PPCC Library Integration Test

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P A C I F I C P A L I S A D E S C O M M U N I T Y C O U N C I L
March 17, 2026
Hon. Traci Park, Councilwoman, CD 11 Via email
Re: PPCC Response to February 2026 AECOM Workstream Reports
Dear Councilwoman Park:
Acting on behalf of the Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) Board, the PPCC Executive Committee
advises that PPCC strongly supports and adopts the following comprehensive response to the AECOM
Workstream Reports, prepared and recommended by the PPCC Infrastructure Committee:1
Collaborative Commentary on AECOM Workstream Reports [Dated February 2026]
Following a careful review of the three workstream reports released on February 17, 2026, the PPCC
Infrastructure Committee offers this commentary in the spirit of partnership. We genuinely appreciate the
significant effort dedicated to data collection, analysis, and the professional presentation of charts, graphs, and
exhibits. These reports provide a valuable foundation of observations essential for our shared goal of translating
academic findings into feasible, long-term solutions that enhance the safety and resilience of the Palisades
community against all potential natural disasters. If implemented based on strategic priorities, this report can help
residents and commercial property owners whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged, and provide
a path to repopulate the Palisades sooner – potentially preventing additional lot sales or decisions not to rebuild
due to unanswered questions. The compilation of existing knowledge and identification of systemic challenges is a
crucial first step toward a comprehensive plan for action.
1. Collaboratively Moving from Observation to a Shared Roadmap
The workstream reports – covering Infrastructure Restoration, Wildfire Resilience, and Logistics / Traffic
Management – are currently positioned as "advisory in nature." While we respect the formal process of these
documents, for a community focused on long-term protection, we encourage the City and AECOM, a trusted
global infrastructure partner, to collaboratively translate this advisory guidance into a clear, shared roadmap for
the community.
● Underground Utilities: The recent disaster clearly exposed the systemic vulnerabilities inherent in
overhead utility infrastructure. We appreciate that the report acknowledges the need to underground.
○ Action Required: Advocate for an executive order from the State requiring all private
telecom, gas, power, and other franchised utility providers (regulated by the CPUC) to actively
participate in and fully integrate their infrastructure into the Los Angeles Department of Water and
Power (LADWP)'s planned joint trenching project.
○ Objective and Timeline: Ensure all necessary utility conduits are laid simultaneously and
undergrounded during the post-fire reconstruction. LADWP construction is scheduled for June 2026.
1 PPCC’s bylaws authorize the Executive Committee to act on behalf of the Board when there is no time for the Board to take
action; in this case, following a request by CD 11, the PPCC Infrastructure Committee expeditiously prepared the response,
which could not feasibly be taken up for approval by the PPCC Board until April 2026 at the earliest. The Executive
Committee has therefore taken this action in support of the excellent work of the Infrastructure Committee.
Post Office Box 1131, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 info@pacpalicc.org pacpalicc.org

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Pacific Palisades Community Council
Councilwoman Park
March 17, 2026
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○ Strategic Imperatives: Minimize disruption, achieve cost efficiency through shared trenching,
and future-proof essential services against wildfire risk.
● Infrastructure Inventory and Completeness: The Infrastructure Restoration Plan (IRP) highlights a
need for further assessment in numerous street segments. We see this as a key partnership opportunity
and propose a joint effort to accelerate a comprehensive, "boots on the ground" inventory across all
segments. Completing this baseline assessment is crucial to provide all Palisades residents with a clear,
anticipated schedule for necessary infrastructure work.
○ Focusing on Immediate Solutions: To restore confidence and ensure immediate safety for
residents actively rebuilding, we suggest we collectively focus on implementing the most immediate,
practical solutions identified in the planning process.
■ A crucial area for joint commitment is developing detailed plans for a long-term solution
for hydrant pressure problems.
■ We also recommend a strategic asset review to evaluate the feasibility of bringing the
Palisades Reservoir online, even if only for emergency firefighting purposes.
○ Forward-Looking Planning: The Palisades community proposes the co-creation of a Master
Infrastructure Plan that not only focuses on repairs but proactively addresses future resilience,
including seismic strengthening, flood mitigation, and slope stability. To ensure timely and
transparent progress, we recommend establishing a mechanism for transparent, date-certain
progress tracking, as endorsed by the PPCC Resolution passed by unanimous vote on February 12,
2026.
2. Acknowledging Systemic Vulnerabilities for Future Mitigation
The reports effectively document pre-existing vulnerabilities, which we view as an important step toward securing
the necessary funding and implementing comprehensive solutions that go beyond simple repair.
