MINUTES FROM JANUARY 22nd 2026
Voting Members in Attendance: Sue Kohl, Quentin Fleming, Beth Holden-Garland, Maryam Zar (late arrival), Chris Spitz, JoAnna Rodriguez, Carole White, Julia Nilsen, Daphne Gronich (until Sanderson arrival)/Lee Anne Sanderson (late arrival), Kimberly Bloom, Lorie Cudzil, Sharon Kilbride, Andrew Wolfberg, John Padden, Valeria Serna, David Card, Rich Wilken (until Gronich replaced by Sanderson for Area 4/Daphne Gronich (after Sanderson arrival), Kaye Steinsapir, Courtney Macker, Harris Smith (until Vaccarino arrival)/Donna Vaccarino (late arrival)
Non-voting Members and Advisors: Allison Holdorff, Michael Edlen, Warren Jacob, Cindy Simon, Bonnie Burgess, JoAnna Spak, Cameron Pfzenmaier
1. Call to Order and Reading of Community Council’s Mission. The meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. Kimberly Bloom read the Mission Statement.
2. Introductions / Roll Call. The President introduced the members and called the roll.
3. Certification of Quorum. The President certified quorum.
[Note: Item 11.1 (LAFD Chief Jaime Moore) was called following Item 3 and prior to Item 4 (Approval of Minutes) below.]
4. Approval of Minutes. The minutes of January 8, 2026, were approved as distributed.
5. Consideration of Agenda & Upcoming Meetings. February 12, 2026 and February 26, 2026 (topics to be announced); Special Meeting March 5, 2026 (discussion of NORC Survey Report); NORC representatives will attend and answer questions about the report.
6. Treasurer’s Report. See report re the Awards banquet, grants & other expenditures:
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Treasurers-Report-1-22-26-awards-grants-other.pdf.
[Treasurer not present; no report other than as linked in the agenda, above.]
7. General Public Comment.
7.1. John Alle (property owner) repeated his questions from the last PPCC meeting about a large FireAid grant to an individual in the Palisades. The President responded that while she and others may have personal opinions, any issues regarding the grant in question are being addressed by FireAid.
7.2. Diane Bleak (resident) stated concerns about four matters: 1) a burglary occurred recently in the 1300 block of Avenida Cortez; 2) two burned cars are still left on Palisades Dr.; 3) streetlights are out on Sunset Blvd. between Bienveneda and Marquez Ave.; 4) the PPCC Area Two 2nd Alternate should represent her area of the Highlands.
7.3. Jill Smith (resident) and Sue Pascoe (resident/Circling the News) both asked when the AECOM report will be made public. The President: City officials say it will be coming soon; Reza Akef (Palisades builder/PPCC Infrastructure Committee Chair): it should be released by mid-February.
8. Reports, Announcements and Concerns.
8.1. From the Chair/Presiding Officer.
8.1.1. Recap: City Council event on January 9, 2026: One-Year Remembrance of the Fire. The President explained that this was a wonderful event at City Hall, presented by CW Park, to recognize the anniversary of the fire. Many Palisadians attended and it was very emotional.
8.1.2. Resignation of Area Six 2nd Alternate David Schwarz; seat now open (application notice distributed on January 10, 2026; deadline to apply 5pm on February 9, 2026. Areas Two and Eight 2nd Alternate seats also open; deadline to apply 5pm on February 7, 2026 [see also Item 9.1 below]. The President reiterated that David Schwarz has resigned and noted the open 2nd Second Alternate seats for Areas Two, Six and Eight and the deadlines to apply.
8.1.3. PPCC Committee updates/changes:
1) Rebuild: resignation of Chair, committee dissolved. The President explained that since the Committee Chair has resigned and the Survey results have now been reported, the Committee’s focus and work are largely complete and it has therefore been dissolved; the Executive Committee will handle follow-up regarding the NORC Survey. The Infrastructure Committee will deal with logistics of rebuilding along with undergrounding and other infrastructure issues.
2) Land Use, Infrastructure, Grants: The President announced the addition of the following new committee members. Land Use: Reza Akef; Infrastructure: Hank Wright; Grants: Kevin Niles.
8.1.5. UCLA Wildfire Evacuation Survey: https://form.jotform.com/253075820563053. All are encouraged to take the survey.
8.1.6. Update: Community Celebration, March 22, 2026, 2-6pm at Pali High. The new date, time and venue were announced. Planning for the event is taking place and more details will come soon.
8.1.7. Update: Permit fee waivers – City Council Budget & Finance Cmte Meeting, January 20, 2026. The Budget Committee unanimously approved waiving permit fees as recommended by the City CAO. The matter will now be heard by the full City Council.
8.1.8. [New] Students Returning to Pali High. Palisadians are encouraged to come to Temescal Canyon Rd. at 8am on January 27, and line the street near the school as students return to the campus that day, to welcome them back and cheer them on.
