Community Council Announces Area, At-Large Candidates

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades Community Council Chair Maryam Zar announced candidates who are seeking election for a two-year term on the board as area and at-large representatives during a meeting on July 28.

“Area and at-large representatives will be the voice of their constituents, bring issues to the PPCC, learn first-hand about policy and land-use topics affecting the Palisades, and vote on matters of communitywide interest,” according to a statement shared by PPCC.

The Palisades is split into eight neighborhoods in a map created by PPCC, each represented by one board member. There is also one position for an at-large representative.

“The area representative must reside within the specified area boundaries as detailed on the PPCC website,” the statement continued. “The at-large representative serves the entire community and must live, own property or run a business within Pacific Palisades.”

Incumbents are running in Area 2 (Steve Cron), 3 (Haldis Toppel), 4 (Karen Ridgley) and 8 (Reza Akef). The at-large incumbent, Alan Goldsmith, withdrew from the race.

New candidates running include Murray Levy in Area 1, Reza Ronaghi in Area 4, Allison Holdorff Polhill and Kimberly Bloom for Area 5, Cindy Simon in Area 6, Julie Silliman in Area 7, and Chris Spitz for at-large representative.

Two seats will have contested elections: Area 4 and Area 5.

In Area 4, which includes north and south of Sunset Boulevard from Bienveneda Avenue to Temescal Canyon Road, the Palisades Bowl and Tahitian Terrace mobile home parks at PCH, Palisades Charter High School, and the westerly portion of Temescal Gateway Park, Ronaghi and incumbent Ridgley, who has served for two years, will both be on the ballot.

“I’m an effective advocate for my constituents, and a responsive and informed representative in securing the information and CD11 services required to resolve individual and community problems and to maintain our community’s quality of life,” Ridgley wrote in her candidate statement.

Ronaghi, a lung and critical care specialist with UCLA who moved to the Palisades about a year and a half ago, wrote that he wants to serve as the area representative in order to work with the city to help improve safety, and to increase access to healthcare, as well as help elderly residents with access to things like groceries and medication.

The other contested seat is the representative for Area 5 (north side of Sunset Boulevard from Temescal Canyon Road to Rivas Canyon Road and portions of Topanga State Park), which will have a race between two new candidates: Holdorff Polhill and Bloom.

Holdorff Polhill, a past candidate for Los Angeles Unified School District and CD11, most recently served as chief advisor to LAUSD Vice President Nick Melvoin. She wrote that her primary areas of interest are homelessness, education, environment, fire preparedness, congestion and public safety.

Bloom, a Palisadian of more than three decades, wrote that the two years she has served as alternate for Area 5 Representative Sue Kohl have allowed her to see how PPCC operates and navigates issues that are facing the community.

“My takeaway and reason for running is simple: Decisions made by our local leaders greatly affect our everyday lives, for better or worse,” she wrote. “It’s my desire to help others understand the issues and be a voice for Alphabet Street residents.”

The PPCC Election Committee is planning for election via online voting as well as a paper ballot that will be printed in an upcoming edition of the Palisadian-Post, according to Committee Chair Jenny Li.

The Election Committee, which has been designated to oversee the election, includes Li, David Card, Ryan Craig, Michael Edlen and Joanna Spak.

“Candidates have been sent Code of Conduct for campaigning, including those who just announced candidacy right before this meeting,” PPCC reported in an email circulated July 30. “Basic rules are that candidates cannot link to ballot from websites or other sources, and campaign materials cannot be posted on public property. Campaigning may begin at close of meeting.”

Voting in the election will begin August 19 and remain open through September 2. A candidates forum is scheduled for the August 11 PPCC meeting. Winners will be announced on September 8.

For more information, including complete candidate statements, visit pacpalicc.org.