[0:00] And submit to the city clerk prior to the public comment portion of the item. I will now call this meeting to order.

[0:08] We begin with our land acknowledgement. The city of Agoria Hills acknowledges that we occupy land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Chumash nation.

[0:21] Descendants of Chumash still remain, and we honour and pay our respects to their elders

[0:27] and various groups that make up the past, present and emerging as they continue their

[0:33] stewardship of our lands and waters.

[0:36] We have a responsibility and commitment to elevate the stories, culture and community

[0:42] of the original inhabitants of the city of Agora Hills, and we are grateful to have the

[0:48] opportunity to live and work on these ancestral lands. We will now say the pledge of allegiance

[0:55] and I will ask Amy Brink to lead us.

[1:21] Thank you. I will defer to the city court for the

[1:25] road call.

[1:27] Thank you. Good evening. Councilmember Anderson? Here. Councilmember Anstead?

[1:32] Here. Councilmember Klein Lopez? Here. Mayor Potem Wolf?

[1:36] Here. Mayor Sylvester? Here. Mayor Sylvester, you have a quorum.

[1:40] Thank you. There's no report out of closed session since we didn't have one this evening and now we'll move on to the approval of the agenda

[1:47] Will the maker of the motion and the second to approve the agenda state your names mayor pro-tem wolf make a motion to approve the agenda

[1:55] City Councilman Chris and said second. Thank you. I'll defer to the city clerk for the roll call vote

[2:00] Councilmember Anderson. I councilmember Anstead. I councilmember Klein Lopez. I mayor pro-tem wolf

[2:10] Thank you so much, and now the fun part, we are moving on to, oh, are we, do we have

[2:19] deputy Darcy here? Do you want it to go first? I can go in the order. Okay, good, all right.

[2:30] We're going to start with our business of the month.

[2:41] Welcome everyone. I'm really happy to announce

[2:45] So the business of the month is Johnny Gyro Karate.

[2:49] For 30 years, Johnny Gyro Karate has served our community

[2:52] by not only teaching martial arts,

[2:55] but by building character and students of all ages.

[2:59] Under the leadership of Grand Master, Johnny Gyro,

[3:03] and his wife, Noel Gyro Potter,

[3:06] this Goryhill studio has created a supportive

[3:09] and empowering environment where kids,

[3:12] students, teams and adults can grow in strength, self-control and respect, whether it's through

[3:19] after-school programs, championship training or community outreach, the impact of Joni

[3:25] Jhara Karate goes far beyond the dojo. Families in our city know it's a place where students

[3:32] gain more than just a black belt. They gain life skills, mentorship and a sense of belonging

[3:37] and most importantly, friendships.

[3:41] We're so thankful for the role this business plays in our community,

[3:45] not just as a martial art studio,

[3:48] but as a positive force in the lives of so many of Goro Hill's residents.

[3:52] And on a personal note, I would like to thank you for everything you did for our children,

[3:57] Peter and Louise when they were young and attended your karate classes.

[4:02] And also for your support in my gook, Scout Troop, Erin sitting right here

[4:07] one of my Girl Scouts when you gave them lessons in self-defense. So I would like to hand the

[4:14] microphone over to Dr. Mark Silverman and he's going to say a few words.

[4:22] Yes come up here.

[4:32] Thank you Mayor Sylvester and good evening everyone. It is a tremendous honor to stand before you

[4:38] today as we celebrated truly remarkable milestone. 30 years of Johnny Dara Karate serving the

[4:42] Agoria Hills community. In January of 1998 I decided that I wanted to add to my martial arts training

[4:48] of judo by enrolling in a karate studio. However, I was not evaluating the location and structures

[4:54] just for myself, but for my young daughters as well. I visited every karate studio

[5:00] In the area, and from the beginning, Johnny Giro Karate was very different than all the others. It felt like more than just a dojo. It felt like a family. There was a warmth, respect, and a sense of belonging that set it apart. I still remember meeting Mr. and Mrs. Giro for the first time. I scanned the many drawings made by their youngest son, Harley, that were proudly posted on their office wall. It was hard to hold back my smile. That day, after speaking with the gyro, I sat and observed both the children's and adults beginning in advanced classes.

[5:28] I was impressed with the palpable respect for Mr. Jarrow and his instructional methods at each of the levels and for all the ages.

[5:36] That evening while I was having dinner with my family at the old macaroni grill in West Lake, Mr. Jarrow saw me.

[5:42] He came over to us and said hello, remembering my name and even my daughter's names, even before we have made the decision to join this karate studio.

[5:50] That simple gesture said everything about who he is, someone who sees and values every

[5:56] student and every person as an individual.

[5:59] It solidified my choice for my family and me to become students of Donny Jiro Karate.

[6:06] Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Jiro's guidance and philosophy have shaped my family in all

[6:11] of the students in ways that go far beyond martial arts.

[6:14] There are many Jiro pearls of wisdom such as Karate is for defense, not offense, respect yourself,

[6:20] keep your head on a swivel. These weren't just lessons for the math, they were lessons for life.

[6:25] My daughters both achieved the rank of first red belt and I'm proud to say I have earned my black belt.

[6:31] But the real accomplishment was everything we learned along the way.

[6:34] I'll never forget how Mr. Drywell would ask the children a testing time, who's nervous.

[6:38] Then he'd tell them it's okay to be nervous when something is important to you.

[6:42] That message stuck with all of us kids and adults alike.

[6:45] Whether it's a child who walks through the door shy and uncertain of the or the adult seeking confidence and community,

[6:52] this Karate studio welcomes everybody with open arms and high standards.

[6:57] The lessons taught here go far beyond kicks and punches, they are lessons of perseverance, integrity, and self-worth.

[7:04] For the children of Goura Hills, Johnny Jara Karate has offered guidance, focus, and a safe supportive environment.

[7:10] For the adults, it has been a place of growth, fitness, and personal challenge.

[7:15] And for families, it has brought people closer together, united by shared goals and mutual respect.

[7:21] Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Gyro, for building a place where we learn to protect ourselves,

[7:26] push our limits, and believe in our worth.

[7:28] Thank you for 30 years of commitment to the community.

[7:31] Here's to the next chapter of inspiration, discipline, and strength.

[7:35] And to my dear friends, John and Noel, you have my deepest gratitude, admiration and respect.

[7:41] Thank you.

[7:48] Would you like to join us?

[8:01] Would you like to say a few words?

[8:14] I would say after that, and some of your children took from us, and I told Mr. Jarrah we don't

[8:19] go anywhere in this amazing city, and not see families that are, or were, and in many

[8:27] ways are still with us, like the Silverman's.

[8:30] What John and I do for living is not work at all, and we started out 30 years ago wondering

[8:36] if our passion and our love for what we did was going to be enough.

[8:41] And we told each other, it will be.

[8:45] It will be.

[8:45] When you love what you do and you believe in what you do, it will be all right.

[8:50] And it turned out to be more than all right.

[8:52] We've made friends for years and have experiences that we could never have imagined.

[8:59] and the City of Agoria Hills welcomed us as too much younger.

[9:05] New business owners starting out the city helped us through the procedures, what to do.

[9:12] We gave back as much as we could of time, energy, and funds because we owed it to the City

[9:18] of Agoria Hills that made us who we are quite honestly, and the families in this city look

[9:24] like they were hand picked and the students that came through our door looked like they

[9:29] were shills but they're real people with real lives and real problems and real hurdles

[9:35] to get over and if we made one centella of difference in their lives then we set out to

[9:44] do what we set out to do every day which is make their lives better but none of our students

[9:49] ever knew like the Silverman family what you did for us to give us the

[9:55] opportunity to do what we love to do and to make a difference in

[10:00] In your lives and for us to be welcomed into all of your lives, the world and the family of Agoria Hills, we could not be more grateful. And we hope that we can do it for many, many more years. And it's just been an honor and a privilege for both of us to have started out in Agoria Hills and to still be here today 30 years later. It seems like a dream. So thank you to all of you from the bottom of our hearts and to the community and the surrounding communities for being

[10:29] so gracious and so willing to accept us and allowing us to do what we do.

[10:34] Thank you so much.

[10:37] Do you want to say anything?

[10:44] I am not a speaker.

[10:46] No well as a speaker.

[10:48] When I'm at home, she does the talking, I do the listening.

[10:51] That's how it is.

[10:53] But I got to tell you, there's something that's so overwhelming that I have little guys

[10:58] come in.

[10:59] They're five, six, seven years old.

[11:01] The parents are talking to me and they say do you remember me?

[11:04] and I say, oh, what do I know you from?

[11:08] I was there age when I came to your classes

[11:12] and I'm like, oh my God, how old am I?

