Hot Topics from Palisades Community Council

The following were some of the hot topics from the Palisades Community Council meeting held June 23 at the Palisades Branch Library.

Open Seats
The community council is looking to fill the following seats:
Area 5: Alternate, Second Alternate
Area 3: Second Alternate

If you are interested in applying for First or Second Alternate, you must send a candidate statement to pacpalicc@aol.com  

Candidate Statement should include:

1. What position you are applying for and what you think you can bring to the council with a little about your background 
2. It is suggested that each candidate's statement include, but not be limited to the following:     

                    a) Number of years residing in Pacific Palisades

                    b) Number of years at current address

                    c) Position on issues the candidate believes are of importance to the community or to the candidate's area    

Here's how the process works:

The Chair shall appoint a committee of three former Chairs which shall be chaired by the Chair Emeritus [most recent former Chair available to serve].  Not less than 15 days notice shall be given to residents of the respective Areas.  The “Three Chairs” committee shall nominate a proposed alternate Area Representative for each area with input from the Area Representative.  Any candidate for alternate representative shall submit a candidate statement as described in the Election Procedure, except there shall be no limitation on the length of such statement.  Upon election by the Board, an alternate Area Representative shall serve as a voting member of the Board at any Board meeting from which the Area Representative is absent.  If an Area Representative resigns or is unable to continue in office, the Alternate Representative shall become the Area Representative for the remainder of the elected term.  

1. At the request of any Area Representative, a second alternate Area Representative for that Area shall be nominated by the Three Chairs committee pursuant to the process described in paragraph 3, above.  Further details on second alternate selection and succession shall be set forth by a Standing Rule which shall provide for not less than 30 days notice to persons residing in the Area.

Wording on the process listed above was provided by Janet Turner, Chair, Pacific Palisades Community Council.

Palisades Speedracers
A report from Traffic Captain Brenda Crump stated that LAPD has been looking into the speeding problem on Sunset Blvd.  They have sent patrol cars to the area to investigate.

The captain is working with community council members on an idea to put sensors under the streets to slow down drivers.  They have proposed putting one or two sensors in town.  There have not been any proposed locations so far.  The discussion will continue regarding the proposal and how the council would go about raising the money.

Unlocked Doors
Reports from Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore revealed that there have been a few burglaries due to Palisades residents leaving doors unlocked.  Council Chair Janet Turner relayed advice from Officer Moore's report that residents should keep their doors locked.

Officer Moore also told Patch that a few residents had locked their gate, but not their back door.  He warned that the gate is a false sense of security, and residents should continue to lock all doors.

The report also noted a few gardner's trucks have been stolen due to leaving the keys in the ignition. 

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Rate Hikes
Area 3 Second Alternate James Rea informed the council of an upcoming three-year rate hike from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The are hike is based on the increased cost of basic operational costs for the plant.

LADWP will need more money for projects such as replacement of pipelines, developing new water sources and seeking renewable energy sources among others.

According to reports from LADWP, that will mean an increase of about 5.1 percent for three years to cover water costs and 5.6 percent increase for three years for power.

Redistricting
The council shared concerns of how redistricting may affect Pacific Palisades.  Redistricting will affect who will represent Pacific Palisades in the House of Representatives, Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization.  The new districts will remain for the next decade.

The council noted there had been a trend of residents leaving the coast for inland areas over the past few years, which may affect the overall population of the area.

The council was also concerned over loosing State Senator Fran Pavley due to redistricting.

The next community council meeting will be held on July 14 at 7:00 p.m.