MINUTES FROM JUNE 13th 2024
1. Call to Order and Reading of Community Council’s Mission.
The meeting was called to order at 6:02PM. Dave Card read the Council Mission Statement.
2. Rollcall of Board members and Certification of Quorum.
The President called the roll and certified quorum.
Voting members present: Maryam Zar, Sue Kohl, Jenny Li, Beth Holden-Garland, David Card, Murray Levy, Steve Cron, Nancy Niles, Karen Ridgley, Kimberly Bloom, Cindy Simon, Julie Silliman, Andrew Wolfberg, Chris Spitz, John Padden, Barbara Kohn, Kevin Niles, Valeria Serna, Alisa Wolfson, Genevieve Bostic
Non-voting members present: Cindi Young, Joanna Spak, Lee Anne Sanderson, Daphne Gronich, Michael Edlen, Quentin Fleming, Harlan Hogue, Alan Goldsmith, Richard Blumenberg, JoAnna Rodriguez
3. Introduction of attendees.
Kristen Ly – Bureau of Engineering (BOE) project manager for Potrero Canyon Park and the “Potrero Canyon Pedestrian Trail” (formerly known as the Lateral Trail) project – provided information and answered questions about the trail that were provided in advance and were also asked during the meeting. She confirmed that the Pedestrian Trail is a Coastal Commission requirement of the Coastal Development Permit for the Park. She shared that the federal funding of $1.15 million for the Trail that was secured through a congressional bill has many strings attached. The funds cannot be accessed easily, since releasing the money is a slow process that requires a great deal of paperwork. Some funding has currently been procured in order to hire the consultant company, Geosyntec, which will undertake the predesign and community outreach phase of the project.
Ms. Ly advised that we can expect a community meeting and the start of the outreach process in late summer or early fall 2024. The project still requires an agreement between LA City and Caltrans, which owns the land where the path will be laid. This process has long been unfolding, and once a preliminary layout is established, the City will begin talks with Caltrans in earnest. The cost and timeline for the project vary greatly depending on conceptualizations, but once outreach comes to a close, BOE will be better able to determine them. (See a recording of her presentation on the PPCC website and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7xpyVOeuSk).
4. Approval of Minutes. The Minutes of May 23, 2024, were approved as distributed.
5. Consideration of Agenda & Upcoming Meetings.
The agenda was considered as presented. The President explained that the Presidential Debate will occur at the time of the next meeting, scheduled for June 27th. For this reason, she asked for the Board’s opinion as to whether the meeting should be held at the same time on the 27th (6PM) or moved to 5PM on the 27th, or whether the meeting should be advanced one day to Wednesday, June 26th at 6PM. Most Board members indicated a preference for the latter, so the President announced that the next PPCC meeting will take place on June 26, 2024, at 6PM. She also announced that incumbent Area and At-large Representatives are required by the Bylaws to advise the President in writing no later than one hour before the meeting, i.e., by 5pm on June 26, that they are running again for their seat. Per PPCC’s Bylaws, incumbents who do not timely advise the President that they are running again are conclusively presumed not to be running. The President also provided information about the upcoming election of Area and At-large Representatives, which will take place over the summer and culminate with voting in August through early September, and an announcement of the election results at the first PPCC meeting in September 2024. The summer 2024 PPCC meetings will take place on July 25 and on August 8, with the new President presiding. Candidates for the Area and At-large seats will be announced on July 25. More information about the election and how to become a candidate will be distributed soon.
6. Treasurer’s Report.
The Treasurer reported that PPCC’s bank balance is $52,329.23, with $5,050 of that total amount earmarked as a donation toward the potential public safety pilot.
