{"id":12744,"date":"2024-08-12T20:26:13","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T20:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/?page_id=12744"},"modified":"2024-09-20T23:51:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T23:51:09","slug":"ppcc-minutes-2024-08-08","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/ppcc-minutes-2024-08-08\/","title":{"rendered":"PPCC Minutes — 2024 \/ 08 \/ 08"},"content":{"rendered":"

Return to 2024 Minutes<\/a><\/p>\n

MINUTES FROM AUGUST 8th 2024<\/h5>\n

Voting Members in Attendance:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Sue Kohl, Jenny Li, Beth Holden-Garland, Maryam Zar, Chris Spitz, Murray Levy, Steve Cron, Haldis Toppel, Karen Ridgley, Cindy Simon, Julie Silliman, Aileen Haugh,\u00a0Eric Dugdale, Courtney Macker, Kevin Niles, Valeria Serna<\/p>\n

Non-voting Alternates and Advisors:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Alan Goldsmith, Cindi Young, Joanna Spak, Bruce Schwartz, Nancy Niles, Michael Edlen, Lee Anne Sanderson, Harlan Hogue, Richard Blumenberg, James Alexakis<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0 Call to Order and Reading of Community Council\u2019s Mission.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>President Sue Kohl called the meeting to order at 6:07 p.m.\u00a0 Area Rep 4 Karen Ridgley read the Mission Statement.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Introductions \/ Roll Call.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The President introduced the Board and called the roll of voting members present.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 Certification of Quorum.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The President certified quorum.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0 Approval of Minutes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The minutes of July 25, 2024, were approved as distributed.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0 Consideration of Agenda & Upcoming Meetings.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0September 12, 2024<\/u><\/em>: the results of the Area and At-large Representatives Election will be announced. September 26, 2024<\/u><\/em>: <\/em>this will be the last meeting of the term for the current Area, At-large and Organizational representatives.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0 Treasurer\u2019s Report. \u00a0<\/strong>Treasurer Jenny Li reported that PPCC\u2019s bank balance is $54,390.30.\u00a0 There is a $23 recurring monthly donation that is appreciated.\u00a0\u00a0Recent expenses include the $54 monthly Mailchimp charge.\u00a0 The balance includes donated funds totaling $7,550, which have been earmarked for a possible public safety project.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0 General Public Comment<\/strong> \u2013 None.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0 Reports, Announcements and Concerns.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

8.1.\u00a0\u00a0 From the Chair\/Presiding Officer<\/u>.<\/p>\n

8.1.1.\u00a0\u00a0 The President first explained that because many board members wanted to meet together in person, this meeting was being held in hybrid format, with most board and audience members in person at the Library, and others who were able to attend by Zoom.\u00a0\u00a0She then introduced Ella Nozar for appointment as the new PPCC Youth Advisor.\u00a0 Ella is a rising Freshman at Pali High, and very adept at social media.\u00a0 She has over 100,000 TikTok followers, and many followers and videos posted on YouTube as well.\u00a0\u00a0She has also agreed to serve as PPCC\u2019s informal Zoom technical advisor.\u00a0 Per PPCC bylaws, the President requested that the Board approve Ella\u2019s appointment as Youth Advisor.\u00a0 The Board enthusiastically gave unanimous approval for her appointment.<\/p>\n

8.1.2.\u00a0\u00a0 The President also announced that LAFD CERT training will be held in the Palisades at Calvary Christian School starting on September 12th at 6:30 pm for 7 weeks. \u00a0Those interested should contact C. Soll (PPCC\u2019s Emergency Preparedness Advisor) at cert.palisades@gmail.com<\/a> for information and to sign up.<\/p>\n

8.2.\u00a0\u00a0 From Officers\/Chair Emeritus<\/u> \u2013 deferred to next meeting.<\/p>\n

8.3.\u00a0\u00a0 From At-Large and Area Representatives<\/u> \u2013 deferred to next meeting.<\/p>\n

8.4.\u00a0\u00a0 From Organizational Representatives<\/u> \u2013 deferred to next meeting.<\/p>\n