[11:15] And you really don't know because you're going through

[11:17] step by step, I step doing what you do

[11:19] and doing what you love and it's so much fun

[11:21] watching them grow and do what they do

[11:24] and then they go off to college

[11:25] and then they come back to visit

[11:26] and they tell you all their experiences

[11:28] and I'm like, oh my God, I still remember

[11:30] you as a five-year-old running around

[11:32] And what where did the time go and I have circus mirrors on my house because I don't see myself getting older

[11:37] I just see everyone else getting older until I see a picture of me and then I realize that is working

[11:43] But I can't thank you all enough for what you guys do when people come to that door and they ask for help and we're able to help them

[11:50] It just makes literally our dream come true, and I can't thank you enough for everything

[11:55] Well, I've got another client coming, Peter's having a baby in September.

[12:00] Oh, congratulations!

[12:04] Let's take a minute.

[12:43] We have a second presentation, correct?

[12:46] Do I have that?

[12:49] Who's giving that?

[12:50] Because I don't see a script for me.

[12:52] Oh, it's

[12:55] in the government.

[12:56] Oh.

[12:57] Okay.

[12:58] Good.

[13:01] So, we're moving on to Intergovernmental Special Purpose Committee in departmental reports.

[13:08] and we're going to start with the raise Adobe Days update.

[13:12] I'll defer to Amy Brink or the Director of Community Services.

[13:16] Thank you, Mayor Silvestre. Good evening, City Council.

[13:19] I'd like to actually turn it over to Recreation Manager New Kirk

[13:22] to give you an update on Reyes Adobe Days 2025.

[13:26] Thank you, Amy. Good evening, Madam Mayor, City Council.

[13:29] We come tonight to give a brief introduction

[13:32] to the 21st annual Reyes Adobe Days.

[13:35] City staff has been hard at work since the 20th annual raise of Dobie Days concluded.

[13:41] This is a year-long event for our department now.

[13:44] This year's dates will be October 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2025, and like I said, it is the 21st

[13:51] annual.

[13:51] So we are super excited.

[13:52] But the reason we are here tonight is we are so excited that we get to announce our

[13:56] grand marshal for this year.

[14:03] There we go.

[14:04] Chaplain Phil Reeves and Deputy Darcy, who are sitting in the back.

[14:12] Phil Reeves is a retired police sergeant and patrol watch commander who served in the San

[14:16] Gabriel Valley for many years.

[14:18] After retiring, he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as a volunteer patrol

[14:22] chaplain serving the deputies and the staff of the Malibu Lost Hills station, as well as community

[14:27] members facing crisis or trauma.

[14:29] Phil is also a nationally board-certified chaplain.

[14:32] He holds a graduate degree in theology and arts and is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry.

[14:37] Phil is honored to serve as Darcy's plus one at this year's Reyes Adobe Days Parade.

[14:43] Phil is also a very well-known person in the entertainment industry which we'll get to at a

[14:47] later date. Deputy Darcy is a certified post-traumatic stress canine assigned to the Los Angeles

[14:54] County Sheriff's Department Malibu Lost Hills. Darcy serves the deputies and the staff.

[15:00] She is a fixture at the station and available during times of crisis or after stressful calls. She also

[15:06] supports our citizens in critical moments. She loves all people, especially kids. At home she

[15:12] enjoys long walks, belly rubs, squeaky chew toys and snuggles. I can honestly say I have never said

[15:16] that about another grand marshal before. Darcy was trained three years for her facility dog duties by

[15:22] guide dogs of America and accredited by assisted dogs at international. Her service would make

[15:28] possible by GDA's generous donations. We are thrilled to have Chaplain Phil Reeves and

[15:33] Deputy Darcy.

[15:39] And I think at this point we would like to ask the City Council to come

[15:41] down and take a picture with our grand marshals if that's okay.

[16:48] You will be seeing lots more

[16:49] about Chaplain Reeves and Deputy Darcy as we get closer to the event in October. Thank

[16:55] you guys so much for coming. We also are thrilled to announce that we have a title sponsor

[17:02] for this year's raise of Dobie Days.

[17:04] Mayor Sylvester was with me when they agreed to do it.

[17:09] Second dental, one of our major sponsors,

[17:11] is going to be our title sponsor this year.

[17:15] We will be asking them to join us at our council meeting

[17:17] when we present the entire raise of Dobie Days event in August.

[17:22] As I mentioned, we have a wonderful staff,

[17:24] but we cannot do this event without our rat executive committee

[17:27] chaired by our very own Randy Pallor,

[17:29] who's been with us since the very, very beginning.

[17:31] We have a wonderful crew.

[17:33] Everyone hard at work digging in all the details of everything that happens at this wonderful event.

[17:39] Like I said, we'll be inviting the committee along with other details to come in our meeting in August when we present the entire event.

[17:48] Raise to dobydays.org will be live on July 1st.

[17:53] So we are putting on the final touches literally as we speak.

[17:56] So on July 1st, you'll be able to register for the run, you'll be able to register for

[18:00] night at the Adobe, you'll be able to see Chaplin Reeves and Deputy Darcy on the front

[18:05] page of our website.

[18:06] All the good information that happens for race Adobe days, we are thrilled and excited

[18:10] to present the 21st annual race Adobe days the weekend of October 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2025.

[18:15] Thank you so much.

[18:20] Thank you.

[18:21] And to confirm all of that information will be on our new website?

[18:26] Yes, it will.

[18:27] Yes.

[18:28] Thank you.

[18:29] All right, moving on.

[18:31] The last version is Malibu Council of Government, that date.

[18:33] That's me.

[18:35] So, this month's cog meeting, the staff has continued to work on the regional smart cities

[18:42] five in network contract.

[18:44] Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins has been appointed to the Metro San Fernando Valley Service Council.

[18:51] Shoey places Dennis Washburn who served all of us for 12 years, and we all said a big thank

[18:57] Thank you to him.

[18:58] We approved the 2526 COG budget.

[19:02] City dues were remained at 25,000 per year.

[19:06] We extended the contracts for the Executive Director Terry

[19:09] Dippall, the COG homeless coordinator, Gabriel Graham,

[19:13] part-time admin support for LA County reporting,

[19:16] and Metro Board Deputy Aaron Egerian.

[19:19] All contracts are fully reimbursable through county

[19:22] and state funds.

[19:23] The next co-meeting will not be until August 19th, and then as a follow-up, Terry Dippel,

[19:31] the co-executive director and I held a Zoom meeting with members of Lindsay Horvath

[19:35] staff to discuss the changes coming to Camp Kilpatrick, the juvenile detention centre

[19:41] in the Santa Monica Mountains.

[19:43] The probation department has been ordered to do a major restructuring of its holding facilities,

[19:48] And as a result, Camp Kilpatrick is transitioning to an all-girls and gender expansive youth facility with age ranging from 14 to 20.

[20:00] Tal oes yn ffech ondeud hynny hollio yn ffechad ymfer o ffechad gethau o hon ymfer y ffechad gyfrannau. Pelly ddiolch yn ddeanhuaeth mae yna cwl Traveleyryntau,

[20:12] ffechadau pan y ffechadau yna amser ffechadau. Pelly yna, fechadau yna, hynny hollio yn ffechadau yna pethau,

[20:17] yna me�νau rhani signawnaid. Felly a'r nodel yn fferensio a'r ffechadau a'r ffechadau gael,

[20:24] a bydd yn y postponedeb rhan o ddair hanag conod eithraeth fel ar ymwyr ett shifting?

[20:27] Nid, a bu'r aadau hwysgu fel arall yn acbestant yn ysgorodiool.

[20:32] A'r ddellunatih mewn meddwlad amser a'r allanadau yn amseran.

[20:36] A ddennau i arall yn aeghen gyfer ac amseran a'r aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen gyfer aeghen Gyfer aeghen gwerth amseran.

[20:52] fuwlw i chi wedi eu 快wch yn llwyd.

[20:53] Mae'r cymru yn y ffordd i fydd ei sefyd.

[20:56] Mae'n cymru yn cynhyrtate sy'n llwyd嚒ul i dynur

[20:58] sy'n ffordd unwydd o fo sy'n eu fynd.

[21:00] Mae maen nhw, i wneud eu enw wneud eu ffordd i ffordd y pyw yn cladol

[21:07] faenut yn cymru a amlwydgen.

[21:08] Gael eisiau brótan yn vaenboc y ffordd i sem wneud o волidwyngor

[21:12] Felly mae llwydau a lotais yna o ffordd cael fel unwydood sweet.

[21:17] Mae'r cymru yn ffordd o cyliwch yn gwaithau

[21:22] Chymru eisiau fasol o ĵgryddiad y sefll bi'n oes.

[21:26] Mae'n gwybod hwnnw i bro'r ddod cymrydru bwll i amg phycilion y cיםilol â rhan

[21:31] gweithau gyffredyn fy unrhyw hwnm gw stitches o lefog a 4.9 million o gweithau

[21:34] a hwnnw i cyffredyn a ddod cymryddiad a bonrhywふwn i am.

[21:39] Mae y wyth yn gwneud y ddod cymryd wrls, mae'n gweithau wyth yn arall.

[21:44] Mae maeiliaethateth cyflar y clydogs yn y wneud i wneud Torch y Mwll weithau

[21:48] a loti y wneud dellfaog.

[21:48] y fwy hijlen.

