- CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
(VIDEO/TELECONERENCE)
Sunday, February 16, 2025
1:00 p.m.
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Hidden Hills was duly held via teleconference on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at the hour of 1:00 p.m. Mayor Larry G. Weber called the meeting to order and presided thereover.
ROLL CALL
Council: Mayor Larry G. Weber
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Mayor Pro Tem Joe Loggia
Council Member Eniko Gold
Council Member Laura McCorkindale
Absent: Council Member Adam Wasserman
Staff: Interim City Manager Gloria Molleda
City Attorney Lauren Langer
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comments.
NEW BUSINESS
Approval of Letter of Opposition in Regard to the Transportation of Fire Debris to the Calabasas Landfill
Interim City Manager Molleda presented a draft opposition letter for discussion and approval regarding the disposal of fire debris from the Palisades and Eden fires at the Calabasas landfill. She emphasized - that the City of Hidden Hills fully supports the City of Calabasas and shares its serious concerns about public health, environmental safety, and the lack of transparency surrounding this issue. The draft letter was provided for review, with an invitation for any additions or modifications. Ms. Molleda noted that both she and City Attorney Langer were available to address any questions from the Council.
City Council Minutes
Special Meeting
February 16, 2025
Council Member Eniko Gold emphasized the issue's importance for both the region and Hidden Hills.
She thanked Council Member McCorkindale, Mayor Weber, and Mayor Pro Tem Loggia for adjusting their schedules to ensure the meeting went ahead without delay, as well as staff for attending on short notice. Ms. Gold mentioned that the City had informed Calabasas about calling a special meeting due to the matter's urgency. She noted that Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Westlake Village are involved in this fight and expressed hope that more cities will join in opposing the disposal of toxic debris near schools and residential areas. She concluded by thanking everyone for their participation in the decision.
Mayor Pro Tem Loggia supported the comments made by Councilmembers McCorkindale and Gold but raised concerns about the draft opposition letter. He noted that the third paragraph includes two bullet points about the landfill's proposed expansion but does not mention the landfill's request to temporarily accept material from outside the waste shed, which contradicts a 1991 ordinance, or its request for an exemption from the Environmental Quality Act. Mr. Loggia questioned why these points were not included in the bullet points, suggesting that the letter should be more specific and consistent in addressing all concerns.
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Mayor Pro Tem Loggia supported the comments made by Councilmembers McCorkindale and Gold but raised concerns about the draft opposition letter. He noted that the third paragraph includes two bullet points about the landfill's proposed expansion but does not mention the landfill's request to temporarily accept material from outside the waste shed, which contradicts a 1991 ordinance, or its request for an exemption from the Environmental Quality Act. Loggia questioned why these points were not included in the bullet points, suggesting that the letter should be more specific and consistent in addressing all concerns.
Interim City Manager Gloria Molleda responded that there was no specific reason for the omission of those two points in the paragraph. She acknowledged her prior conversation with Mayor Pro Tem Loggia and stated that she saw no issue with including the additional concerns regarding the landfill accepting material from outside the waste shed and seeking exemption from the Environmental Quality Act. Ms. Molleda expressed a willingness to add these points to the paragraph, pending agreement from the rest of the Council.
Mayor Pro Tem Loggia emphasized the importance of clearly outlining all four points of opposition in the letter. He argued that instead of focusing on just two concerns, the letter should explicitly state all four issues the City is fighting against. He stressed the need for clarity in the bullet points, ensuring that the letter makes it absolutely clear that the City opposes waiving the Environmental Quality Act and temporarily accepting material from outside the waste shed. Mr. Loggia insisted that the opposition should be stated firmly, point by point, leaving no room for misinterpretation. He concluded by stating that the landfill operators do not just have two issues to resolve-there are four, and none of them should be permitted.
City Council Minutes
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Special Meeting
February 16, 2025
Council Member Eniko Gold asked Mayor Pro Tem Loggia to repeat the two bullet points he wanted to add to the letter for clarity.
Mayor Pro Tem Loggia clarified that the landfill is seeking four actions that the City opposes, including the temporary acceptance of material from outside the waste shed and bypassing the 1991 ordinance.
He emphasized that the ordinance should be upheld and highlighted concerns over the exemption from the Environmental Quality Act. Mr. Loggia suggested that while the four bullet points cover some issues, the letter could be more forceful in its opposition and should clearly state the City's stance on all proposed changes.
City Attorney Langer confirmed that the landfill is bypassing the 1991 ordinance by seeking a waiver to accept waste from outside the region for public health reasons. She stressed the importance of including this in the letter as it's a key issue the Board will consider. Ms. Langer also asked if the Council wanted to authorize sending additional related letters before the next meeting, so the City could act quickly if needed.
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The Council was all in agreement with City Attorney Langer's suggestion.
Mayor Weber suggested that this letter goes out to the community and not just be put on the website, to encourage residents to attend the meeting.
Upon MOTION of Council Member McCorkindale, seconded by Council Member Gold and carried on a 4-0 roll call vote (Council Member Wasserman is absent), it was resolved to approve the draft letter with the proposed amendments raised by Mayor Pro Tem Loggia, and direct staff to send out additional letters in opposition as needed.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned.
Larry G. Weber, Mayor
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Hia Mole do
Gloria Molleda, Interim City Manage