8.1.9. [New] Emergency Preparedness Committee/Emergency Neighborhood Preparedness Training. Two Palisades community leaders, Josie Tong and Elissa Ashwood of Team Palisades, have requested that PPCC form an Emergency Preparedness Committee on which they would be willing to participate. The President suggested that anyone interested in serving on such a committee should contact her and she will put them in touch with Ms. Tong & Ms. Ashwood. A special all day training program on neighborhood emergency preparedness will take place on January 31, 2026, at 15223 La Cruz Dr. (PRC HQ). The sessions will be led by representatives of the American Red Cross, the L.A. Dept. of Emergency Management, and Ms. Tong/local community leaders. PPCC will include information about the event in an upcoming Mailchimp bulletin.
8.2. From Officers/Chair Emeritus.
8.2.1. Quentin Fleming (Vice-President). Update: Press Release distribution and NORC Survey Report. The Vice-President explained that the press release about the Survey Report was distributed nationwide by a newswire service on January 7, 2026. The Report and Survey have been mentioned in several news reports. He was also interviewed about the Survey on AirTalk with Larry Mantle (NPR/LAist). He noted that two representatives from NORC have confirmed their attendance at the Special PPCC Meeting on March 5 to discuss the Survey results and their methodology.
8.2.1. Maryam Zar (Chair Emeritus) reminded everyone that there is a soils sample drop off site at the PRC HQ, which will also host office hours for Assemblymember Irwin.
8.3. From At-Large and Area Representatives.
8.3.1. Andrew Wolfberg (Area Eight) announced that the Genesis Invitational Golf Tournament will take place at the Riviera from February 19-22, 2026. He and nearby residents have worked well with CD 11 and the Tiger Woods Foundation to address issues with that tournament, and are hoping that they can reach out to the LPGA for cooperation on neighborhood concerns in advance of the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Tournament scheduled for the 1st week of June, 2026.
8.3.2. Lorie Cudzil (Area Six) recently noticed that logs were dumped on Temescal Canyon Rd. near the trees planted for the 12 fire victims. She reached out to Arus Grigoryan of CD 11 and is thankful that Arus was able to get the logs taken away.
8.3.3. Daphne Gronich (2nd Alt. Area Four) read from a statement with a neighbor’s questions about brush below the Tahitian Terrace property which is a fire hazard. She was told that brush issues should be reported to LAFD Brush Clearance.
8.3.4. Sharon Kilbride (Area Seven) reported on: problems related to design flaws with the beach bike path repair project as the path runs into the Roosevelt Tunnel; an issue with a truck parked in the County parking lot; and residents’ unhappiness with tall scaffolding at the new Canyon School building. She also reported on the recent PPTFH Homelessness Count in the Palisades and thanked the Palisadians who participated. They found 15 unhoused individuals, 7 tents and 9 vehicle dwellers along the beach area rom Entrada to Coastline Dr., with none in the Village area. The number of vehicle dwellers is a substantial reduction from 2024, when 43 vehicle dwellers were found.
8.4. From Organizational Representatives.
8.4.1. Dave Card (PFC) reported that the organization is continuing to facilitate planting of street trees in upper Santa Monica Canyon. There is information on the PFC website about what trees are appropriate to plant.
8.4.2. Valeria Serna (Resilient Palisades) advised that the organization is hosting a community celebration to promote electrification on February 1, 2026, from 10am-3pm at Paul Revere.
8.4.3. Rich Wilken (Optimist Club) announced that there would be a memorial service for longtime Optimist member Conrad Solum at St. Monica Church in Santa Monica, 2:30 pm on January 23rd.
8.4.4. Donna Vaccarino (PPHS) gave a recap of the special “rededication” ceremony which was held on January 11, 2026 at Founders Oak Island and noted that the event was successful.
8.5. From Government Offices / Representatives (as available). Contact information: https://pacpalicc.org/index.php/government-contacts/.
8.5.1. Brian Espin, LAPD Senior Lead Officer (SLO) for Pacific Palisades, announced that once again the crime map shows no crime in the Palisades. The map does not reflect low-level criminal activity that may be occurring but is not reported. He encourages everyone to file police reports. He also reported on the burglary that occurred in the Highlands as well as the situation with the burned and abandoned cars.
8.5.2. Arus Grigoryan, Palisades Field Deputy, CD 11 (Councilwoman Traci Park), reported as follows:
- LADBS is being alerted to the debris and trash at a vacant property in Castellammare.
- Complaints about activity at the old Jack-in-the-Box property have been reported.
- The permit fee waiver motion passed In the Budget & Finance Committee and must now go before the City Council for a vote.
- The City is working to balance Zone Zero regulations with preservation of our urban forest.
- Work on Posetano is going forward.
- The Tramonto bulkhead needs a complete fix; funding is being secured.
- CD 11 thanks PPTFH for organizing the recent Homeless Count in the Palisades.
- Extensive street tree planting is not recommended due to the work on undergrounding and infrastructure repairs; a Master Plan is needed before street tree planting begins.
