them. So instead of them having to feel like they have to litigate their opinion with a government that’s there to serve them, you give them predictable, predictable government and responsive, that is that is really the secret sauce.

00:16:05:27 – 00:16:09:32
David Martin
If people think you’re doing a terrible job and you’re the worst mayor ever, what should they do.

00:16:09:37 – 00:16:19:59
Chris Pimentel
If they don’t vote for me? I mean, believe me, I, I have people tell me that all the time. It’s very the process. Fortunately, the process has been made simple by the Athenians. Just hear me out.

00:16:20:13 – 00:16:23:39
David Martin
But in the meantime, you know, what can they do between every four years?

00:16:23:44 – 00:16:43:38
Chris Pimentel
Look, I think ten is when people give you feedback, right? And give you tangible feedback. That’s super helpful, right? Because we’re human beings too. You can make mistakes and you try to predict the second and third order effect of a decision, but the proverbial unknowable unknowns are out there. So if we put something out there, I will give you a classic local government nightmare example.

00:16:43:47 – 00:17:02:09
Chris Pimentel
Go ahead. Parking permit zones. Right? Marking is always a problem. Parking is always a problem, and people want permits for an externality. Let’s say a shopping mall comes in or in our case, like a we work where we have a bunch of people suddenly flooding an area with cars. So you set up a permit. So all data is, is, is predictably, you understand it’s a game of whac-a-mole.

00:17:02:09 – 00:17:21:58
Chris Pimentel
You’re immediately pushing the problem to the people next door. Right? But what you don’t always understand are who needs a specific parking spot because they’re handicapped, don’t have a handicap tag, or they’ve parked in that same spot for 40 years with their dad’s classic car, or all these sort of unknowable unknowns. Yes, people come back and give you tangible, hey, here is a problem, and here is why.

00:17:22:10 – 00:17:34:40
Chris Pimentel
And ideally, they give you here is a solution I think might work. That’s a lot easier to deal with. Then you’re an idiot. I hate your parking zone. Why would you have done this? Haven’t you ever read a book on this before? You know, it’s just a disaster.

00:17:34:40 – 00:17:36:49
David Martin
So cover the problem up. Is a solution that we can talk you.

00:17:37:02 – 00:17:47:03
Chris Pimentel
You don’t have to come with a solution. It’s helpful. But if it if it’s tangible, you know, if it’s tangible, it’s, I mean, conceptualize and not not merely indignation, which is really difficult to work with.

00:17:47:08 – 00:17:48:31
David Martin
How do you deal with social media?

00:17:48:36 – 00:18:13:48
Chris Pimentel
What we’ve done, and this is a really difficult piece because of the way the California law works, is, is we sort of throw in a little not quite caution to the wind, but we fully engage our city manager’s office to monitor social media and websites. We know that residents use. So so we try to crush the rumors quickly and engage with things, you know, particularly in moments like like we have now where people are concerned about, oh, is the federal government showing up in our city.

00:18:14:01 – 00:18:29:33
Chris Pimentel
And we can remind people and they’re like, hey, here’s what state law, here’s our state law, governments use of our police. And then these regards, and here’s the resources that we have as a city. And you just try to get ahead of rumors and things that start to spiral on social media. What you don’t do is get involved in back and forth.

00:18:29:47 – 00:18:39:01
Chris Pimentel
You can’t start trying to argue with people on social media. We make declarative statements and then get out, but we do monitor so we know what the intent is, what what is out there in the sort of the zeitgeist.

00:18:39:01 – 00:18:42:53
David Martin
Has never helped. I mean, has any of that feedback from social media made a difference?

00:18:42:53 – 00:19:02:47
Chris Pimentel
It absolutely has it. Absolutely. I will say that in my previous terms, you would get a lot more negative feedback off things that had sort of spiraled out of control and social media or nasty emails or notes and, you know, knock on wood, I could count the nasty grams. I’ve gotten this year, probably on two hands, but it’s it’s.

00:19:02:47 – 00:19:03:46
David Martin
So they’re really got to having.

00:19:03:46 – 00:19:11:10
Chris Pimentel
It. Yeah. Well, I don’t know if they’re loving me. They might be just writing it so that there could be a website I don’t know about. There’s actually an entire website dedicated. How terrible I am.

00:19:11:10 – 00:19:12:23
David Martin
I hate to there. Yeah.

