PPCC Elections Draw Low Turnout

By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter 

Candidates for the 2018 Pacific Palisades Community Council Area representatives were announced on Thursday, July 26, to a sparse room of community members who frequent the council.

The excitement of officially launching the Palisades into local election season deflated as the list of candidates were mostly uncontested, giving seven candidates an almost guaranteed win.

Running a contested race and up for election starting Aug. 9, Area 2—which encompasses The Highlands neighborhood—will decide between attorneys Steve Cron and Adam Handler, both with significant experience in Palisadian leadership.

Residents 18 years and older who reside in Area 2 may vote for the candidate they wish to represent their neighborhood.

In a last-minute sleight of hand candidacy for at-large representative, Alan Goldsmith made John Padden’s celebration a short one, as they will now go head-to-head in a race after incumbent Lou Kamer announced he was dropping out.

Anyone who resides, owns property or operates a business in the Palisades may cast a vote for at-large representative.

“There won’t be a debate or a so-called ‘forum,’” David Card said from the election committee. “On August 9 at our meeting [in Palisades Branch Library at 7 p.m.], the candidates are invited, not required, to come in and give a two-minute introduction of themselves.”

Other candidates announced were Joanna Spak (Area 1), Haldis Toppel (Area 3), Rick Mills (Area 4), Sue Kohl (Area 5), David Kaplan (Area 6), Steve Boyers (Area 7) and Reza Akef (Area 8).

PPCC Chair George Wolfberg told the Palisadian-Post that there have only been 15 contested spots for area and at-large representatives since 2002. There have been as many as four contests at once and as few as zero, giving anyone who enters the race an automatic win, according to Wolfberg.

“No, I’m not happy, but I thought that we did as much as we could,” said Wolfberg, who listed the PPCC’s outreach efforts by ads in the newspaper, email blasts and social media. He said that he has noticed that interest in the community council varies by whatever current issue is affecting the Palisades.

“Individuals have interests in various things in the community and when something comes up, usually they’ll come to the community council and they’ll say, ‘Hey, we see this problem or this great thing happening or this issue. Can you help us? Or how can we leverage our support to get the attention of the elected officials?’ So yeah, it ebbs and flows,” he said.

However, the new PPCC chair said he is thankful that every candidate this year is “passionate and qualified.”

Voting will again be done through the PPCC’s online website and run through Aug. 30.

For those without computers or internet access, a voting assistance center will be set up in Palisades Branch Library on Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. where residents can cast their vote.

Should any contested races end in a tie, the decision will be made by a coin toss.