CALIFORNIA
CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS
CALL AND NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING AND AGENDA OF THE CITY COUNCIL (VIDEO CONFERENCE)
TELECONFERENCE LOCATIONS
Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.
The Hidden Hills City Council and City staff will be participating in this Special meeting at the teleconference locations noted above and via remote video conferencing (Zoom). If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable modification or accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") please contact Deana Gonzalez at (818) 888-9281 or [email protected]. If you are hearing impaired and would like to watch the meeting on Zoom, once in the meeting room, select the button "live transcript" and then select "show subtitles."
Virtual Webinar Via ZOOM Platform: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89573953319 To Join by Phone: 669.900.6833 or 408.638.0968 and Enter Webinar ID: 895 7395 3319 Written public comments will be accepted by hard copy or email to [email protected] prior to the meeting and must identify the agenda item number, if applicable. Such written comments must be received by the City Clerk no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting in order to give Council Members an opportunity to review the correspondence. Written comments by email and hard copy correspondence will be received and filed.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAY ACT ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA Special City Council Meeting
February 16, 2025
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
Council: Mayor Larry G. Weber
Mayor Pro Tem Joe Loggia
Council Member Eniko Gold
Council Member Laura McCorkindale
Council Member Adam Wasserman
Staff: Interim City Manager Gloria Molleda
City Attorney Lauren Langer
3. PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the audience are invited to address the Council at this time on items that are on the printed agenda. Public comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. This time allotment may be reduced due to time constraints at the discretion of the City Council. Per California Government Code Section 54954.2, the City Council is prohibited from discussing or taking immediate action on any item not on the agenda unless it can be demonstrated that the item is of an emergency nature, or the need to take action arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda.
4. NEW BUSINESS
Approval of Letter to the County Board of Supervisors in Opposition to the Transportation of Fire Debris to the Calabasas Landfill to be sent in advance of the Board's February 19.2025 Meeting
ADJOURNMENT
Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Council after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at City Hall located at 6165 Spring Valley Road, Hidden Hills, and on the City's website at www.hiddenhillscity.org.
CALIFORNIA
February 16, 2025
County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors
Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street Room 383
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Item 29 - February 19, 2025 Agenda - Opposition to the Disposal of Fire Debris at the Calabasas Landfill
Honorable Members of the Board of Supervisors,
On behalf of the City of Hidden Hills, we strongly oppose the disposal of any and all fire debris from the Palisades and Eaton Fires at the Calabasas Landfill. We stand in full support of the City of Calabasas and share their serious concerns regarding public health, environmental safety, and the lack of transparency surrounding this issue.
While we recognize the urgency of the recovery efforts, the rush to remediate one disaster should not create new and lasting risks for our communities. The decision to transport and dispose of debris at the Calabasas Landfill-located near residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, wildlife corridors, and other sensitive areas—-fails to account for the potential long-term consequences to public health and the environment.
Despite the significance of this issue, local government leaders and residents were not consulted before critical decisions were made. The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts submitted an emergency waiver request on February 7, 2025, seeking to:
Expand landfill operating hours from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM. • Increase the daily debris tonnage limit from 3,500 tons per day to 5,000 tons per day.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Local Enforcement Agency granted approval for these waivers on February 13, 2025, without engaging the City of Calabasas (and neighboring cities such as Hidden Hills) or providing advance notice of the process. The extended hours and increased tonnage allowance will negatively impact the community, as large volumes of debris are transported through city streets and disposed of at a landfill already near capacity.
6165 Spring Valley Road* Hidden Hills, CA 91302
p. 818 888-9281* f. 818 719-0083
www.hiddenhillscity.org *[email protected]
During the February 12, 2025, Calabasas City Council Meeting, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, led by Colonel Brian Sawser, provided information on Phase 2 of the debris removal process. However, his statements failed to reassure the community that hazardous materials would not be included in the waste stream. There is no sufficient analysis or oversight to ensure hazardous waste is properly identified and separated, and the reality is that the sheer volume of disaster-related material makes it impossible to completely isolate "hazardous" and "non- hazardous" waste. The long-term impacts of this rushed decision cannot be understated or ignored.
The City of Hidden Hills shares the concerns outlined by the Calabasas City Council and firmly opposes:
• The disposal of any fire debris at the Calabasas Landfill. • The increase in daily debris tonnage and expanded landfill operating hours. • Any waiver of wasteshed restrictions to allow out-of-area debris disposal. • Any expansion of landfill capacity to accommodate this increase.
We also support the Calabasas' efforts, should they need to seek injunctive relief at the State or Federal level and the coordination of legal efforts with other agencies that share these concerns.
Given the severe health and environmental risks, we call on County, State, and Federal officials to explore alternative disposal options outside of Calabasas, including lower-population areas and out-of-state facilities better suited to handle disaster-related waste.
The City of Hidden Hills urges immediate reconsideration of this plan and stands ready to work with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and all involved parties to find a safer and more responsible solution that prioritizes public health, environmental protection, and community well-being.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this urgent matter and urge you to not approve the taff recommendations in Item 29. We urge you to work with the impacted cities and experts 1 xolore alternative disposal areas and site that are better suited to handle disaster relate waste.
Respectfully,
CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS
Mayor Larry Weber
Mayor Pro Tem Joe Loggia Council Member Eniko Gold
Council Member Laura McCorkindale Council Member Adam Wasserman C/ Los Angeles County Sanitation District
Los Angeles County Public Works
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, 42nd Assembly District
Senator Ben Allen, District 24
CalRecycle
CalEPA