CC MINS 20051022 ADJMINUTES
RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL
ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING
COMMUNITY LEADERS' BREAKFAST
OCTOBER 22, 2005
Mayor Clark called the meeting to order at 9:25 A.M. in the Multi- Purpose Room at Fred
Hesse Community Park, 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard, Rancho Palos Verdes, notice
having been given with affidavit thereto on file.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Mayor Clark, Mayor Pro Tern Wolowicz and Councilmen Gardiner
Long and Stern
Absent: None
Also present were City Manager Evans; Assistant City Manager /City Clerk Petru;
Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Rojas, Deputy Director of
Finance /Information Technology Downs; and Assistant to the City Manager Park.
FLAG SALUTE:
The salute to the flag was led by Assistant Fire Chief Thom Glonchak.
MAYOR'S WELCOME:
Mayor Clark introduced the members of the City Council and introduced the following
members of the audience:
Ann Shaw, former RPV Mayor
Barbara Ferraro, former RPV Mayor
Mel Hughes, former RPV Mayor
John Flood, Mayor pro tem of Palos Verdes Estates
Bill Lama, PVP Library District Trustee
Robert Lee, PVP Library District Trustee
Dave Tomblin, Vice President of PVP School District Board
Gabriella Holt, PVP School District Board Member
Dr. Tom McFadden, President of Marymount College
Captain Kip Louttit, U.S. Coast Guard, Point Vicente Lighthouse
Rick Velasquez, Deputy Chief of Staff for Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe
Jon Cartwright, President of the RPV Council of Homeowners Associations
Mayor Clark introduced the guest speaker, Gunnar Kuepper.
Self- introductions by the other attendees followed.
Mayor Clark acknowledged the arrival of Steve Kuykendall, former RPV Mayor and
Susie Seamans, Councilwoman of Rolling Hills Estates
Mayor Clark acknowledged Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe's $1 million
contribution towards the acquisition of the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA:
Mayor pro tem Wolowicz moved, seconded by Councilman Gardiner, to approve the
agenda. There being no objection, Mayor Clark so ordered.
APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR:
Councilman Stern moved, seconded by Mayor pro tem Wolowicz, to approve the
Consent Calendar.
The motion to approve the Consent Calendar carried on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Gardiner Long, Stern, Mayor Pro Tem Wolowicz, Mayor Clark
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Repair of the Tarapaca Storm Drain (604 x 1204)
Reviewed and reconfirmed a four /fifths (4/5) vote, the Council's action on December 21,
2004, to authorize staff to conduct an informal bid process to repair the Tarapaca Storm
Drain.
REGULAR BUSINESS:
Lessons to be Learned from Hurricane Katrina
With the assistance of a Power Point presentation, Gunnar Kuepper with Emergency &
Disaster Management, Inc. made a presentation regarding the circumstances
surrounding the Hurricane Katrina disaster on the Gulf Coast. He discussed the political
realities of preparing for emergencies and coordinating the actual disaster response.
He stressed that it was not just the government, but that all citizens must take
responsibility to prepare for and survive a major catastrophe. He described the positive
aspects of the current level of preparedness in Los Angeles County, but noted major
areas of weakness, including the area's large population of poor and homeless people
and the lack of emergency and trauma care centers. He indicated that the primary
goals of any emergency preparedness program should be to protect people, public
infrastructure and the environment. He stressed that special attention was need to
protect the most vulnerable populations in the community: the poor, the disabled and
the elderly. Mr. Kuepper urged residents to become better educated about the
disasters that have occurred in the area in the past in order to better understand the
City Council Community Leaders' Breakfast Minutes
October 22, 2005
Page 2 of 4
potential threat, and noted that the probability of the same type of disaster happening
again was very high. He discussed the importance of information flow during and
following a disaster, the problems associated with incomplete or biased information and
the need for secondary verification of information that was received. He indicated that
the primary function of elected officials and management staff during an emergency was
to provide strong leadership and reassure the population everything was under control
and will be all right. He concluded by stating that most disasters were preventable, all
disasters were manageable and recovery, even from the most devastating events, is
always possible.
Mayor Clark thanked Mr. Kuepper for his presentation and asked how people should
best prepared for the predicted avian influenza pandemic.
Mr. Kuepper responded that the avian flu was a biological threat, but did not think it
would be a major issue in the United States. He stated that proper hygiene was the key
and recommended that people wash their hands frequently when coming in contract
with potentially contaminated materials. He stated that the most vulnerable populations
were the poor and homeless who did not have the education and /or resources to protect
themselves against the disease.
Mayor Clark presented Mr. Kuepper with a City tile in appreciation of his presentation.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Sharon Nolan, Rancho Palos Verdes, referring to an article that appeared in the Palos
Verdes News attributing the cause of the July 2005 fire to the Edison Company, asked
that utility companies be required to communicate with the Fire Department whenever
their crews were scheduled to work in isolated or vulnerable areas of the City. She
asked if utility workers had been trained and equipped to deal with small brush fires
before the situation escalated into a major wild fire.
Mayor Clark responded that the City was looking to the Edison Company and the Los
Angeles County Fire Department for lesson learned from the recent fire in order to
minimize or avoid similar situations in the future.
Mayor Clark noted several accomplishments the City had made since the Spring 2005
Community Leaders' Breakfast, including:
• Moving forward on the preservation of 400 acres of open space in Portuguese
Bend;
• Developing a strategy for addressing the City's needs for infrastructure renewal;
• Dedicating Founders Park at Trump National Golf Club; and
• Adding a new traffic deputy to the P.M. and weekend shift.
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October 22, 2005
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ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Clark thanked the audience for attending and declared the meeting adjourned at
10:20 AM.
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City Council Community Leaders' Breakfast Minutes
October 22, 2005
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