00:19:12:28 – 00:19:23:50
Chris Pimentel
I just don’t exist yet. They’ve been showing me the password. Good. But no, but that part of of being out in front, it’s really telling people, hey, here’s you’re the facts as we know them, and here’s the decisions we made and why, has been very helpful.

00:19:23:54 – 00:19:26:31
David Martin
Prior to being vice mayor and mayor. What’s your background? What were you doing.

00:19:26:40 – 00:19:28:16
Chris Pimentel
That was a marine infantry officer.

00:19:28:21 – 00:19:30:52
David Martin
A marine infantry officer? Yeah. Oh, good.

00:19:30:57 – 00:19:32:31
Speaker 3

00:19:32:36 – 00:19:36:05
Chris Pimentel
Well, those people let you know if you’re doing a bad job very quickly.

00:19:36:10 – 00:19:37:01
Speaker 3

00:19:37:06 – 00:19:39:30
Chris Pimentel
To the guy sitting around staring at you like, oh.

00:19:39:30 – 00:19:43:41
David Martin
Good. Do you sometimes have to, like, switch off the marine when you’re responding to something.

00:19:43:45 – 00:20:00:59
Chris Pimentel
New, when one thing that’s fascinating about the Marine Corps and side of, what you would see in sort of a movie, is it it is exclusively focused on problem solving at the infantry officer, the tactical problem level. It is problem solving. And the sort of the ethos is the right answer is the one that works. So there’s all these sort of kitschy things.

00:20:00:59 – 00:20:17:06
Chris Pimentel
We say, like, you don’t fall in love with your plan. Like, I love that one. You don’t fall in love with your plan B, be immediately ready to change your plan and discard. It is a sort of a really useful tool in governance because I came up with something like, hey, I think this will work. And then when someone shows up and says, here’s why it doesn’t, hey, don’t don’t fall in love with it.

00:20:17:08 – 00:20:18:58
Chris Pimentel
You know, don’t invest your ego in your idea.

00:20:18:58 – 00:20:20:38
David Martin
And Hollywood, they say kill your babies.

00:20:20:42 – 00:20:21:15
Chris Pimentel
Yeah.

00:20:21:20 – 00:20:22:45
David Martin
See what I do? Yeah.

00:20:22:50 – 00:20:23:58
Chris Pimentel
I would stay away from that one.

00:20:24:00 – 00:20:30:57
David Martin
Well that’s that what they’re talking about right. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. You know. Sorry.

00:20:31:06 – 00:20:31:47
Chris Pimentel
That’s all right.

00:20:31:58 – 00:20:40:20
David Martin
No don’t I, you know, that’s a, that’s a great thing. That’s a great way to look at it. So what are you I mean obviously Marine Corps. But what drew you to public service?

00:20:40:25 – 00:21:01:50
Chris Pimentel
You know, for us, we were having a debt crisis. We had kicked down the road on unfunded pensions. So between retirement benefits and medical benefits, we were closing in on half $1 billion of unfunded obligation. That would have really started to hit on our table in about 2028, 2029. So we would have spent about $0.40 out of every dollar just on pensions out of our general fund.

00:21:01:55 – 00:21:18:33
Chris Pimentel
And that was something that I could not believe when I moved to town. Yeah. And then having researched it, I said, we have to I have to have some moral courage to solve this problem. Otherwise the city will look very different in 2030. And that was a six year project that the city council and the city staff took on, along with our labor groups.

00:21:18:33 – 00:21:38:52
Chris Pimentel
And, we, we put together sort of a multi-step plan to build out a qualification for a bond. And then when rates were cut during Covid, we were able to bond out that pension obligation at about 2.5%. So save us about $96 million. And we have a very predictable load till 2038. We spent $9 million a year on those pensions, but then we’re free.

00:21:38:59 – 00:21:40:56
David Martin
So you were a city council before you became.

00:21:40:56 – 00:21:42:04
Chris Pimentel
That’s right, vice chair.

00:21:42:17 – 00:21:44:39
David Martin
That’s right. Okay. Well, what what drew you to public service?

00:21:44:39 – 00:21:45:20
Chris Pimentel
What what.

00:21:45:20 – 00:21:46:20
David Martin
Inspired you to get.

00:21:46:20 – 00:21:58:31
Chris Pimentel
Involved? I think you have a personality type that’s sort of a meddler, right? I mean, that’s why I joined the Marines. The Marines were out there in the in the, if you remember, in the 90s, right. The Marines were the only ones you’d see on TV in places doing things, you know, first people, Somali, all those sorts of things.