● Holistic Resilience: The IRP notes that factors like "slope instability was exacerbated by aging
infrastructure and the lack of subdrain systems." This acknowledgement is key to realizing that
infrastructure planning must now incorporate resilience measures against mudslides and general land
instability, not just wildfire damage.
● Innovative & Realistic Solutions: The Wildfire Resilience Plan (WRP) correctly identifies key areas –
vegetation management, water supply, undergrounding utilities, and evacuation capabilities – as critical
vulnerabilities. We are eager to move forward on the solutions identified and propose a collaborative
commitment to innovative and realistic methods for implementation.
○ Specifically for vegetation management, we urge the integration of community-based defensible
space programs, leveraging local organizations for proactive, ongoing hazard reduction alongside
LADBS / LAFD's routine inspections.
○ For water supply, in addition to the Palisades Reservoir review, we recommend evaluating
strategic opportunities like a decentralized water storage network (e.g., strategically placed cisterns
or non-potable water systems) in high-risk zones to supplement hydrant pressure during a major
event.
○ Regarding undergrounding, we propose a phased plan that prioritizes utility corridors serving key
public safety infrastructure and high-density residential areas first, balancing cost and immediate risk
reduction.
● Utility & Disaster Preparedness: We see the identified issues regarding utility failures as a
collaborative catalyst for hardening systems against all foreseeable natural disasters, including earthquakes
and floods. Proactive measures, such as a strategic evaluation of the Septic-to-Sewer issue in vulnerable
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Pacific Palisades Community Council
Councilwoman Park
March 17, 2026
_________________________________________________________________________
areas, should be based on their impact on overall community resilience and not just localized repair
3. Emergency Evacuation & Traffic: An Integrated Safety Partnership
While the Wildfire Resilience report highlights critical challenges in our primary evacuation arteries, the Logistics
and Traffic Management report addresses the limitation on coordination during the rebuilding and reconstruction
period of the Palisades. This data provides the concrete proof needed to develop integrated safety plans for a
variety of emergencies.
● Multi-Hazard Planning: While the focus has been on wildfire evacuation, the findings related to traffic
congestion and egress points are equally vital for responding to earthquakes, major floods, or other
regional emergencies. We propose a partnership to develop coordinated traffic management and logistics
strategies that address all potential disaster scenarios, including a comprehensive study on possible
densification along the commercial corridor due to CA State densification bills.
● Unified Approach: We urge the City to adopt a more integrated approach that involves developing
unified traffic management and logistical plans that account for all conceivable disaster scenarios.
4. Credible documentation warranting action
Future reports and contentions should be evidence-based and supported by credible data sources rather than
relying on anecdotal information, such as newspaper quotes. For example, the Chautauqua Reservoir has been cited
as an issue of concern. We have received information from credible sources within LADWP indicating that the
reservoir could be repaired. However, an earlier statement from an LADWP representative suggested that the
reservoir could not be repaired. The AECOM report referenced outdated information, which has led some
members of our community to question its credibility.
----- Conclusion
The Pacific Palisades community is committed to a resilient recovery, and we view these AECOM reports as a solid
compilation of necessary groundwork. To maximize the value of this groundwork, we propose a collaborative
transition to a clear, publicly accessible Project Dashboard. This dashboard would demonstrate real-time funding
allocation, construction milestones, and, most importantly, a commitment to implementing preventative proposals
that protect our community not just from future wildfires, but from the full spectrum of natural disaster risks
including mudslide, flood, and earthquake. The community deeply values the City’s investment in studying the
problem. We now look forward to partnering on the next critical phase: funding and building the
comprehensive Solution.
Sincerely,
Pacific Palisades Community Council
Executive Committee: Sue Kohl, President; Quentin Fleming, Vice-President; Jenny Li, Treasurer;
Beth Holden Garland, Secretary; Maryam Zar, Chair Emeritus; Christina Spitz, Elected Representative
(At-large); John Padden, Organizational Representative (P.R.I.D.E.)
Infrastructure Committee: Reza Akef, Chair; Kimberly Bloom, David Card, Kambiz Kamdar, Allison Holdorff,
May Sung, Hank Wright
cc (via email):
Hon. Karen Bass, Mayor, City of Los Angeles; Randall Winston, Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure and Resiliency; Marian
Ensley, Deputy Director, Recovery and Community Engagement; Star Parsamyan, Chief of Staff, CD 11; Juan Fregoso,
District Director, CD 11; Arus Grigoryan, Palisades Deputy, CD 11
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