8.5.\u00a0\u00a0 From Government Offices \/ Representatives<\/u> \u2013 all reports deferred except as set forth in 8.5.1 and 8.5.2 below.<\/em><\/p>\n

8.5.1.\u00a0\u00a0 LAPD Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Brian Espin.\u00a0 \u00a0SLO Espin reported that burglaries are up on the Westside. \u00a0He urged citizens to keep an eye out for a black SUV (Chevy Suburban) that is making rounds in the area, and to alert neighbors to continue being vigilant and to take photos and videos of any suspicious activity. \u00a0He reminded everyone to please report any crimes (even if there is a wait calling 911), as it\u2019s important to register the offenses that may be occurring in the area.<\/p>\n

8.5.2.\u00a0\u00a0 CD 11 Palisades Field Deputy Michael Amster.\u00a0 Amster announced that there will be an open forum to discuss the proposed walking path linking George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon and Will Rogers State Beach (at the intersection of Temescal Canyon Rd. and PCH) on August 21st at 6:30 pm at the Palisades Library. \u00a0He also reported on several other matters:<\/p>\n

Governor Newsom has ordered that state agencies address homeless encampments on state property and has urged cities to take more action on homelessness under their jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

CD 11 has been working on RV dwellings and homelessness, especially since more are occurring on Pacific Coast Highway. \u00a0Councilwoman Park\u2019s motion to restrict RV dwelling in residential and sensitive areas has passed in the Council Transportation Committee.\u00a0 The Councilwoman has opposed the proposed Kroger \/ Albertsons merger as it will affect her constituents\u2019 ability to get groceries and impact employment at Vons stores in her district. \u00a0 There have been squatters at 19749 Porto Marina; plywood has now been placed on the windows and the CD 11 office is helping to secure the property.\u00a0 Amster mentioned that SLO Espin has been very helpful in all of these efforts, and has been enforcing ticketing on PCH for RVs as well as people who are breaking beach parking restrictions at Will Rogers, making the thoroughfare unsafe. \u00a0Amster is looking into signage, although resources are limited.\u00a0 He also commented that the herbicide applied at Potrero Canyon Park was unacceptable. He and the Councilwoman are working with BOE to finding an alternate solution.<\/p>\n

8.6.\u00a0\u00a0 From PPCC Advisors and Liaisons \u2013 deferred to next meeting.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0 Reports from PPCC Committees. <\/strong><\/p>\n

9.1.\u00a0\u00a0 Election Committee<\/u> (Maryam Zar, Chair): Report on upcoming community-wide Election of Area and At-large Representatives. Voting and Election Information (\u201cNotice of Ballot Availability\u201d): https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Notice-of-Ballot-Availabilty-2024-R1.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 See Item 11.1 below.<\/em><\/p>\n

10. \u00a0 Old Business<\/strong> \u2013 None.<\/p>\n

11. \u00a0 New Business.<\/strong><\/p>\n

11.1. \u00a0 Candidates Forum, Area and At-large Representatives Election<\/u>. \u00a0Moderator: \u00a0Maryam Zar, Election Committee Chair.\u00a0 Chair Zar started the Candidates Forum by thanking those who served on the Election Committee with her:\u00a0 PPCC VP Quentin Fleming; Cindy Kirven, Village Green President and 2023 Citizen of the Year; Courtney Macker, Rep for PPCC member PPRA; and Lee Anne Sanderson, PPCC Area 4 Alternate Rep. \u00a0 She then announced that Area 3 now has two candidates seeking election, Joe Layton and Julia Nielsen, with former candidate Linda Friar having withdrawn, and that Area 6 also has two candidates running, Lorie Cudzil and David Schwarz, with former candidate Barbara Schelbert also having withdrawn. \u00a0 Chair Zar welcomed all candidates present and gave brief positive remarks about the candidates in uncontested areas who were also present and with whom she has personally worked:\u00a0 JoAnna Rodriguez, Area 1; Steve Cron, Area 2; Karen Ridgley, Area 4; Sharon Kilbride, Area 8, and Chris Spitz, At-large. \u00a0[See the updated Candidate Statements at: <\/em>https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Candidates-statements-FIN-1.pdf<\/em><\/a>.] <\/em><\/p>\n

