The Agoura Hills City Council on Jan. 8 praised city staff and first responders for work during recent high winds and approved a 5-0 motion to defer Community Wildfire Risk Assessment (CWRA) community survey questions until the public can attend and comment.

Mayor Sylvester opened the meeting by addressing the nearby fires and extreme conditions: "Our thoughts are with everybody in the Palisades and all our neighbors and fellow communities within LA County who are experienced extreme fire dangers right now and those who have lost their homes." The council repeatedly thanked staff and emergency personnel for communications and fieldwork during the wind event.

Why this matters: the CWRA survey is a step in wildfire planning and public outreach; council members said postponing the survey until more residents can participate will allow a fuller public discussion. Council members also described short-term preparedness actions — information on evacuation zones posted on the city website, temporary traffic control measures and cleanup of debris, and an open electric-vehicle charging station the city recently made available.

During council remarks, Mayor Pro Tem Wolf called attention to the new charging station and stressed its importance while parts of the city experienced power outages. "I also wanna give a shout out on getting the charging station open," Wolf said. A city staff member confirmed that regular residential solid-waste pickups with Waste Management have continued, saying, "There has not been any change in the scheduled pickups through Waste Management. They've tried to continue that service." The staff member said the worst of the winds had passed and that it was safer to put bins out for the next-day pickup.

The council moved several routine items by unanimous votes. The meeting record shows the following formal actions: approval of the agenda as amended, adoption of the consent calendar, and approval of the CWRA survey deferral. The agenda amendment included postponing the quarterly library update to the Jan. 22 meeting and deferring one council member's Clean Power Alliance report.

Votes at a glance
- Approve agenda as amended — motion by Council Member Deborah Klein Lopez; second by Council Member Chris Anstead; roll call vote: Anderson: Aye; Anstead: Aye; Klein Lopez: Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Wolf: Aye; Mayor Sylvester: Aye. Outcome: approved 5–0.
- Adopt consent calendar — motion by Mayor Pro Tem Wolf; second by Council Member Anderson; roll call vote: Anderson: Aye; Anstead: Aye; Klein Lopez: Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Wolf: Aye; Mayor Sylvester: Aye. Outcome: approved 5–0.
- Defer CWRA community survey questions to future meeting — motion by Council Member Anderson; second by Council Member Deborah Klein Lopez; roll call vote: Anderson: Aye; Anstead: Aye; Klein Lopez: Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Wolf: Aye; Mayor Sylvester: Aye. Outcome: approved 5–0. Notes: Council members stated the item should be discussed when the public can attend.

The council received no public comments tonight; the city clerk reported no written comments or speaker cards. Several council members urged residents to check evacuation-zone information on the city website and to follow official guidance as the region continues firefighting and recovery operations.

The council adjourned with a reminder that the next regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at the Civic Center council chambers at 30001 Ladyface Court. Mayor Sylvester closed the meeting by urging residents to stay safe.