7. General Public Comment.
7.1. Waldemar Kalinovsky (resident, Area 4) provided information about a disturbing hit and run incident that occurred in late May in the Asilomar cul de sac: He was hit and injured while walking his dog by a car driven by an unidentified teen, who had been speeding and doing “donuts” on the roadway. He left the scene after hitting Waldemar. Some images were captured by nearby security cameras, but the image of the license plate is not clear and will have to be enhanced in order to sufficiently “read” the number to identify the driver. With the assistance of Area Four Representative Karen Ridgley, Waldemar provided all the information to SLO Espin, and the information was also forwarded to WLA Division (Capt. Gabaldon and Sgt. Alpert); he was then told that he should contact WLA Traffic, which he did. Waldemar eventually reached a Deputy Captain in WLA Traffic; he again provided all the information and was told that the incident would be assigned to a detective who would be contacting Waldemar. So far, he has not yet spoken with a Traffic division detective.
7.2. Todd Thompson (resident, Area 6) reported on actions by the new developer of property located at 425 Mount Holyoke. The property is on a very steep slope, and the developer had begun to remove plants and to drill boring holes into the slope, which neighbors believe is destabilizing the slope; these actions may have been undertaken without permission from either the Coastal Commission or the City, although the current status is unclear. It was suggested that PPCC might assist Todd in connecting with the appropriate agency, such as the LA Dept. of Building & Safety, for a possible inspection. The President also advised that she has recently tasked the PPCC Land Use Committee to work on drafting guidelines for development and construction in landslide areas of the Palisades, in no small part as a result of issues like this – and those raised on the course of the last two years with respect to the Tramonto project proposed on the site of a known landslide. She explained that the Council office asked for such guidelines in order to help them apply regulations evenly to developers proposing to build on historically land slide prone areas, and due to a timeline presented, the LUC is working to bring those guidelines to the board for approval in July (when we will only have one meeting).
7.3. A resident of Area 1 and Miramar HOA officer reported about concerns that a developer had stockpiled a large amount of dirt on vacant property, without a permit, and about possible slope destabilization after excavation work on the slope and a resulting mudslide on Paseo Miramar. (See also report by CD 11 Field Deputy Michael Amster, Item 8.5.2 below.)
8. Reports, Announcements and Concerns.
8.1. From the Chair/Presiding Officer.
8.1.1. Area and At-large Representatives Election (see the President’s announcements in Item 5 above).
8.1.2. Position letters since last meeting:
Re Tramonto slide and construction (to CW Park & Sen. Allen):
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tramonto-Slide-2024-FIN.pdf
Re SB 2560 (to Asm. Irwin and State Senate committees):
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AB-2560-FIN.pdf
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AB2560-to-Senate.pdf
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AB2560-to-Senate-Nat-Res.pdf
8.1.3. Meeting date and time for the second June meeting and final meeting of the current officers’ term (see the President’s announcements in Item 5 above).
8.1.4. New – 4th of July Parade: The President advised that PPCC officers and members would again be walking with a banner in the 4th of July Parade this year, along with the PPCC Awards Honorees who will ride in a parade vehicle which PPCC customarily sponsors each year. She encouraged all Board members to participate.
8.1.5. New – Palisades Recreation Center Playground: The President announced that the Pacific Palisades Park Advisory Board (PAB) will be considering three different thematic designs for the long-overdue remodel of the children’s playground, at the next public PAB meeting on July 17 (in-person at the Recreation Center small gym). PPCC Board members and the Palisades community are asked to weigh in with their design preferences. The three designs will be distributed to the PPCC email list via Mailchimp. The PAB will move forward based on the community’s choice of design.
(Other announcements from the President were deferred due to time constraints, except as made during discussion of other meeting items.)
8.2. From Officers and Chair Emeritus.
8.2.1. Sue Kohl, Vice President – none.
8.2.2. Beth Holden-Garland, Secretary, remarked that the Council is inviting teens in the Palisades, especially those who are tech savvy, to serve as interns or Youth Advisors and assist with the council’s technology needs.