Chair Zar explained that the election will be held electronically from August 16th to August 30th, with the ballot accessed via a VOTE button that will be posted on the PPCC website at 8am on August 16, has already been tested and is working.\u00a0 Voting will continue for two weeks, until 8pm on August 30, when the VOTE button will be taken down.\u00a0 Votes will be counted by the Election Committee and the official results will be announced at the PPCC meeting on September 12, 2024.<\/p>\n

She then invited all candidates for Area and At-large positions to make opening statements:<\/p>\n

JoAnna Rodriguez (Area 1)<\/u> \u2014 Rodriguez stated that she moved to the Palisades from New York in 2019 and has resided on Tramonto Drive since 2020.\u00a0 She has loved the sense of community and heart, and is invested in the future of this tight- knit village. She is the mother of two teenagers and wants safety for her family and community. \u00a0 She recently experienced a disturbing incident at her home where an unhoused man entered and wrongly insisted that his brother lived in her home. \u00a0She is concerned about homelessness, overdevelopment, and the Tramanto landslide. \u00a0 She previously served as PPCC\u2019s Corresponding Secretary in 2023-24.<\/p>\n

Steve Cron (Area 2<\/u>) \u2014 Cron stated that he has been the Area 2 Rep for 6 years. \u00a0He feels that fire is the biggest issue in Area 2. \u00a0 He mentioned that there have been some burglaries, but Palisades Drive only has one way of ingress and egress (Palisades Drive). \u00a0Cron has hosted Canyon Clean-Ups with Area 2 Alternate Bruce Schwartz.\u00a0 The Clean-Ups help keep the area more trash-free and bring the Area 2 community together.<\/p>\n

Joe Layton (Area 3)<\/u> \u2014 Layton moved with his family to his residence on Akron Street in December of 2018.\u00a0 \u00a0He first fell in love with the Palisades as a high school student and later as a college sophomore when he was an athlete and visited his friends in the area. \u00a0He spoke about his love for the fact that the Palisades feels like a small town in Los Angeles, and combines the best that L.A. has to offer. \u00a0He is involved in PPBA (and helped design their website) and has volunteered as a youth sports coach. \u00a0He has two young children, 9 years old and 2 1\/2. \u00a0 He ran for a Council seat in La Ca\u00f1ada when he lived there, and compares that city to Pacific Palisades, as being about the same size and having fire issues similar to those experienced in the Palisades. \u00a0 His father was an L.A. County Sheriff, and public safety is a big priority for Layton.\u00a0 He would cherish the opportunity to expand his involvement by serving on the PPCC board.<\/p>\n

Julia Nilsen (Area 3)<\/u> \u2014 Nilsen has lived in both the Palisades Highlands and Ridgeview Estates (Marquez Knolls) for a total of 21 years (12 years in Area 3). \u00a0 She has served on a homeowners association board, and says she has seen changes in Los Angeles in the past 5 years. \u00a0 Within the last 6 months, 3 homes in her area, which is a gated community, have been broken into. \u00a0 She is an attorney and a certified divorce coach, and has worked with a non-profit she founded called the Butterfly Fund. \u00a0 She is the mother of 4 children who all attended public schools in the Palisades, and has been very involved in the schools, including with PTA, Pali High fundraising, and more.\u00a0 She is also a member of the Bel Air Bay Club. She would be honored to serve the community.<\/p>\n

Karen Ridgley (Area 4)<\/u> \u2014 Ridgley, a 40+ years resident on Northfield Street in the El Medio bluffs, has served as the Area 4 Rep for 4 years. \u00a0 A mother of 3 adult sons who attended local schools, she has dealt with varying issues affecting her area over her two terms, including dumpsters placed at the park, the DWP at El Medio cutting into traffic lanes, protection of the Asilomar Bluffs park, and more. \u00a0 She acknowledged the guidance of Haldis Toppel (Area 3 Rep) in mentoring her onto the council. \u00a0 She originated her career in the tech business, and later in her career taught French in public schools, including Pali High. \u00a0She has enjoyed bridging the mobile home parks (Tahitian Terrace and Palisades Bowl) with the upper Area 4 community to tackle some of their common issues together.<\/p>\n