[21:51] No, oedd ymdyn diwy Willen Ieelol 4 a Ysgbog y dod clow持d.

[21:57] Fel er oedd yw defraud yn cael eu cael yw oeddwn i lafrwyedd llwag ffyrt yn da.

[21:58] Felly aphydd y Traîd oeddwn pethach, beth yn pethach hynny a gyny?

[22:04] Felly ymdg fel meddwl am yr yma fel fiw sef yna yma, gan cyfring

[22:05] hynny, mae gydeithol wasyn flancor a gwrs yma yma oeddwn y실wch yn problwng

[22:07] ni'n iawn yma oeddwn da gofring cwllawr.

[22:20] Ngu yn gwybod i sicrhau siel ar pan yw yno, yn deffancadau aio garbygodau cympiadau ac yr yw'n giesem i'r

[22:27] ac yn yw'r gwest生r i agerodau ei arall ni'n gwybodau a neu arall ni i'r pridwybodau

[22:34] yng Nghymru a ffordd sy'n dddei cympiadauau.

[22:35] mae yw'r gwaith o elfancineu cyfyllithau yn dd Didbwyd对 deau hyn nhw'n gwybod ydy,

[22:39] am yr oedог yw'r gwestiadau ac yn ddiadau ffŵr yw'n gwybod yw'n gwybod yw'n gwybod yw'n gwybod

[22:50] cael mesna ejen a cwbbl o ffeth cwndyn, ac y ffeth cwndyn.

[22:54] Llywodraethau o a lluny anoddol a phedraeth ddye amw, ac yli ddylwodraethau cwndyn.

[23:00] Llywodraethau cael mwnewig gan ni gwneud cael boddw i dwerthau cwndyn?iad.

[23:02] Unig ydy defnyddio, eraill wedi i unig yw dysgu'r cwndyn ni fel anoddol a

[23:22] gwaith fydd yn ddatidol

[23:23] deintvaidea da, leitho aiedate, faidate a cwllor i at oedau cwllor i dynmolia.

[23:28] In the public comments section, the city council cannot make any comments, we just listen

[23:34] and then defer to staff if there is an issue.

[23:38] Thank you, please begin.

[23:39] Thank you, Madam mayor.

[23:40] Thank you for the opportunity to speak about a wildfire mitigation effort that could start

[23:44] immediately. As you know, the city's community wildfire risk assessment should be complete

[23:48] wedi wedi feu'r cyntafru a cty bleodol, tusan yn gallu cyntafru a tu sy'n i'r agiggui feu'r 2026,

[23:55] i wedi wedi wedi cyntafru a doblei ac o leol o leol eidodol apodaethau ddim yn y g warau

[23:59] 27.喏, yna fyddai'n cadur i'n gweidol dros, yn edrydau fel rais o'n gwaith, yn y llaradol o

[24:07] tunnaethau erio sicrhau deffesi dylfraudol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol o leol

[24:18] may, at kil os ayn ymwn am y yw ymwst aún dew i rydyn du doedd ei am ddeodol amelau sydd o dymnu

[24:24] ac engwod Iain wedi eu angen sydd eu, ymwst, sy'r sydd ymwst i'i eu amgen sydd eu ymwst, sydd eu a'r

[24:32] twy sydd ymwst i'u sydd ymwst i'u cymwst i'u wedi a 4 Metro wedi gen olygu arweithio uprighti a 4 Metro

[24:44] oes oes.

[24:45] Flith, ffordd.

[24:46] A bryd.

[24:47] Mae'r adegymraethu amser.

[24:47] Llywfod.

[24:47] A'r aegymraethu amser.

[24:48] faith, dro'n cael cael 15-20 childish humming排,

[24:52] o'n cael mo'r fan am y

[24:53] gwaith, a fy swyddol.

[24:54] Aml yna i'r道 yn yr Nigui daethom.

[24:57] Mae'r rhag yna ffeithu sy'n gallu cofŵn o ran.

[25:00] And completely mitigate safety risks. I could spend three minutes and not be able to name all the things in your car that work to keep you and everyone else on the road safe. Just as you wouldn't deliberately disable the airbag or seat belts or power steering, the city should not overlook an ordinance that helps to mitigate wildfire risk and reduce connect to fuel in our community. It's not enough to expect neighbors to talk about excessively large hedges to have information or diplomacy skills to accomplish much on a community scale.

[25:27] We don't expect drivers on the 101 to talk to each other about speeding or drunk driving

[25:32] habits.

[25:33] We do rely on government authorities to educate and enforce the rules for the collective

[25:37] safety of all.

[25:39] While this ordinance probably wasn't intended to address connective fuel loads, I'll make

[25:43] another analogy to Al Capone in his conviction for tax evasion, it was creative and it made

[25:49] an impact.

[25:51] Whatever approach you decide to take to address connective fuel in Agora will not completely

[25:56] we solve for all the wildfire risk, but it is something real that can reduce the risks

[26:01] we face today, and it's in your authority to make a policy decision to do so now.

[26:06] Thank you.

[26:07] Thank you.

[26:10] Our next speaker is Alison Johnson.

[26:20] Hello, Council.

[26:21] Thank you so much for letting me speak tonight about an issue that I have noticed and wanted

[26:26] to raise to people's attention.

[26:30] As I take a deep breath now, I'm thankful that that breath is free.

[26:35] And I think to myself, what would it be like if it wasn't free?

[26:40] Maybe every minute of breathing would be 50 cents or even worse, a dollar.

[26:45] And life-saving oxygen is all around us and it fills this very room, but some people

[26:50] feel it should come at a price and I'm talking about gas station owners and their infamous air

[26:54] pump scans.

[26:56] How often have you paid to fill your tire not knowing that you did not have to pay?

[27:00] Most people don't realize this, but California law requires every service station in this state to provide during operating hours, water, compressed air, and a gauge for measuring air pressure to the public for use in servicing any passenger or commercial vehicle.

[27:18] And despite this being a law since the year 2000, I see every gas station in the city and beyond advertising with stickers, air, $1.50 for four minutes, air, 250 for five minutes.

[27:29] Not only is five minutes a ridiculously long amount of time for air, they asked us to pay

[27:35] through traditional coin slots, and I've seen gas stations that I frequent even add card

[27:40] readers in the last six months to their air machines waiting for people like us to pay

[27:45] unknowingly, earning them hundreds of extra dollars a year as they left their way to the

[27:49] bank.

[27:50] And these crooked owners have been discussingly capitalizing on this for years, betting

[27:54] on the fact that most people will see a sign asking for money and pay for air without

[27:58] out knowing their own rights.

[28:00] In their busy lives, they don't realize

[28:01] that not only is the air that we breathe free of charge,

[28:05] but so is the air in their tires, their pool floaties,

[28:08] and that one soccer ball that's constantly leaking air.

[28:11] But the true leak here is not our balls, it is our wallets.

[28:15] And as our local gas stations gouge their own community

[28:18] by taking funds that are not legally theirs,

[28:21] profiting through misinformation and unclear messaging,

[28:24] it inflates the price of gas as well

[28:26] while we inflate our tires and take, take, and take some more, and what they are really

[28:30] inflating is their egos and their wallets, is the law not sacred in the city.

[28:35] Is the city not meant to be a haven and escape from the corruption and hypocrisy of the big

[28:39] city?

[28:40] How can we protect all of us from draining our life savings on lies?

[28:45] I do have pictures as evidence even though I can't really show them to you now, but of

[28:50] the air machines advertising a price alongside tap to pay card readers or traditional coin slots,

[28:55] There are many, and in many cases I go in and ask them to turn the air on, and they do, but they just try and

[29:00] shoo me away as they would rather I pay. But I shouldn't have to do that. And I'm here today asking

[29:06] to free the air by asking that all gas stations in the city of Agora be required to add a sticker or an emblem that makes it well known to the

[29:13] public that this air is free, so as not to cause our residents to cough up their hard earned dollars to these relentless, as I call them, gas hole.

[29:21] a time of inflation and economy and economic uncertainty and a time where we're asked to

[29:28] tip for everything including coffee and as I recently learned babysitting, let's do

[29:34] the public a service by telling them about the few times that we do not have to pay.

[29:38] Thank you.

[29:44] I think she's going to get an answer outside. Thank you, Denise Thomas.

[29:50] All right, are there any other speakers? We do not have any further speaker cards.

[29:55] Alright, we are now moving on to the Council Consent Calendar.

[30:00] This section is reserved for persons wishing to speak on items on the consent calendar. I will now defer to the City Clerk. Thank you. We did not receive any written correspondence or have any speaker cards. Thank you. Are there any questions from the City Council on the consent calendar? Seeing none, I will now call for a motion and a second to adopt the consent calendar. City Councilman Krzysztof makes the motion to adopt the consent calendar. Council Member Anderson seconds.

[30:29] I will now defer to the City Clerk.

[30:33] Councillor Mevers Anderson?

[30:35] Aye.

[30:36] Councillor Mevers-Anstead?

[30:37] Aye.

[30:37] Councillor Mevers-Clein Lopez?

[30:39] Aye.