00:21:58:33 – 00:22:19:41
Chris Pimentel
Right. So there’s a naturally, I think, a a an impulse to get involved and help. And then I was just stewing around about the pension piece. I couldn’t get my brain right. How can a city of 17,000 people, residents, but 75,000 come to work every day? But how can a city that size. Oh, effectively $65,000 for every man, woman and child an unfunded debt?

00:22:19:41 – 00:22:26:22
Chris Pimentel
I just couldn’t get my head around it. So after marching around and yelling at the wind about it, just, hey, if you get you could solve it, go solve it.

00:22:26:22 – 00:22:33:53
David Martin
So so basically it boils down to I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore. And the next thing you know, you find yourself at the city council. Yeah.

00:22:33:53 – 00:22:37:45
Chris Pimentel
Instead of leaning out a window yelling, I just sort of wringing my hands, I think more than anything.

00:22:37:51 – 00:22:39:34
David Martin
All right, well, who inspires you?

00:22:39:39 – 00:22:47:13
Chris Pimentel
Oh, I don’t know. That’s it. That’s a tricky one. You know, I think that I always get inspired by one of my favorite friends.

00:22:47:13 – 00:22:47:46
David Martin
No mask.

00:22:47:59 – 00:23:04:45
Chris Pimentel
Yeah, there’s no Matt. Like, look at H.W. Bush, right? I mean, that was a guy who I think just had a life of of of service. Yeah, really good at it. And there were externalities around him that didn’t lead to him being reelected. But there’s someone who, you know, sort of led with moderation in his, in his head and his heart.

00:23:04:45 – 00:23:14:32
Chris Pimentel
And that’s something that I remember. And maybe we all sort of lionize presidents of our youth. I just remember looking at him and thinking, this guy is a really sensational leader through his entire life.

00:23:14:42 – 00:23:16:09
David Martin
And a Navy Navy pilot, a.

00:23:16:09 – 00:23:34:29
Chris Pimentel
Naval aviator, you know, Congress sort of every level of governance and, you know, and then shepherded us through the crisis that was the end of the Cold War and shepherded through effectively. And I mean, I think I sort of wistfully wonder if he’d been reelected, how things might have been different. Or maybe, maybe not. I don’t know that the great what ifs of history.

00:23:34:29 – 00:23:37:16
Chris Pimentel
Certainly we may never have balanced our budget, but, did.

00:23:37:16 – 00:23:38:59
David Martin
You always see yourself going into public service?

00:23:39:13 – 00:23:44:29
Chris Pimentel
No, no, no, I wanted to play for the Cowboys and.

00:23:44:34 – 00:23:47:08
Chris Pimentel
There. And it turns out that was not. It wasn’t going to happen.

00:23:47:10 – 00:23:48:47
David Martin
When did you realize you were going to be a cowboy?

00:23:48:47 – 00:23:57:36
Chris Pimentel
That’s a about last week, I think I finally I thought I gave up. I finally gave up. It’s been proven myself that I was trying log snapping last week. I think there’s got to be a spot for me.

00:23:57:37 – 00:24:02:20
David Martin
No, no. Okay, listen, you’re the mayor. The Chargers right?

00:24:02:25 – 00:24:04:08
Chris Pimentel
They might have something. Coach Java.

00:24:04:13 – 00:24:05:25
David Martin
What did he what do you do.

00:24:05:25 – 00:24:07:20
Chris Pimentel
You put it in third down I get.

00:24:07:22 – 00:24:09:52
David Martin
Well at least like you said on the sideline.

00:24:09:57 – 00:24:10:45
Chris Pimentel
Probably not.

00:24:10:45 – 00:24:11:39
David Martin
Yeah sorry I would.

00:24:11:39 – 00:24:13:49
Chris Pimentel
Add I would add too much useful information.

00:24:13:54 – 00:24:21:35
David Martin
Were you were you politically motivated as a kid? Did you want to be president? Other than, you know, linebacker for the Cowboys?

00:24:21:40 – 00:24:43:02
Chris Pimentel
No. You know, I was always interested in my, you know, my dad had been in the military, so moved around quite a bit. And he was on he was in on the strategic Strategic Air Command for the Air Force. So it’s sort of a higher view of, of I guess the geopolitics. Yeah. Of it. And and so I had a view to it and I always found it interesting, but it wasn’t and I wasn’t, the valedictorian, student class president.

00:24:43:07 – 00:24:44:08
David Martin
So your dad was in the Army.

00:24:44:19 – 00:24:47:42
Chris Pimentel
He’s in the Air Force. Air force is B-52 pilot or feature navigator.