Kimberly Bloom (Area 5)<\/u> \u2014 President Kohl read a statement from Bloom, who was unable to attend due to a prior commitment:\u00a0 Bloom has served as Area 5 Rep for 2 years, has worked with local leaders and has been a voice for issues concerning Alphabet Street residents. \u00a0She believes in fighting to protect quality of life (to \u201cKeep the Palisades the Palisades\u201d) and has lived in her current home on Fiske Street since 1993. \u00a0She cherishes the small town feeling and strong sense of community in the Alphabet Streets neighborhood.\u00a0 After reading Bloom\u2019s statement, the President added that as the former Area 5 Rep, she was thrilled when Bloom agreed to serve and that Bloom has been a terrific representative of the Area.<\/p>\n

Lorie Cudzil (Area 6)<\/u> \u2014 Cudzil moved to the Palisades in 2012 and really enjoys the sense of community and small-town feel. \u00a0She originally lived in the Alphabet Streets and then moved to Area 6 on Alma Real, where she has resided for 9 years. \u00a0She is mother of 3 children, ages 10, 16 and 18, the Deacon of her church (Calvary Christian), and is involved with the National League of Young Men and Notre Dame.\u00a0 She enjoys the Turkey Trot and the July 4th Parade each year. \u00a0She understands the concerns of Potrero Canyon rim residents about safety and security, as her home is one that is along the canyon rim. \u00a0 She mentioned that some unknown teens at one point jumped her fence and used her trampoline, which caused one of her family members to ask the intruders to leave. \u00a0 She is concerned about outside street vendors located close to schools. \u00a0Her priority would be to protect and improve the quality of life in the Palisades.<\/p>\n

David Schwarz (Area 6)<\/u> \u2014 Schwarz, a resident on Frontera Drive since 2021 and father of two children, opened by jokingly noting that he is also the father of dogs \u201cGeorge and Henry.\u201d \u00a0He is an attorney by profession, has extensive experience working with the city and state on various governmental issues, and has also worked with many non-profit organizations. \u00a0He has a longstanding interest in good government and civic engagement.\u00a0 He explained that his reason to run is to show his children that they can make a difference, and they don\u2019t have to \u201ccurse the darkness, but light a match\u201d to help and improve quality of life.\u00a0 He said he would be honored to serve as the Area 6 Representative and would also be up for potential consideration as an Area alternate representative.<\/p>\n

Sharon Kilbride (Area 7)<\/u> \u2014\u00a0Kilbride, a 66-year resident of Santa Monica Canyon and a Pali High graduate, explained that she is a 6th generation Palisadian and member of the Marquez family, which obtained a land grant in 1839 covering Santa Monica Canyon and Pacific Palisades. \u00a0 She has worked closely with CD11 Field Deputy Michael Amster, and is close friends with her neighbor and current Area Rep 7, Julie Silliman.\u00a0 She has worked closely with SMCCA & BOCA, and works to preserve the historic Marquez Family Cemetery in the Canyon, where she regularly leads groups of 4th grade students on tours to learn about local history in an educational program she developed.\u00a0 She has also been co-President of the PPHTF and has covered Will Rogers State Beach, working with the LAPD Beach Detail, for all of the Palisades. \u00a0She has worked diligently to keep the pedestrian tunnel (in Area 7) clean from homeless use and useable for the pubic. \u00a0She often hires the homeless to do this work, so they can make a little money and feel good about themselves.\u00a0 She was honored as Citizen of the Year in 2015 for her efforts.\u00a0 She feels that she can be an asset to the work of PPCC in representing Santa Monica Canyon.<\/p>\n