8.2.3. Dave Card, Chair Emeritus, gave a farewell to the Board as Chair Emeritus. He thanked the officers and recapped his tenure in leadership on the PPCC Board, first as the Rotary representative, then the representative of the American Legion, eventually being asked to serve as Vice Chair when his friend and mentor George Wolfberg was Chair. He later finished out George’s term (when George was no longer able to serve) and then was elected to two terms of his own, before he termed out and ceded the Chair’s role to the current PPCC President (who formerly served as Chair Emeritus). He thanked the leaders who helped him with successful efforts in his term, which included ensuring that interim homeless housing would not be established along Will Rogers beach – an effort for which he acknowledged the enormous help of Chris Spitz, then PPCC Secretary. The President thanked Dave Card and said she was glad he would be back on the Board as an organizational representative representing the Palisades Forestry Committee (PFC) which is now a registered entity.
8.3. From At-Large and Area Representatives.
8.3.1 Julie Silliman, Area Seven Representative, reported on large billboards which now cover the side of the State Beach Liquor Store on PCH at Entrada, advertising the Kardashians. It is believed that the billboards are unpermitted. The billboards were installed by the building owner, not by the Liquor Store operator. Julie has reported the billboards to Building and Safety and is awaiting word from an inspector as to the status. She will follow up.
8.3.2. Chris Spitz, At-Large Representative, reported on a successful in-person meeting of the WRAC Homelessness Committee (HOC) which took place on Monday, June 10, 2024. She was in attendance as WRAC HOC Vice-Chair, as were Cindi Young (primary PPCC rep to the HOC) and Maryam Zar (alternate PPCC rep to the HOC). Guest speakers at the meeting included several important City and County officials, including Councilwomen Traci Park and Katy Yaroslavsky, the Deputy Mayor for Homelessness, the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and Supervisor Horvath’s Senior Deputy for Homelessness. They all expressed hope that more could be done to address the crisis because they are now coming together to improve communication. There was much discussion about the mental health component and efforts to prevent homelessness. It was acknowledged that the State must also be involved.
8.4. From Organizational Representatives.
8.4.1. Valeria Serna, Environmental representative (Resilient Palisades) reported that water waste from a leak at the Potrero Canyon Park continues and should be addressed. She also drew attention to the possible installation of artificial turf at the Field of Dreams and cited some drawbacks including contribution to increased water runoff and the need to cycle-out the turf every 10-15 years.
8.5. From Government Offices / Representatives (as available).
8.5.1. Brian Espin, LAPD Senior Lead Officer (SLO), Pacific Palisades, reported that two people had broken into cars at the Los Leones trailhead, resulting in a car chase. The suspects were apprehended. There were no new encampments found in a recent task force review of our hillside areas
SLO Espin mentioned a trend on the Westside: burglars are dressing up as construction or utility workers, to create the impression that they are legitimately working in the area. They approach a home and if no one answers, they smash a back window or sliding glass door and gain access to the home. Residents are encouraged to keep their eyes on everything happening in their neighborhood and keep ladders or heavy objects away from windows.
SLO Espin also reported on juvenile activity in the Palisades village: LAPD officers have found that their presence can aggravate the situation and that students dissipate once officers have left the scene. Officers must always read a situation and determine the best approach, which often isn’t confrontation. Currently, with the onset of summer, disturbances are expected to slow. LAPD is currently working on a strategy to be implemented when students resume school and the community gears up for the influx of young people in the village.
8.5.2. Michael Amster, CD11 Field Deputy, Pacific Palisades & Brentwood, CM Park, reported that the Asilomar Stabilization Project will conclude within the next 2-3 months. Sandbags have been laid down for now to guard against slope slippage. He reported that the tree trimming budget which helped him accomplish smaller tasks around trimming and other preventative measures is no longer available, but the last tranche was used along Erskine Dr. to trim some important trees. He reported on an issue that was raised last year which involved overgrown brush on the PROW along Sunset Blvd. near Paul Revere Middle School. That has now been cleared, and Palisades Drive will also see some weed trimming by the CD11 “beautification team.” He reported on excavation work that may recently have destabilized a slope on Paseo Miramar. The stockpiling of dirt seems to have been un-permitted and DBS will be asking the developer to cease work until a permit is obtained. Other locations were brought up with similar grading activity that may have been un-permitted. More investigation will take place with PPCC monitoring from time to time.