[30:40] Mayor Proto-Move?

[30:41] Aye.

[30:41] Mayor Savestor?

[30:42] Aye.

[30:43] Mayor Savestor, you have approval 5-0.

[30:45] Thank you.

[30:46] We are now moving on to the budget discussion.

[30:49] Our next item is a discussion to consider the adoption of four resolutions related to the city's

[30:55] compensation plan, the California Public Employees Retirement System CalPERS contribution

[31:01] amounts, increasing the employer contribution to the healthcare premiums, the council members,

[31:08] and amending the Mission Square Retirement Governmental Purchase Plan 401A adoption agreement

[31:15] and approving the fifth amendment to the City Manager's Employment Agreement and the City

[31:22] I will now defer to human resources manager, so less burden for the staff presentation.

[31:28] Thank you, good evening Honourable Mayor and members of the council.

[31:32] SB 1436, which was passed by the state in August 2016,

[31:38] amended the Brown Act to require that prior to taking final action on the set operating budget,

[31:44] the city council shall provide an oral summary of any changes in salaries,

[31:48] salaries, schedules, fringe benefits, or for any executive management or employees on a contract.

[31:56] Accordingly, before the City Council this evening, as part of this agenda item,

[32:02] is a recommendation to approve a salary and benefit package for the nonrepresented full-time executive management and contracted employees.

[32:11] The non-represented management consists of the city manager, assistant city manager,

[32:18] deputy city manager, building official, city clerk, and all department heads.

[32:24] It should be noted that other than the aforementioned executive management positions,

[32:29] the city does not have any other employees on a contract that fall within the SB 1436 reporting requirement.

[32:36] For fiscal year 2025-26, the benefit package before the City Council includes a 3.1%

[32:45] COLA increase for full-time staff effective July 1, 2025, an increase to the maximum employer

[32:54] contribution towards health insurance from $2,750 per month to $2,900 per month effective

[33:03] of January 1st, 2026, an increase to the maximum employer contribution towards health insurance for council members to match the recommended contributions for full-time employees from $2,750 per month to $2,900 per month effective January 1st, 2026, an increase to the city's matching contribution to the deferred compensation plan

[33:31] to a dollar for dollar match, not to exceed $120 per pay period for general employees effective July 1st, 2025.

[33:42] An increase to the city's matching contribution to the city's deferred compensation plan,

[33:49] to a dollar for dollar match, not to exceed 3% for executive staff based on their annual salary effective July 1st, 2025.

[33:59] Established the CalPERS Classic Employee Contribution as 5% effective to life first, 2025, and the PEPRA Employee Contribution as 7.75% as established by CalPERS.

[34:13] For sum it to the city manager's employment agreement, the recommended action is to amend his agreement to include a 3.1% increase in pay, which would establish a base pay of $298,568.81.

[34:32] increase the city manager's auto allowance from $500 to $550 a month.

[34:41] A 1.5% increase to the city's contribution to the city manager's 401A retirement savings plan,

[34:50] not to exceed 6.5% of the city manager's salary.

[34:55] Based on city manager's continued exceptional performance, the city manager

[34:59] you

[35:00] We will be given a performance bonus of $15,000 for a fiscal year 2025-26. Providing this information complies with the requirements of SB 1436, and this concludes the staff report at this time. Thank you. Thank you very much. Before we move on to public comment, does any council member have any questions of staff? Seeing none, I will defer to the city clerk. Thank you. We did not receive any written questions.

[35:29] For respondents, nor do we have any public speakers for this item.

[35:33] Thank you.

[35:34] Does any council member have any further questions?

[35:38] Seeing none, we'll now move on to deliberations.

[35:43] I'll start with council member Anst.

[35:49] One of the things that I want to say about this item is that, first of all,

[35:55] our city manager works long hours and

[35:59] And a good example actually is this weekend where we had a brief power outage and he was

[36:05] being texted on the weekend on his time off.

[36:09] And so I just I think this is well deserved.

[36:13] It's actually well within the norm of other city managers in our area.

[36:19] And actually if we could, I would like to obviously would pay him even a bigger bonus because

[36:27] I think he's done a great job this last year for our city and you can always count on him no matter what time of day or evening or the weekends.

[36:38] And so I think very fair and especially when it's in line with other employees and it's somebody that doesn't like to take bonuses or pay above the rest of his employees and that shows great leadership.

[36:54] So I just want to say I think it's definitely fair and ready to move forward.

[37:00] Thank you.

[37:03] I will echo everything that Council Member Anstead said.

[37:07] I will add that I am delighted that we are proving a balanced budget in these times without

[37:13] too many painful cuts that is not given around in other jurisdictions and I will add that I

[37:20] I am equally delighted to be supporting the benefit package of our staff, who is amazing.

[37:26] Yes, we have an amazing city manager and no leader can do the things that they do without an amazing staff.

[37:34] And I'm looking over and I know I'm looking over to some of that amazing staff.

[37:38] You guys really, really keep this city going and so it is a delight to be here.

[37:48] Councilmember Klein Lopez.

[37:50] I agree with everything my fellow councilmembers have said.

[37:53] You took the words right out of my mouth, very grateful to staff for, you know, really putting the needs of the constituents, our residents, our businesses first.

[38:05] You go above and beyond in good times and certainly in rough times, and it's true that it comes from the top.

[38:13] So I'm very thankful, especially in this very tough budget year, where we're really working to

[38:21] maintain the programs that are important for our residents and our community.

[38:27] You do it well. We do it with a small scrappy crowd. So you deserve to be rewarded for that

[38:35] appropriately and very grateful. Thank you. Thank you. May I have pro-time?

[38:40] I'd like to echo everything my fellow council members said, but the city wouldn't run and wouldn't be successful without

[38:50] well-functioning and highly motivated staff. And I do appreciate what council member Anderson and Anstead said regarding, you know,

[38:58] we were able to keep a balanced budget and do this. I think it's wonderful to be able to retain staff and make it a

[39:04] We continue to make it a desirable place to work because it really, really is, but everything

[39:09] is so expensive and inflation is going up.

[39:12] So I'm thrilled that we can do this and Nate does an okay job, so I'm happy to support

[39:17] it.

[39:18] No, Nate's outstanding and I'm thrilled that this is included in echo everyone's comments.

[39:23] Thank you.

[39:24] I couldn't agree with everybody more.

[39:26] When we look around us at other cities and we see the problems they have, finding staff

[39:31] and finding good stuff. We really appreciate everything that you do for us each and every

[39:37] day, and especially to Nate who is very quiet, but gets a lot done. So thank you and well

[39:46] deserve for your bonus. So I will now call, unless there's any other comments, I will

[39:52] now call for a motion and a second to adopt resolution number 25-2108.

[40:00] Resolution number 22-2012, and adopt resolution number 25-2109, adopt resolution number 25-2110, and 25-2111, and approve the fifth amendment to the city manager's employment agreement and the city manager's performance bonus.

[40:24] Yes.

[40:24] That's a mouthful.

[40:26] So move.

[40:27] City Councilman Chris Anstead.

[40:29] I'll second.

[40:30] Debra Klein Lopez.

[40:31] Thank you.

[40:32] Well, I'll defer to the City Clerk for the roll call.

[40:36] Council Member Anderson.

[40:37] Aye.

[40:37] Council Member Anstead.

[40:39] Aye.

[40:40] Council Member Klein Lopez.

[40:41] Aye.

[40:42] Mayor Pratim Wolff.

[40:43] Aye.

[40:44] Mayor Savaster.

[40:45] Aye.

[40:45] Mayor Savaster.

[40:46] You have approval.

[40:47] Five to zero.

[40:47] Thank you.

[40:48] We are now moving on to the public caring for our budget.

[40:52] It. Our next item is to conduct a public hearing to consider the adoption of the city's

[40:57] biennial budget for the upcoming 2526 and 2627 for school years. Setting appropriation

[41:05] limitations, approving budget updates for the current year and establishing citywide goals

[41:11] for the next two years. I will now open the public hearing and defer to the director of finance

[41:17] and it's dear to the vanias for the staff presentation.

[41:21] Thank you very much mayor. Good evening mayor and city council members.

[41:24] This evening concludes the planning process for the city of Agura Hills by annual budget process.

[41:31] After many meetings, workshops and follow-up sessions, staff is pleased to report that the city's

[41:35] general fund budgets for fiscal year 20 for 25, 26, and 20, 26, 27 is balanced.

[41:42] The fiscal budget for the 2025-26 budget year includes all approved recommendations made by the finance up committee and the approved City Council changes make during the budget workshop.

[41:53] As a reminder, those changes were an appropriation and increased to the chamber, a contribution to the Topanga Banjo Flittle Contest and Folk Festival, and lastly an increase in this year's city's community's grants program.

[42:06] The fiscal year 2025-26 budget also includes the City Council goes identified for this year.

[42:10] The fiscal year 2026-27 budget is also balanced.

[42:17] Staff use conservative estimates and planned operations for the second year.

[42:21] The fiscal year, this fiscal year, has a small surplus of $1,872.