00:24:47:46 – 00:24:51:28
David Martin
And how did he take to you being a marine? Not, Air Force?

00:24:51:32 – 00:24:55:50
Chris Pimentel
Well, you know, oddly, he doesn’t love flying.

00:24:55:55 – 00:24:56:09
Chris Pimentel
You know.

00:24:56:09 – 00:24:58:10
Chris Pimentel
Which is a funny, sort of funny tidbit.

00:24:58:10 – 00:25:00:37
David Martin
So that’s why you did that? Because you love to fly.

00:25:00:37 – 00:25:09:40
Chris Pimentel
And I told him, you know, that I don’t care for flying either. But he. Yeah, he thought there were probably better things that I could have done with my with my efforts. My kids.

00:25:09:45 – 00:25:19:54
David Martin
You know, the Marines is certainly a side place to serve. So you’ve been on city council, you’ve been a vice mayor. Now you’re a mayor. What would you like people to know about government and how it works, especially in El Segundo?

00:25:19:59 – 00:25:38:27
Chris Pimentel
You know, I think that people, if they can stay involved and not just an election year, I mean, that is what makes local government go right. We have tons of volunteers. Yes, Holland and I also going to we’re very fortunate with it and savvy and civic who understand what our legal abilities are, what the constraints are, but also what our powers are as well.

00:25:38:32 – 00:25:46:23
Chris Pimentel
So if people can stay involved in local government and stay involved, they’ll naturally be educated on it. And it makes it much easier for us to work with them and work for them.

00:25:46:32 – 00:25:57:39
David Martin
I used to come to Los Angeles a lot more than I do, but I’ve been there from time to time. I’m coming to El Segundo. Where are you going to take me to get a quintessential El Segundo lunch. Dinner? You know.

00:25:57:39 – 00:26:02:22
Chris Pimentel
That is a Wendy’s. Wendy’s diner. It’s been there for a.

00:26:02:27 – 00:26:02:59
David Martin
It’s a chain.

00:26:02:59 – 00:26:21:27
Chris Pimentel
No, not the chain. Wendy’s. Our Wendy’s is is amazing. And so I mean it it’s packed. You meet everybody from a a a massively successful entrepreneur to a professional athlete to an astronaut to it all sitting there having, you know, chicken fried steak in a, in a place it’s probably got about seven tables and is tucked into our main street.

00:26:21:27 – 00:26:22:01
Chris Pimentel
It is great.

00:26:22:07 – 00:26:23:42
David Martin
It’s great. Wendy’s diner, no.

00:26:23:47 – 00:26:26:09
Chris Pimentel
Data Nelson got it. You got to be there before two because the two.

00:26:26:11 – 00:26:28:00
David Martin
Because it’s it’s what’s your steady or.

00:26:28:03 – 00:26:31:57
Chris Pimentel
Filling visa? I always get the like we say when we say we’re like sunny side up.

00:26:32:02 – 00:26:34:48
David Martin
All right. That’s the place. What do you do for fun?

00:26:34:53 – 00:26:55:53
Chris Pimentel
I kind of this it actually, you know, like one thing that people the deepest secret about local politics. Yes. The secret of it is that it’s incredibly fun. It is just so much fun. I mean, I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is always neat problems to solve. You have broad latitude to correct your mistakes because it’s happening locally and it’s just a whole lot of fun.

00:26:55:55 – 00:27:11:30
Chris Pimentel
I mean, this is fun. You get to meet people all the time who do interesting things. And also, you know that with the same dance, former dance studio lunch, Beyond meat lunch, pico grid, you know, puts things in space. I mean, it’s the same. You’re meeting these fascinating people who do different things in these strange corners of your town.

00:27:11:30 – 00:27:12:31
Chris Pimentel
It’s it’s really fun.

00:27:12:35 – 00:27:17:01
David Martin
You’re the first mayor who’s ever said. What do you do for fun? Be the mayor.

00:27:17:03 – 00:27:20:23
Chris Pimentel
It’s a bit. I mean, I’m not going to lie, I. I mean, it’s great.

00:27:20:28 – 00:27:26:43
David Martin
So this is a good government show, and we always bring it back to good government. Give me an example of good government project that you’re excited about in your city.

00:27:26:52 – 00:27:38:39
Chris Pimentel
I’m going to give you a really small project that shows, I think, really good governance. When, when when the LA times moved to El Segundo, there’s a gentleman who bought a dry cleaner. I bought a shot store Friday, but a dry cleaner and right by it.