Andrew Wolfberg (Area 8)<\/u> \u2013 not present (no statement).<\/p>\n

Chris Spitz (At-large) <\/u>\u2013 Spitz, a 32-year resident on Friends St. in the Via bluffs neighborhood, began by expressing admiration for all the candidates who had spoken before her and her agreement with all that had been said about the character of the Palisades.\u00a0 She is the mother of a grown daughter who attended local schools, returns to visit the Palisades often and plays with her dad in a bocce league at the Palisades Rec. Center.\u00a0 She related her long experience on PPCC, having served as President and in every position except Treasurer since 2007, including the elected At-large Rep position since 2022. \u00a0\u00a0She was honored to be awarded Citizen of the Year in 2021.\u00a0 She recounted not only how she first learned about the Palisades (through a \u201csurfer\u201d boyfriend decades ago), but how she became involved with PPCC \u2014 with an issue involving an illegal over-height fence in the late 2000\u2019s \u2014 and how she and the council have consistently been required to address serious issues that repeatedly arise over the years, involving land use and zoning, homelessness, fire prevention, crime, public safety and security. \u00a0She stated that she wishes to continue to serve as At-large Rep and although unopposed, would be honored by Palisadians\u2019 votes.<\/p>\n

The candidates also answered questions posed by the Election Committee and audience, including their views as to the\u00a0issues<\/u><\/em> of importance to PPCC Areas and the Palisades; their experience on any other local \/ civic organizations<\/u><\/em>; and their plans to conduct outreach <\/u><\/em>with constituents.<\/p>\n

On issues<\/u>:\u00a0 A wide range of topics was\u00a0discussed, with uniformity among all candidates on core issues of concern to Palisadians: \u00a0crime, safety and security, homelessness, wildfire\u00a0prevention, overdevelopment, bluff instability, preservation of our open spaces and protection of the natural beauty and character of\u00a0the Palisades.\u00a0 Specific issues that were raised in connection with the Area 3 race included concerns about the status of the long-proposed DWP substation, burglaries, juvenile crimes and wildfires. \u00a0In Area 6, issues included a proposed residential project on a long-vacant lot situated along a steep slope on Mt. Holyoke Avenue, and development of Potrero Canyon and plans for the proposed bridge and lateral trail (pathway from the Canyon to Temescal Canyon Rd.).\u00a0 The candidates acknowledged that some residents may be opposed and others supportive of these projects, that more information and outreach is needed, and that residents must be provided with safety and security.<\/p>\n

On local \/ civic organization experience<\/u>:\u00a0 The candidates provided information about their prior experience with organizations in their opening statements.<\/p>\n

On constituent outreach<\/u>:\u00a0 The candidates indicated that they will seek to reach out to the community in various ways, including using email lists, going door-to-door and\/or speaking with neighbors, engaging with local clubs in which they are members, interacting with local homeowner associations, and\/or occasionally using NextDoor to communicate specific announcements.\u00a0 Technological outreach was also discussed, including the possibility of developing a local App (such as the \u201cWhistle\u201d App that is used in Area 1), of using a local Google Group platform (used in Area 7), or using other non-invasive technological tools.\u00a0 A non-technological suggestion from Steve Cron:\u00a0 set up periodic \u201coffice\u201d hours for residents onweekends at a local Starbucks \u2013 a practice he instituted a few years ago.<\/p>\n

Chair Zar concluded by asking the contested candidates if they would be willing to serve as an alternate if they were not elected as the primary. \u00a0All 4 of the contested candidates enthusiastically answered \u201cYes.\u201d \u00a0She noted that information about the process of applying to become an alternate will come later, after the election is concluded.\u00a0 She thanked all the candidates for participating in the forum.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0 Adjournment.<\/strong>\u00a0 The President adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Return to 2024 Minutes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Return to 2024 Minutes MINUTES FROM AUGUST 8th 2024 Voting Members in Attendance:\u00a0\u00a0Sue Kohl, Jenny Li, Beth Holden-Garland, Maryam Zar, Chris Spitz, Murray Levy, Steve Cron, Haldis Toppel, Karen Ridgley, Cindy Simon, Julie Silliman, Aileen Haugh,\u00a0Eric Dugdale, Courtney Macker, Kevin Niles, Valeria Serna Non-voting Alternates and Advisors:\u00a0\u00a0Alan Goldsmith, Cindi Young, Joanna Spak, Bruce Schwartz, Nancy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full-width-page-template.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12744","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12744\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pacpalicc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}