[42:26] Finance staff will monitor the fiscal year 2025 and 26, as well as the 2026-27 budgets quarterly.

[42:33] And will inform the finance subcommittee of economic changes or trends.

[42:36] And staff will also present updated recommendations that mid-year admitt cycle.

[42:40] Staff also would like to remind the council that all CIP projects are still in orders presented

[42:45] and added during the budget process and Staff will continue to seek out grants to assist

[42:49] with programming and project costs.

[42:52] Regarding the next steps, if the Biannual budget is approved this evening, Staff will input

[42:56] the budget into the accounting system for Staff to start using next Tuesday, July 1st.

[43:01] Since this has been a unique year, Staff will monitor the budget on a quarterly basis and

[43:04] inform the Finance and Committee and City Council of any trends.

[43:07] and the last step involves preparing the budget for GFA award consideration.

[43:13] That concludes staff's presentation and is ready for questions.

[43:17] Thank you so much.

[43:19] Before we move on to public comment, does any council member have any questions of staff?

[43:25] Seeing none, I will now defer to the city clerk for public comments.

[43:29] Thank you. We did not receive any written correspondence, nor do we have any speaker cards.

[43:33] Thank you.

[43:34] Before closing the public hearing, do any council members have any further questions

[43:39] of staff?

[43:41] There being no further questions, I will now close the public hearing, and we'll move

[43:47] on to deliberations.

[43:49] I will start with my co—yes, on the one that's going to be council member, hence the—

[43:57] Sure, thank you very much, Mayor.

[44:00] I mean, we've talked about this budget quite a few times now because we've been visiting it as we've done the goals.

[44:07] And it's great that we, I mean, one of the things I always speak to because I think it is really what one of the primary functions of the city is to keep the residents safe.

[44:19] And we're spending almost a third of our budget on safety items.

[44:24] And so I always like that that is a thing that we're focused on,

[44:31] that we, as a city that we're always, we want to keep our residents safe.

[44:35] We're always worried about issues that happen in our city,

[44:41] whether it's to our businesses or to our residents.

[44:44] And so we've focused on that.

[44:47] That we partnered with the Sheriff's Department on a lot of things we've upgraded with the video

[44:54] crime room that our local sheriff, as we've also implemented.

[45:01] Readers in our town, try to make it safer, place for our residents. We've also upgraded our bicycle pathways, our walkways. We've really, I think, focused on that issue over the last, I've been on the city council about seven years or six and a half years, and we really have tried to focus on those issues. And so I'm proud to be on the city council that is able to do that. And at the same time,

[45:29] keep a balanced budget and make sure that we don't over spend and put ourselves in a bad situation.

[45:37] And so I've always been, it's always been great to work with our finance director,

[45:41] with our city manager, with all of our staff, and trying to make sure that we do that.

[45:47] And so I'm glad to approve this budget and move forward.

[45:52] Thank you.

[45:52] Thank you very much.

[45:54] Councilmember Klein Lopez, would you like to go next?

[45:57] Thank you.

[45:59] I made quite a few comments at the last budget meeting so I don't need to repeat those but I will say that while it's a long process for us to work on a two year budget, I think it's really, really well executed, we start in March, we finish in June,

[46:23] I should probably start before March, you start before March, you start long before March.

[46:30] And I'll say I start, I have, my notes are two years worth of things I would love

[46:36] to see and some of those are feasible and some of those are pie in the sky, but I appreciate

[46:40] that we can just put it all out there, all of us with all of our goals that we've heard

[46:43] from residents and businesses over the past two years and kind of hash it out to see what

[46:49] we can do and what the priorities are.

[46:52] I do appreciate, as always, that we have a balanced budget, it's one of the most important

[46:57] things that we are responsible for as a council for being physically responsible.

[47:04] And also maintaining our healthy reserve, we saw with COVID that you never know how something

[47:12] can go sideways and our city is always conservative on that front and it serves as well.

[47:17] So I want to thank you, and again, I won't repeat all of the things that I really love to see in the budget,

[47:25] but I am ready to move forward on what was a long and healthy set of discussions.

[47:32] Thank you.

[47:33] Thank you. I would just like to add that I didn't think Diego and his department ever stopped.

[47:38] I think they're going old.

[47:40] That's true. That's true.

[47:42] Councilmember Anderson.

[47:43] and I echo the comments of my fellow city council members.

[47:48] Your budget is your values and I am really,

[47:51] I love the budget that we have here in Angora Hills

[47:54] as council member Anstead said.

[47:56] Third of it is to safety that is really,

[47:58] really important to us here in Angora Hills.

[48:01] Environmental sustainability is really,

[48:03] really important to us here in Angora Hills.

[48:05] Thanks to some special funds we're able

[48:07] to continue moving forward with those things

[48:09] And community services is really important to us here in Agoria Hills.

[48:15] We have this identity as a small town.

[48:18] And it's funny because you drive from Agoria Hills to West Lake to Calabasas.

[48:24] And you don't know quite where those lines are.

[48:27] We're part of the largest metropolitan policies in the country.

[48:31] When you think about LA County, we literally are the largest county in the country.

[48:35] And Agoria Hills is mixed in among all of that and yet we still do feel like our own distinct

[48:42] community and that's reflected in our budget.

[48:45] I want to acknowledge that there were a lot of things we wanted to do.

[48:48] I forget what the number of our goal is to go from the remembers.

[48:53] It was a lot.

[48:54] So we didn't have to make painful cuts, which is huge.

[48:57] There's a lot that are valued, that are priorities to us, that are things that we weren't able

[49:02] to do.

[49:03] so I want to say that out loud because we had lots of folks come and testify and be part

[49:08] of committee meetings that we weren't able to do some of it but not all of it for some

[49:12] of the things we weren't able to do any of it. So I want to acknowledge that that is hard

[49:16] and hopeful that we will have stronger and stronger economic times in the future where we can do more

[49:22] and I'm really glad to be able to support the budget that we have. Yes, may it protect?

[49:28] Thank you very as always well said by the fellow council members and it's cliche but

[49:34] that the budget reflects our values, and some of the highlights include public safety,

[49:39] improving economic vitality, and emphasis on wildfire preparedness.

[49:44] And I think those are some of the most pressing issues facing our region, our unique region,

[49:49] and we're able to make it work with what we have.

[49:53] And I want to really commend the finance team on this budget document.

[49:57] It's a really fantastic document, I've read through it.

[50:00] It's interesting, and you learn about the city, and it's really well done, and it breaks down each department, but what they do, and their finances, and I thought it was really well done. I know it was a lot of work. So thank you for that. And I can enthusiastically support this. And I know that these things are fluid, that the outlook right now might, it's unpredictable. But I know that you guys will continue to look for funding sources when available, and so that makes me really comfortable knowing, because there were things that we weren't able to do.

[50:29] to include, and I appreciate the nimbleness to possibly revisit some of them.

[50:36] But I do think we are getting a lot done with the limited amount of resources we do have.

[50:40] So great work, and I can enthusiastically support this.

[50:46] Thank you so much, and I would like to encourage our public to go on to our new website that's coming on July 1st.

[50:54] And you will be able to look at the proposed biennial budget.

[50:59] it, it will be posted up there. And as Mayor Prattam said, it's very clearly laid out by

[51:05] department what each department does and how the funds are allocated. And I think that

[51:10] will help our community learn more about how the city spends their money. And then this

[51:16] is sort of a direct appeal to our residents. Please help us with security. I know a lot

[51:23] of residents have the ring cameras now or a substitute for that, please register your

[51:29] ring cameras with the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station because with their crime watch centre

[51:35] if an incident is occurring in your area, they can reach out to you and ask to have the

[51:42] feed from your ring cameras. That will save all of us a lot of money in detective work, etc.

[51:49] So, please help us by doing that, and again, also home hardening.

[51:55] The city is putting money into home hardening, but there is never enough funding for home

[52:00] hardening.

[52:01] So, each of us, please take responsibility.

[52:04] Make sure your gut is recovered.

[52:06] Make sure your vents are the right size.

[52:08] Make sure your windows are double-pained so they're fire resistant and be aware of the surroundings

[52:14] things closest to your house so that you are protecting your home, and by protecting

[52:19] your home, you are protecting your neighbour's home. So that's a little plea from me to

[52:25] help all of us because we all have to do our part. The city is doing as much as we can.

[52:31] So with that, I would like to, I think we can now move on to the city clerk for the roco,

[52:44] I'll get there. So, let's see. So, we want a motion to waive the full reading and introduce

[52:53] ordnance number 24 dash 479. Oh, no, that's the wrong one, isn't it? All right, jumped ahead.

[53:02] going back. Sorry about that. So I like a motion to consider the, sorry, a motion to adopt

[53:12] the city's biennial budget for the upcoming 2526 and 2627 fiscal years, setting appropriation

[53:20] limitations, approving budget updates for the current year and establishing citywide goals

[53:24] for the next two years.

[53:35] I'm sorry if I may. And I've got to say to a dot resolution numbers 25 dash 2112 and 25 dash 2113.