- Regarding street light outages in the Palisades: the Bureau of Street Lighting is understaffed and the budget does not allow more electricians to be hired. CD 11 is experiencing many outages due to copper wire theft. Report outages to 3-1-1. A priority will be placed on repairing street lights along Sunset Blvd. and near schools and standing buildings.
8.5.3. Marian Ensley, West Area Representative, Mayor Karen Bass – not present.
8.5.4. Zac Gaidzik, Coastal & Westside Field Deputy, County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, provided updates on LA County measures, on the beach bike path repair status, and on a letter that the County is preparing to state that the Gladstones bus turnaround will not trigger application of SB 79.
8.5.5. Sean Regan, District Representative, Congressman Brad Sherman – not present.
8.5.6. Sophia Liebman, Field Representative, SD 24 (Sen. Ben Allen) – not present.
8.5.7. Anthony Avila, Field Representative, AD 42 (Asm. Jacqui Irwin) – not present.
8.6. From PPCC Advisors and Liaisons.
8.6.1. Allison Holdorff (Education), Senior Advisor to LAUSD Member Nick Melvoin, reported on the return of Pali High students to the Palisades campus on January 27, 2026. In addition to everyone being encouraged to come to Temescal Canyon Rd. on the morning of the 27th to cheer on the students, there will be a 9th grade orientation on the 26th and the Dept. of Angeles is giving gifts to returning teachers. Contact Allison for more information on how to volunteer with this project.
9. Reports from PPCC Committees.
9.1. Three Chairs Committee (Maryam Zar, Chair; David Card, Chris Spitz). Update: applications
for now open 2nd Alternate positions in Areas Two, Six and Eight. See notices:
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PPCC-Areas-28-Alts.-Notice-2026.pdf
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PPCC-Area-6-Alt.-Notice-2026.pdf
Deadlines to apply: February 7, 2026 (Areas Two and Eight); February 9, 2026 (Area Six). Chair Zar related the above information and explained the process. She encouraged eligible persons to apply.
9.2. Land Use Committee (Chris Spitz, Chair). Committee update: Three-story mixed-use project proposed for 15113 Sunset Blvd. (now-vacant lot in the commercial Village) under state “Density Bonus” law. Public LUC meeting: February 11, 2026, 6pm via Zoom (owners/developers confirmed to attend). Chair Spitz first announced that ACE Building Materials has been granted a long-term temporary permit to operate the proposed materials yard at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. & Via de la Paz for a period of one year, to be renewed annually. We have received the Determination Letter which Chair Spitz has not been able to review in detail, but she noted that PPCC’s position letter and requested conditions are referenced in the Determination and several conditions on the permit’s issuance are listed. It is expected that ACE will work with LADWP on ingress and egress from the site. Those interested in seeing the Determination Letter should contact the LUC Chair.
Chair Spitz also explained that the LUC has prepared a preliminary report about the proposed 15113 Sunset Blvd. project and controlling state “Density Bonus” law which will be distributed and posted on the website. All are invited to hear more about the project at the public LUC meeting on February 11 at 6pm; the agenda will be distributed via PPCC Mailchimp and posted on the website in advance of the meeting. [LUC report: https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LUC-Report-re-15113-Sunset.pdf.]
9.3. Infrastructure Committee (Reza Akef, Chair). Committee update. Chair Akef explained that members of the Committee had a positive meeting recently with LADWP officials. Issues involving transformer boxes for underground utilities arose, and the Committee is pushing for the boxes either to be undergrounded or to be placed in parkways/the public right of way. Other issues under discussion include installation of street lights and cell towers/cell facilities. The planting of street trees in the PROW, which the PFC is now undertaking, may conflict with the siting of transformer boxes or other infrastructure in the PROW; it was suggested that this issue should be taken up by PPCC at a future meeting. Chair Akef hopes that LADWP will come and present to PPCC at the last meeting in February.
9.4. Grants Committee (Quentin Fleming, Chair). Committee update. Chair Fleming noted that the Committee has received two additional grants applications and is awaiting more information on two earlier applications; the Committee will be meeting soon to review outstanding applications and to decide on recommended grants.
10. Old Business – None.
11. New Business.
11.1. Guest Speaker – Los Angeles Fire Dept. Chief Jaime Moore.
The President welcomed Chief Moore, who related his background and extensive experience with LAFD as well as his goals for the Department going forward, which include rebuilding trust in the LAFD and strengthening community relationships. He answered numerous probing questions from the Board and community members. He also introduced his assistant Stephanie Bishop and the new LAFD Ambassador for the Palisades, Dwayne Laurent, who will be present to meet with residents at the new one-stop rebuilding center scheduled to open adjacent to Marquez Elementary. The President thanked the Chief for speaking with us and answering our questions. See a recording of his presentation at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPGfrZlRj7s.
11.2. As time allows: Motion to Support CF 25-1484 (Park) – Regulation of sober living density. Sponsored by Chris Spitz and Quentin Fleming (similar motion to be considered on 1/26/26 by the Board of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils / WRAC) — Deferred due to lack of time.
12. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 p.m.