Cerritos City Council Nixes Reappointment of Planning Commissioner Frank Yokoyama

By Brian Hews

In a stunning move, Cerritos Mayor Bruce Barrows and Council-persons Carol Chen and new-comer George Ray voted not to reappoint Planning Commissioner Frank Yokoyama during Thursday night’s meeting causing Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Pulido to leave the meeting in protest.

Council-member Cho argued in favor of Yokoyama, but to no avail.

Yokoyama, who was heavily backed by Pulido in the recent March city council election, was expected to be reconfirmed by the entire city council, but the matter was met with stern opposition.

Barrows and company, in an ironic twist, cited the story published by LCCN of Yokoyama’s failure to report to the State Bar. Yokoyama could not be reached for comment.

Pulido left the meeting in protest. “I did not want to legitimize this action by the city council,” Pulido told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.
When asked if he felt this action against Yokoyama was political retaliation, Pulido said he didn’t want to “speculate what was going through the minds” of Barrows, Chen and Ray.

“The Cerritos City Council voted not to reappoint Frank Aurelio Yokoyama to the Planning Commission, and I left the meeting in protest,” Pulido told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper just minutes after the decision was made.

“I don’t want to legitimize their action,” Pulido said.

“This sets a dangerous precedent of silencing challengers or dissenting opinions,” Pulido continued.

Pulido said he believed that Yokoyama is the first commissioner in the 55 year history of Cerritos that a seated Planning Commissioner has not been reconfirmed for an appointment.

“The community needs to respond to this action,” Pulido said.

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