00:27:38:39 – 00:27:39:14
David Martin
Okay.

00:27:39:19 – 00:27:57:20
Chris Pimentel
We think it’s great that we’ve got the LA times. Come in. This gentleman shows up. City council says I bought a dry cleaner. I put in all this equipment. It’s not zoned. I have the wastewater permits, but I can’t operate here legally. And this is on a Tuesday. The city council thinks, well, this is great. We’ve got an amenity for a large new customer here, the L.A. times.

00:27:57:25 – 00:28:13:41
Chris Pimentel
How can we fix this city attorney? What does it take to permit in a dry cleaner in here? Because I need 72. I could you could you could enter a zone change. Now we have 72 hours before it could take effect at the soonest. So we do it on the Tuesday. We all get together for breakfast on Friday morning, bang the gavel at, like times.

00:28:13:41 – 00:28:25:33
Chris Pimentel
It’s dry cleaner because it made sense and it was super responsive, fast, legal, compliant, environmentally sound governance. And it happened that quickly. I mean, it was thrilled. But that’s that’s the way it should work. The guy was happy. It was great.

00:28:25:38 – 00:28:28:45
David Martin
That is that is good government in action. Yes, yes.

00:28:28:52 – 00:28:32:02
Chris Pimentel
Yeah. Let’s have a Friday morning. We’ll have eggs, coffee and then change his own.

00:28:32:07 – 00:28:34:06
David Martin
Please wait to the Wendy’s Diner for this.

00:28:34:11 – 00:28:35:34
Chris Pimentel
No, we have to do it in the chambers.

00:28:35:34 – 00:28:42:26
David Martin
Unfortunate that. All right, Crispin, and tell the mayor of, you know, in California. It was a pleasure to chat with you. Thanks for stopping.

00:28:42:26 – 00:28:45:21
Chris Pimentel
By. No, thank you for your time. It’s great.

00:28:45:26 – 00:29:04:10
David Martin
I want to hear more about good government. Check out another show I host leading Iowa. Good government in Iowa cities. I host the show with Brad Cavanaugh, mayor of Dubuque, Iowa, and the immediate past president of the Iowa League of Cities. Together, we talk to leaders in Iowa cities. We talk about what works and what good government looks like in Iowa.

00:29:04:15 – 00:29:12:50
David Martin
Join us right here. We listening now that’s leading Iowa. Good government in Iowa. Cities.

00:29:12:55 – 00:29:34:53
David Martin
It was called the War to End All Wars. But it didn’t. Three world cousins, all kings, one from England, one from Germany and one from Russia blundered their way into a war. I completely avoided the war that left millions dead in the trenches across Europe. Good government show executive producer Jim Ludlow details the blunders, mistakes and bluster that started World War One that didn’t end all wars.

00:29:34:58 – 00:29:52:31
David Martin
The book The Royal Cousins details the events and creates an alternative history. Imagine a World War one never happened. It didn’t have to just read it yourself. Download the book today on Amazon. It’s just $0.99 and a timely look at history.

00:29:52:35 – 00:30:08:54
David Martin
Now, this is the kind of person you want running a city. El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel clearly loves his job. And here’s something he said that stood out for me don’t fall in love with your plan. To me, that means create a plan. Work it, but be flexible enough to change as circumstances change. That’s a good way to manage.

00:30:08:59 – 00:30:25:21
David Martin
In my ongoing coverage of trees in America. Good to hear he has a plan for planting more native trees. So next time you fly to Los Angeles, check out the shack or make his breakfast at Wendy’s Diner. Look for the mayor. Well, that’s our show. Thanks for listening. Please like us and share with your friends or review us right here where you’re listening, and check out our website.

00:30:25:21 – 00:30:41:09
David Martin
Good government show.com for extras. Help us keep telling stories of good government and action everywhere. Join us again for another episode right here. I’m Dave Martin and this is the Good Government show.

00:30:41:14 – 00:31:20:08
David Martin
The Good Government Show is produced by the Good Government Institute, a nonprofit organization promoting civic engagement and civic education. All donations to the show help promote trust in government. You can donate at Good Govt institute.org. That’s good govt institute.org. Executive producers are Jim Ludlow, Dave Martin, that’s me and David Snyder. Jason Stershic is our editor and producer. Join us again to hear good stories about our government right here on a good government show.

00:31:20:13 – 00:31:22:52
Narrator
This podcast is part of the democracy Group.

**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.