[53:45] Got a little confused there. Thank you. Councilmember Anderson.

[53:50] Aye. Councilmember Anstead. Aye. Councilmember Klein Lopez.

[53:54] Aye. Mayor Pro Temwov. Aye.

[53:56] Mayor Savestor?

[53:57] Aye.

[53:58] Mayor Savestor, you have approval 5-0.

[54:00] Right.

[54:00] I'm crossing all that out.

[54:03] So we are now moving on to discussion to wave the full reading and introduce ordinance

[54:10] number 24-479, designating fire hazard severity zones and approving a California environmental

[54:18] quality at exemption determination.

[54:20] I will now defer to building official Lucas Quatch for the staff presentation.

[54:28] Thank you, good evening, Mayor's Vester, Honorable Council Members, and everybody here.

[54:36] My name is Lucas Quatch, I'm the City Building Official.

[54:40] Today I'm presenting the City's adoption of the updated 2025.

[54:46] I'm going to have trouble saying this multiple times, so please excuse me.

[54:49] Fire, hazards, severity, zone, map, this update is important for our community safety and regulatory compliance.

[55:00] So first, we'll provide a little background on CalFires updated. Fire has a severity zone mapping process. Then we'll highlight the city's responsibilities under Senate Bill 63 and Assembly Bill 211. We'll also take a look at the designated fire zones in the Garajos and we'll end with staff's recommendation on the adoption of the ordinance.

[55:30] So the designation of fire has

[55:33] the severity zone is a classification system developed by Cal Fire and Office of the State

[55:38] Fire Marshal. Fire zones are designated as moderate, high, and very high based on relative

[55:47] hazards. There are model based on key environmental conditions that affect wildfire behavior such

[55:55] as fuel loads, slope, fire weather, and topography. These destinations inform the decision making

[56:02] in process relating to building codes, land use,

[56:06] and public safety policies.

[56:12] So the last time that fire hazard severity zone update

[56:16] for a local responsibility area was about a decade and a half

[56:21] ago in 2011.

[56:23] Since then, California has experienced dramatic increase

[56:27] in the size and frequencies of wildfires, new fire science,

[56:32] and satellite imagery and climate modeling, particularly relating to wind patterns and drought cycle have provided the data to reassess hazard more accurately.

[56:47] Senate Bill 63 and Assembly Bill 211 have expanded local government's responsibilities.

[56:55] City must adopt the state recommended moderate high and very high fire hazard severity zone designation within 120 days of notification.

[57:04] Local agency may increase severity designation, but may not lower them.

[57:12] Public review is required and once adopted, the ordinance must be filed with the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to ensure statewide consistency and oversight.

[57:24] Staff is recommending the adoption of Cal Fire Designated Fire has a severity zone without

[57:31] amendment to align with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department's adoption.

[57:40] So comparing the 2011 map to the 2025 map, the very high fire designation in the Gore Hills

[57:48] have expanded by 374 acres to 890 acres and for the first time high fire and moderate

[58:00] fire zones have been officially mapped adding 413 and 386 acres respectively to the city.

[58:09] So this results in 94% of the city being under some level of fire hazard classification.

[58:21] So the resident and the gorillas can find their property using cowfire, fire hazard,

[58:29] severity zone viewer to check online.

[58:33] And the link can be obtained from the city website.

[58:38] So a couple of notes for the requirement regarding properties in designated zone, the subject

[58:46] to the maintenance requirement of a hundred foot defensible space around structure for

[58:52] the high and very high fire zone, and there's also the disclosure and inspection requirement

[58:59] relating to real estate transaction under assembly bill 38.

[59:03] So,

[59:07] as required after receiving the updated map from Cal Fire on March 24th, the city opened a public comment period online, feedback was encouraged and received,

[59:21] while many comments focused on housing policies and would not directly relate it to the classification or adoption of the fire hazard severity zone,

[59:31] the public input process help raise awareness in the community.

[59:37] So please note that land use policy, building codes of

[59:41] amendments and public safety strategy, it's not a part of this adoption and

[59:46] will be addressed under their separate processes.

[59:52] So based on the updated data, legislative mandates and public input,

[59:57] and the city staff recommends that the city

[1:00:00] City Council waive full reading and introduce ordinance number 25-479, designating fire, high,

[1:00:08] fire, hazardous, severity zones, and approving a sequel exemption determination.

[1:00:17] Thank you for

[1:00:18] your attention, and staff will be available to address question if there's any.

[1:00:23] Thank you very much for that report. Before we move on to the public comment, does any council

[1:00:28] member have any questions of stuff?

[1:00:31] Council Member Klein, no bit.

[1:00:35] So we, I ask this question when we were in our subcommittee meeting about this, but I

[1:00:41] think it's important for the public to hear it as well.

[1:00:45] What would be the benefits of us adopting maps that were more strict than this?

[1:00:51] Well,

[1:00:55] I don't know particulars, but I know that the benefit of all may some obstacle

[1:01:05] or some possible liability of adopting more than what is in the state designation, because

[1:01:16] is we might be open those that are not in the designated zone, up to unforeseen and

[1:01:28] possible unintended consequences of other laws that we are not aware of that might impact

[1:01:35] those classifications.

[1:01:39] Okay.

[1:01:40] Thank you.

[1:01:42] Any other questions from staff?

[1:01:44] So we will now move on to the public comment section.

[1:01:49] I will defer to the city clerk.

[1:01:51] Thank you.

[1:01:53] We did receive one written public comment from Jay Cratcher that was distributed and will

[1:01:58] be part of the permanent record and we do have one public speaker, Jay Cratcher.

[1:02:07] You will have three minutes to speak ending when the red light appears on the podium.

[1:02:12] Thank you.

[1:02:12] Thank you for the opportunity to provide some thoughts on the 2025 iteration of California's local responsibility area, LRA, Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

[1:02:21] It is an alphabet soup of acronyms and not easy to get through quickly.

[1:02:26] As you may know, this is the first LRA update since 2007, per section 51181 of the California Code of Regulations.

[1:02:33] The State Fire Marshall shall review these zones coincident with a review of state responsibility areas every five years.

[1:02:39] So, we're overdue. Please keep this in mind and don't allow another 18 years to pass before

[1:02:45] the next thoughtful review and update. One of the virtues of the 2007 map is that it labels

[1:02:50] every single parcel in the state as being one and only one hazard severity category. The

[1:02:56] 2025 iteration of a grower's map does not yet include human things like property lines.

[1:03:02] So it's entirely possible for a given property to appear on the 2025 map as both very high

[1:03:07] and high fire hazard severity.

[1:03:10] Two of the city's parks earn three categories,

[1:03:13] and there are different regulatory requirements

[1:03:15] for landscaping in the different categories.

[1:03:18] This can be confusing, and it suggests the need

[1:03:21] for clearer and simpler messaging.

[1:03:24] One, please push Cal Fire and LA County Fire as appropriate

[1:03:28] to clean up this 2025 map so that each parcel

[1:03:31] is only one fire hazard severity category.

[1:03:34] The City of LA and many other jurisdictions throughout California are already cleaning up and clarifying their maps.

[1:03:42] No property should be half pregnant.

[1:03:45] Two, please push for better messaging about the implications of these maps and in particular the upcoming zone zero regulation

[1:03:52] that will have significant impact on how we landscape our homes.

[1:03:56] I would hate to see anyone spend time and money to install new landscaping in the next six months

[1:04:01] only to find that the zone zero regulations

[1:04:04] did be finalized and issued at the end of calendar 2025,

[1:04:08] mean that recent plantings have to be ripped out and redone.

[1:04:12] Three, in my HOA, we've gone from 23 homes

[1:04:15] that were very high in 2007 to somewhere

[1:04:19] between 121 and 148 homes that are now going to be very high.

[1:04:24] This will be a big change.

[1:04:26] Four, please be conspicuous about how the city

[1:04:29] response to the changes in this new iteration and modeled the best practices for all of our

[1:04:33] neighbors. There's a real herd immunity to any fire mitigation effort. A patchwork of

[1:04:39] perfection is only minimally effective. For the effort to work, we need to do it together.

[1:04:44] We need to understand, think, and act with clarity together. Thank you.

[1:04:49] Thank you so much.

[1:04:52] Does any council member have any further questions?

[1:04:57] Do we have any indication?

[1:05:00] If there's going to be some sort of cleanup version, or is this the final version that comes out? Or are there updates that happen along the way? I'm not aware of any intent from Cal Fire to update the map anytime soon. Okay, thank you.

[1:05:22] Any other questions?

[1:05:26] Well, now I move on to deliberations. I will start with who would like to go first?

[1:05:34] Councilmember, can I know this?

[1:05:35] Yeah, I don't mind going first since I was on the committee with you, Madam Mayor.

[1:05:43] This adoption is a little confusing in theory for us, for the public, because I think the

[1:05:51] public thought that this had a lot to do with our zoning and our building codes and things

[1:05:56] that the maps don't directly affect, if I'm saying that correctly, so we do just want

[1:06:06] to make sure that the public understands that this doesn't affect the zoning, it even

[1:06:11] doesn't affect, you know, what we're doing with our wildfire risk assessment and evacuation

[1:06:16] something.

