Recap of our Emergency Community Meeting, October 4, 2025
Lake Hollywood Homeowners Association Meeting Summary- October 4, 2025
1. Opening Remarks
LHHA, Vice President Kim Kevorkian, opened the meeting, noting the absence of President Kristina O’Neil due to surgery. She emphasized the board’s ongoing struggle to get the City of Los Angeles to address safety and quality-of-life concerns for hillside residents for years.
2. Legal Advocacy and Next Steps
Kim Kevorkian explained that LHHA has exhausted traditional channels—letters, emails, and meetings—with minimal city response. After consulting legal experts, the board retained Mike Eveloff, a civic advocate experienced in suing the city, to research legal pathways and prepare formal notices to city and county agencies. Certified letters were sent to the Mayor’s Office, Recreation and Parks, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Hollywood Sign Trust, LAFD, LAPD, and the County Supervisor, formally placing them on notice for safety and negligence issues
3. Introduced Michael Eveloff – Safety, Traffic, and Evacuation Planning and How LHHA can best move forward
- Michael Eveloff addressed our residents and invited guests about public safety issues in their neighborhood, focusing on fire, emergency response, and infrastructure risks. He is not an attorney or lobbyist but has experience as a “professional client” involved in lawsuits against the city, with a preference for resolving issues without litigation.
Key Issues Raised
- Emergency Response Delays: The area suffers from slow fire and EMS response times, which pose daily risks (e.g., heart attacks, accidents) and could be catastrophic in a major disaster. Past incidents (like the Palisades fire) highlighted these vulnerabilities. Michael detailed that hillside neighborhoods lack official evacuation plans despite legal mandates under AB 747. Councilmember Traci Park introduced a motion acknowledging this deficiency and requiring citywide evacuation plans, a move viewed as an important step for accountability
- Infrastructure Problems: Aging water systems, lack of brush clearing, and poor communications infrastructure threaten both residents and citywide services, especially around Mount Lee, which is crucial for city communications.
- Tourism & Traffic: Rampant tourism, including tour buses on narrow streets, increases risk and complicates evacuation and emergency access. There’s a lack of a lawful, comprehensive evacuation plan, which is required by state law.
- Code Violations & Enforcement: The city is not enforcing various safety codes, including fire lane access, illegal dumping, and restrictions on smoking and motorized vehicles in high-risk areas.
Proposed Solutions & Actions
- Data Gathering: Collect hard data (traffic counts, response times, video evidence) to build a case and attract media attention. Data must be robust enough to stand up in court if necessary.
- Earned Media: Use press coverage to pressure the city into action, leveraging public concern, especially during election years.
- Community Mobilization: Encourage residents to learn about the issues, spread awareness, and participate in letter-writing campaigns. Collaboration among multiple HOAs is crucial for impact and funding, especially if legal action becomes necessary.
- Technology & Privacy: Suggests installing license plate reader cameras (ALPRs) for traffic data, with privacy safeguards so data isn’t directly shared with police.
- Legal Strategy: Refine legal issues, put the city on formal notice of violations, and prepare for possible litigation while aiming for a negotiated solution.
Broader Implications
- Citywide Risk: The problems are not isolated; similar risks exist throughout Los Angeles, especially as the city prepares for major events like the Olympics and World Cup. Media pressure and public safety concerns could drive city action.
- Personal Experience: Mike shared his background in HOA leadership and successful advocacy, emphasizing the importance of unified community action and strategic negotiation with the city.
Main Demands to the City
- Immediate enforcement of all safety codes (fire, traffic, environmental).
- Development of a lawful evacuation plan for the area.
- Infrastructure upgrades (water, communications, brush clearing).
- Better management of tourism and commercial activities.
- Improved emergency staffing and response capabilities.
In summary:
This meeting is a call to action for residents to address serious public safety and infrastructure risks in their neighborhood, emphasizing data-driven advocacy, media engagement, and community collaboration to pressure the city for solutions—ideally without resorting to lawsuits, but prepared for legal action if necessary.
Residents commented and Voiced their Opinions
4. Collaboration with Neighboring HOAs
Representatives from Hollywoodland HOA, including Sarah Jane Schwartz and Sabine, joined the meeting. They shared their neighborhood’s experience commissioning a formal fire-safety study recommending gating their community and coordinating with LHHA for joint advocacy. Both HOAs expressed commitment to joint strategies on safety, tourism impacts, and traffic control.
5. Community Action & Technology Initiatives
Residents discussed and were in favor of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), traffic management tools, and fire-prevention priorities and if needed media attention and legal action. Plans are underway to launch a fundraising campaign for safety technology via the LHHA website following the meeting
6. Closing and Next Meeting
Kim Kevorkian reminded attendees to visit the association’s website and share updates with neighbors. The Board Election Meeting was scheduled for November 8, with ongoing opportunities for residents to volunteer and contribute to the safety initiatives.
Key Takeaways
- LHHA is moving toward legal advocacy to compel city action.
- Cooperation with Hollywoodland HOA strengthens the regional voice for safety.
- Upcoming focus: fundraising for ALPR cameras, fire evacuation plans, and data-driven traffic mitigation.
Visit: CityatRisk.la