8.5.3. Allison Holdorff, Senior Advisor, LAUSD Dist. 4 Board Member Nick Melvoin – not present.
8.5.4. Radmehr Nowroozi, SD 24 Field Representative, Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood and Westside areas, Sen. Ben Allen – not present.
8.5.5. Skylar Payab, AD 42 Field Deputy, Pacific Palisades & Brentwood, Asm. Jacqui Irwin – not present. [Information not related at the meeting: Ms. Payab has advised PPCC that she has left her position with AD42; her replacement has not yet been announced, but Asm. Irwin’s District Director is Jeannette Sanchez; see the PPCC website, Resources/Government Contacts (State Government).]
8.5.6. Marian Ensley, West Area Representative, Mayor Karen Bass – not present.
8.5.7. Zac Gaidzik, SD 3 Coastal and Westside Field Deputy, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath – not present.
8.6. From PPCC Advisors and WRAC Representatives. (See item 8.3.2 above re WRAC report; there were no other reports from Advisors.)
9. Reports from PPCC Committees – none.
10. Old Business – none.
11. New Business.
11.1. Election of PPCC Officers for the 2024-25 Term. Because the officer candidates were uncontested, the President called for their election by acclamation. The Board enthusiastically elected the new officers by acclamation, with a round of applause: Sue Kohl, President; Quentin Fleming, Vice-President; Jenny Li, Treasurer; Beth Holden-Garland, Recording Secretary. The President thanked and congratulated all the new officers, who will begin their terms on July 1, 2024. The President will then become Chair Emeritus at that time.
11.2. Proposed Congestion Pricing Motion (modified version of WRAC-recommended motion; motion made by Chris Spitz; seconded by Karen Ridgley). Background information: https://westsidecouncils.com/motion/9660/. After introducing the motion (see text below), the President called for discussion. Steve Lantz, a former PPCC Board member, current PPCC representative to the WRAC Transportation & Mobility Committee, and Transportation Director for the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, provided background and answered questions. Some Board members indicated dissent or had questions about the motion, while others indicated support. Following discussion, the vote was called. Result: passed by more than 2/3 of members voting. Motion text:
“Pacific Palisades Community Council, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC), strongly opposes the implementation of any congestion pricing proposal in Los Angeles, including Metro’s Congestion Pricing pilot (aka the Metro Traffic Reductions Study (TRS) project), without first having robust transit options implemented by Caltrans and/or local agencies, that have undergone environmental review and are completed and in place.”
11.3. Motion re LAMC 41.18 (motion made by Sue Kohl and Chris Spitz). Background information:
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Background-41.18-1-R.pdf. After introducing the motion (see text below), the President called for discussion, during which information about the motion background was considered and questions were addressed. Some Board members indicated dissent or had questions about the motion, while others indicated support. Following discussion, the vote was called. Result: passed by more than 2/3 of members voting. Motion text:
“Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) opposes the motion in CF 21-0329-S5, which makes implementation of LAMC Sec. 41.18 unnecessarily and unreasonably complicated and needlessly involves county agencies in city policy. PPCC agrees with the protection of sensitive use sites and deems this Municipal Code section to be a necessary tool for combatting the proliferation of homelessness and protecting public health and safety citywide*. We therefore strongly support LAMC Sec. 41.18, which has been effectively implemented in Council District 11 and other areas of Los Angeles to protect public health and safety and preserve the use of our public spaces for all constituents.
* According to the Chief Legislative Analyst, LAPD believes that LAMC Sec. 41.18 and its subsections have an overwhelmingly positive impact on public safety’ (5/31/24 CLA Report in related CF 21-0329- S4).”
12. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 8:48PM.