[1:06:16] We're doing all of those things separately.

[1:06:19] The one thing I want to say is that really as a practice, we consider all of Agora as very high fire hazard, we are building codes, we intentionally made our building codes strict across the city so that they were adapted to very high fire hazard disparities zone, even if the property wasn't in it.

[1:06:45] We, you know, when we discuss evacuations, I mean, we really consider, and we discuss, you know, preparing your home, we are really acting as if our entire city is in a very high fire hazard zone because it is, I mean, you know, in practicality it is when you look at the map and you look at the Wolsey footprint, it's almost, you know, it's almost identical.

[1:07:09] So I don't think this is going to change our practices in any way, I think we will still continue to be very, very conservative on our messaging and our, sorry, not conservative, very, very aggressive with our messaging and our desire to be as home hardened as possible.

[1:07:31] The reason I asked about the benefit is because it doesn't seem to me that there is much benefit for us to go beyond what Cal Fire is asking us because I'm worried about a few things.

[1:07:45] If we make the maps stricter to your point, Lucas, we may have some unintended consequences of people falling into a zone that they're not in.

[1:07:56] and me add a financial burden if there's the property taxes that are going to be adding to

[1:08:04] a wildfire zone zero type implementation for very high fire hazards of varied zones.

[1:08:13] And as our public speaker said, we don't know how zone zero is going to be sussed out yet.

[1:08:19] It's still in a very heated, spirited debate on what zone zero is going to look like.

[1:08:26] And that will affect the different zones when you start getting into moderate, which we do have in our city.

[1:08:32] So I think that we don't get any benefit by making these maps stricter in terms of this adoption.

[1:08:42] I think our impact is going to be when we do ordinances and building codes and messaging that we just treat our city as high fire, which it is.

[1:08:54] I have no problem asking for clarification from Cal Fire and if they do not have the capacity to answer us on properties and

[1:09:05] parcels that are in mixed zones, you know, maybe that's something we can do on our, at

[1:09:12] our local level, where I mean, maybe we can ask staff the same, we could just clarify

[1:09:16] that if a property is in more than one zone, it's considered the most, you know, high

[1:09:23] fire zone that it's in. So if it's in three and one of those is very high fire, then it's

[1:09:28] very high fire. Something like that, we can, we can discuss. That would be what I would

[1:09:33] would suggest in case Cal Fire doesn't come back, but obviously if it's reaching into a high fire hazard,

[1:09:40] it's Verities on, then that's what you should be planning for.

[1:09:43] So I'm ready to adopt the maps as is and always work to keep our community as aware and prepare as possible.

[1:09:55] Thank you.

[1:09:56] Thank you so much, Council Member Anderson.

[1:09:58] So...

[1:10:00] Council Member Klein Lopez, thank you for that. Thank you for the questions. Thank you, Lucas, for that fantastic presentation. And, you know, we have these iPads that have the reports. And so I'm looking at the part of the iPad that has Agora Hills almost entirely in red. So I just want to echo what Council Member Klein Lopez said. And I remember walking my dogs January 6th or 7th. I forget which day was maybe it was the 7th. And I was really grateful.

[1:10:29] that they were tiny little puppies so low to the ground because I was almost blown over.

[1:10:34] So we were super lucky in early January because it could have, as we all know,

[1:10:40] this could have been us.

[1:10:42] We were spared because we didn't have an ignition anywhere close to us.

[1:10:47] And this now gives us our opportunity.

[1:10:49] And the maps are related to this just in the sense of they are such a vivid reminder

[1:10:53] of how at risk we are.

[1:10:56] And I took tours of both the Palisades Bernsgar and the Eaton Bernsgar with fire experts.

[1:11:02] And what they sent me is the structures were the fuel in those fires.

[1:11:06] That's why there is such devastation.

[1:11:09] And we have an opportunity to help make sure that our structures will not be the fuel.

[1:11:16] So I'm honestly using this as an opportunity to encourage home hardening.

[1:11:20] I mean, I will go a little further than Council Member Klein Lopez don't wait for the zone zero thing and I confess I got educated on this today.

[1:11:27] Thank you, city manager.

[1:11:28] So it means within five feet of your home, your structure, just nothing.

[1:11:35] And I will say that I shouldn't have needed that education because I did have our home assessed by one of the volunteers with our fire-wise council.

[1:11:45] It is a service they provide that they are, I think they are under-resourced and they're lacking volunteers,

[1:11:51] but you too can get a free assessment from volunteers.

[1:11:54] You too could potentially become somebody, if this was really exciting to you,

[1:11:58] you could become somebody that goes through the training and does this assessment.

[1:12:02] And they will come to your home and they show you all the different things that you need to be doing,

[1:12:06] including, we have this bush that the previous owner, it's beautiful right next to our garage.

[1:12:11] that is going to burn right up into the eaves if a fire comes, so I have it on, I don't really have a honey to do list.

[1:12:18] But like, I was asking Peter this weekend like, hey honey, can we take it out, he's like no, not this weekend.

[1:12:23] But I could, we're going to take that out, we are going to, we are going to go ahead and do zone zero.

[1:12:29] And really hope that 100% of Agora Hills residents do this home hardening because it is, it's like an immunization.

[1:12:39] It only works if we're all doing it, but if we all do it, there's a chance that if that spark happens in a wind event like that, we wouldn't have the devastation that our neighbors around the county had.

[1:12:50] So that's my public service message around Home Hardening and us doing all of this, I to support, and honestly, you guys, the state has said you have to do this.

[1:13:01] So I support us adopting this map.

[1:13:05] Thank you.

[1:13:06] Council Member Anstead.

[1:13:09] Well, I definitely support us adopting this.

[1:13:13] I think one of the things then there of note again was like 25% of our city was added to this map based on from the old map.

[1:13:23] And so again, that shows either, I mean, part of it's from the learnings, I think, of the fires that we've had already had in the past.

[1:13:32] And then from the the imaging and all that that they have better technology now than they did in the past

[1:13:38] But I think again like every all my other council members have said

[1:13:42] We even if you're not in the most severe fire zone if you're in higher or a moderate

[1:13:50] You you still are obviously the Pacific Palisades is a good example that you're you're not impervious to getting hit and

[1:13:58] And so I think that we all should be taking as much precautions as we can to prevent the

[1:14:05] fires from spreading.

[1:14:06] And I think it's just, I mean, when we all think back to 2018, it's basically by the

[1:14:12] grace of God that we did not get taken out in 2018 that Gora Hills only had five or six

[1:14:19] houses because it was very much hopscotch in our town.

[1:14:23] we had houses in Morrison that got hit, we had some homes that got hit on the open space,

[1:14:30] but there was quite a few homes that were hit inside as well.

[1:14:34] So just because you're not facing open space doesn't mean you're safe.

[1:14:38] And so I think we learned a lot of lessons from that fire.

[1:14:43] So I'm definitely ready to adopt this.

[1:14:45] I think this also shows the importance of the firefighters and the protection

[1:14:53] that firefighters provide for our city and am police.

[1:15:00] We're trying to do evacuations and show, again, it shows that we got to make sure those departments are well funded and ready to go. So I'm ready to adopt this. Thank you. Thank you. May I pretend we'll? Thank you, really great points by fellow council members, building upon what council member Klein Lopez said. What I don't want these maps to do is provide a false sense of safety for residents who don't fall underneath some of these

[1:15:30] in the very high-fired zone because as a customer and said, you know, it's random and

[1:15:36] it embers, can travel mile or above.

[1:15:40] So with that being said, I don't think that we should do a uniform and put the whole

[1:15:46] city in the very high-fired severity zone, so I'm going to, I support this as it's written.

[1:15:54] Yes, and it's interesting that we have increases in the very high-fired severity zone.

[1:15:59] And yes, technology has improved, and mapping has improved, and fire science has improved.

[1:16:04] But the impacts of climate change are real, and we're facing them, and we're looking

[1:16:09] at it right here with the erudification of the West with more unpredictable weather patterns.

[1:16:16] It's terrifying.

[1:16:17] I mean, we are seeing the impacts right here with data.

[1:16:21] And so it's incumbent on us to prepare as much as possible.

[1:16:25] I know it's in our budget, I know everyone else has said that.

[1:16:28] but this just highlights the need to prepare.

[1:16:33] I can make all the findings and support this.

[1:16:36] Thank you.

[1:16:37] Thank you.

[1:16:37] Well, I agree with everything everybody has said, but except for one, and that is with

[1:16:43] the zone zero.

[1:16:45] I don't want to scare our residents yet.

[1:16:47] It is still under review, and there is a special panel that is meeting right now.

[1:16:54] Now, no decisions will be made until December about exactly what has to be removed in that zone

[1:17:01] zero.

[1:17:02] I've been on several Zoom webinars about it.

[1:17:06] The fire department, one of the fire chiefs said, do not cut down your trees yet before

[1:17:12] consulting with the fire department, because some trees can protect us and can capture

[1:17:17] embers and will not burn.

[1:17:19] So, they're working with the science now to determine exactly what has to be done.

[1:17:25] So, we have to be patient, we will know by December, and then our residents will have

[1:17:31] three years to enact whatever those requirements are going to be.

[1:17:36] But let us wait until, I mean, obviously if there's something that's really, you know, dead

[1:17:41] around your house, that's not a good thing.

[1:17:44] But if you have very healthy plants, please let's wait until December until we know

[1:17:49] what the final ruling is going to be. So, with that, I will now call for a motion and

[1:17:56] a second to wave the full reading and introduce ordinance number 24-479.

[1:18:03] Mayor Proctham, Wolf and I'll make a motion.

[1:18:06] Thank you. I'll have a second.

[1:18:07] Council Member Anderson seconds.

[1:18:09] Thank you. I'll defer to the city clerk for the road call.

[1:18:15] Mayor Solvester, we can make that 25-479 apologies for the typo.

[1:18:21] Oh.

[1:18:22] 25.

[1:18:23] Dash.

[1:18:24] 479.

[1:18:25] Thank you.

[1:18:26] I wasn't my mistake this time.

[1:18:29] Council Member Anderson.

[1:18:31] Aye.

[1:18:31] Council Member Anstead.

[1:18:33] Aye.

[1:18:33] Council Member Klein Lopez.

[1:18:35] Aye.

[1:18:36] Mayor Potimuth.

[1:18:37] Aye.

[1:18:37] Mayor Sylvester.

[1:18:38] Aye.

[1:18:39] Mayor Sylvester.

[1:18:40] You have approval.

[1:18:40] Five to zero.

[1:18:41] Thank you.

[1:18:42] Are there any comments from staff?

[1:18:44] Do we have any announcements?

[1:18:46] Yes.

[1:18:46] Yes, Amy.

[1:18:48] Thank you, Mayor Sylvester, Good evening against the Council.

[1:18:51] We wanted to take a moment to remind the Council about the fee schedule that was amended

[1:18:55] and adopted back on December 11th, 2024.

[1:18:59] Some of those new fees will go to effect on July 1st and then again on July 14th, 2025.

[1:19:05] Because the fees did not go into effect until July 1st, it allowed for a six-month review

[1:19:10] period for our community members.

[1:19:12] For the public's information, those are increases in fees to services, permits, reservations

[1:19:18] across all departments.

[1:19:20] Staff is preparing to launch a campaign that will inform the community.

[1:19:24] There'll be a copy of the new fee schedule on the website, specifically on the Finance

[1:19:29] Department's page.

[1:19:30] The public and the community services department and community development as well, public

[1:19:34] works included.

[1:19:36] The public will also have access to a hard copy of the Schedule at City Hall.

[1:19:39] If someone in the community has a question, they can reach out directly to the finance department or contact the department who provides the services permits reservations that affect you

[1:19:48] Be sure to visit the website at agorahillcity.org

[1:19:52] And then the second

[1:19:53] Announcement I wanted to make and I think our city clerk will post it. I won't see we won't see

[1:20:00] Before our next concert in the park, and on Sunday, July 6th, we are hosting DSP, the tribute to Journey. It's a really big band. The community is really excited to see it. But the most exciting part is we are going to be celebrating. It'll be the city of Aguara Hills, the 4th of July patriotic celebration with the drone show. And that typically goes off usually just around 9 o'clock, right before 9 o'clock. So we'll have another big social media launch tomorrow with more information on parking, food trucks, some details

[1:20:29] I'll make your visit to chew mash a lot easier, so happy 4th of July, we're looking forward to seeing everybody are now very annual drone show.

[1:20:39] Thank you so much and thank you to all your staff for all the hard work you put into planning this. We really appreciate it.

[1:20:46] Are there any other staff comments? Do we have any comments from City Council? Yes, Council Member. I mean, May I pretend sorry?

[1:20:56] I want to take a moment to thank the mayor for the statement that she put out regarding the ice raids in and around our community.

[1:21:06] It's not something that is distant, it's something we're feeling here.

[1:21:11] Nagori Hill is from less produce at our farmer's markets, to our restaurants, being shut down.

[1:21:18] And that's what we're dealing with, but the reality for people who are afraid to leave their home, it's terrifying.

[1:21:23] And I really appreciate the fact that you worked with the city to put out a statement to provide resources

[1:21:30] And I think that shows our values and I really appreciate the work on that

[1:21:34] Thank you very much

[1:21:36] Anything else when you want councilmember? I just want to echo thank you

[1:21:42] Councilmember Wolf for saying that and thank you

[1:21:46] Okay, well, I have a few things

[1:21:47] I've been busy

[1:21:50] Amy and I and also with Leslie Stein one of the

[1:21:54] board members on the L.A. University Board. We visited Manakeneho, Valley Private Food Bank in

[1:22:03] Thousand Oaks. I'd like to thank Council Member Lopez for recommending that we do that because it was

[1:22:10] very enlightening. Manak provides food assistance to residents of the cities of Thousand Oaks,

[1:22:15] Agora Hills, West Lake Village, Oak Park, Newbury Park, Calabases and Malibu. In our city alone,

[1:22:22] they have 492 the Gora residents who are their clients, so I know we're going to do more outreach

[1:22:30] for them and I would encourage our residents to support Manor of the Kineha Valley. And then also I

[1:22:40] would like to let everyone know that today was the big press announcement that the phase two of the

[1:22:48] wildlife bridge is about to commence, so that is going to cause some inconvenience to our

[1:22:53] residents that you use a gore of road between here in Liberty Canyon. That will be closed

[1:22:58] at certain times, and we apologise, but think of the end goal, the largest wildlife bridge

[1:23:04] in the world. So thank you for that. And then I would actually call on you again, Mayor

[1:23:09] Proterm Wolf, because Mayor Proterm and I did a water tour today, and I'd just like you

[1:23:15] to give a brief overview of what we learned.

[1:23:17] Absolutely, and thank you to the mayor for attending.

[1:23:20] We also had the mayor of Calabasis who attended,

[1:23:23] and we did a two-and staff member

[1:23:26] from Supervisor Lindsey Horvath's office

[1:23:29] was there and staff from Senator Ben Allen's office attended.

[1:23:34] But we started at what's called the Suppolvita Pump Station,

[1:23:37] and it's on the Suppolvita Pass,

[1:23:39] and everyone here's driven by it a thousand times.

[1:23:41] And what it is, it's the pump station that gets the water from the state water project for 440 miles away.

[1:23:49] And it pumps it down the LA basin to the Venice station.

[1:23:54] And that's where it's distributed through the line.

[1:23:56] And why we went to and why it's so important for Las Virgines is because this pump only goes one way.

[1:24:01] And Metropolitan's putting in a multi-hundred million dollar project to make this pipe.

[1:24:07] to support the feeder go both ways so that we can have access to Colorado River Water in years

[1:24:14] where the State Water Project allocations fall below because they fluctuate between State Water

[1:24:21] and Colorado River. And there's an invisible boundary where we don't every drop of water in

[1:24:27] Agora, Calabasas, Westlake, Hidden Hills comes from 440 miles away and that is our only water supply.

[1:24:33] So this project is really going to help with the diversifier portfolio.

[1:24:38] And while the Colorado River is in turmoil itself and we don't want to be drawing from that,

[1:24:43] it does provide redundancy in the opportunity to move water a different direction of hills.

[1:24:49] So that will never be in the situation we were in 2022.

[1:24:54] So that was the first part of our tour.

[1:24:56] In the second part of the tour we went to what's called

[1:25:00] The Jensen plant, and that's where water from, it's, if you're driving on the five and you've seen the cascading water, that's the LADWP portion of it. We went there and that William Moholin built that 1913 and we got a really cool tour. And then we also looked at the location of where the water arrives from the state water project and how it's purified and then sent through the San Fernando Valley to our region.

[1:25:29] and just highlights the complexity of our water system,

[1:25:32] how precious it is, and how complicated it is.

[1:25:35] So I appreciate you attending.

[1:25:38] Yes, it was fascinating, but of course all of this means

[1:25:42] that we are going to have to expect increases

[1:25:46] in our water rates, although they did tell me

[1:25:48] that it was a very small percentage, so we will see.

[1:25:54] But the other thing they said too is that if there is another

[1:25:58] severe drought like we had where we had to restrict our water, because we'll be able

[1:26:05] to share the water from the LA water basin, everybody will then suffer equally because

[1:26:11] we'll all have access to the same water. So if we are restricted, they will also be restricted

[1:26:17] if they're receiving water from the LA basin, so it'll be more equitable across LA County.

[1:26:23] So, with that, the next regular city council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday,

[1:26:30] July 9, 2025, in the council chambers of the Civic Centre. The Civic Centre is located

[1:26:37] at 3-0-0-0-1, Lady Face Court of Gora Hills, California. This meeting is now adjourned. Thank

[1:26:44] you, everyone.

Agoura Hills City Council

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