Barger Boosts Altadena Small Business Recovery
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger (R-Northern LA County, including Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada-Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) yesterday saw the full Board unanimously approve her motion to accelerate small business recovery in Altadena following the Eaton Fire.
The motion launches two major initiatives to support recovery. The first, a Small Business Concierge Program led by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, will provide personalized assistance to help business owners navigate County permitting, licensing, financing, and recovery resources while connecting them to legal aid and other critical services.
The second, a Streamlined Alcoholic Beverage Sales Permitting Pilot led by the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, will cut months off the approval process by replacing Conditional Use Permit hearings with staff-level approvals under standardized conditions, modeled after successful programs in the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Pasadena.
“Altadena’s business owners have shown incredible resilience in the face of unthinkable loss,” said Barger. “They deserve support from our County that moves with urgency and clears the roadblocks standing in the way of their recovery. These businesses are the backbone of Altadena’s economy and are vital to helping preserve the community’s identity. I will continue working to ensure they have hands-on support to persevere and rebuild stronger.”
Barger’s motion also directs County departments to improve walkability and revitalization along Altadena’s commercial corridors and to connect businesses to County contracting opportunities to sustain operations during recovery.
To maximize impact, the County will collaborate with the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, the Altadena Recovery Task Force, and philanthropic partners. A 30-day implementation plan and a 90-day status update detailing staffing, resources, timelines, outreach strategies, and long-term recommendations will be reported to the Board to track progress and accountability.
Calabasas Mayor Kraut holds public discussion with SCE officials
Calabasas Mayor Peter Kraut, via his weekly newsletter, invited the community tomorrow for an Infrastructure & Wildfire Safety Meeting hosted by Southern California Edison (SCE) in partnership with the City of Calabasas, Las Virgenes–Malibu Council of Governments and the Santa Monica Mountains community.
“For quite some time now, you’ve expressed your concerns and frustrations loud and clear about frequent Public Safety Power Shutoffs, poor communication, longer outages and concerns about how and when our infrastructure will be improved. We hear you and want you to share your concerns,” wrote Kraut.
“This is our opportunity to demand real accountability, advocate for safer infrastructure and get the wildfire preparedness updates our community urgently needs. Our community deserves a resilient electrical grid and stronger wildfire protection now and your voice matters.”
Kraut noted the City of Calabasas doesn’t have authority over SCE’s operational decisions, planning, and timelines, so the City brought them to Calabasas to provide updates, answer questions, and hear your suggestions.
“If you’re wondering about what’s being done to reduce shutoffs, why communication isn’t more timely, or what infrastructure improvements are planned and underway, this is your opportunity to engage with SCE,” wrote Kraut.
The meeting is from 6-7:30 pm, tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Rd. If you can’t attend in person, you can join via livestream. Register today.
Hahn brings Gifts for Guns to South Whittier
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D-Southeastern LA County, including Long Beach, San Pedro, Diamond Bar, Whittier, Cerritos, Downey, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hacienda Heights), this Saturday, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Norwalk Station, will hold a gun buyback event at the Community Resource Center in unincorporated South Whittier.
The event will welcome residents and offer an opportunity to exchange any gun for gift cards.
“Over and over again, the success of these buyback events has proven that our communities want a chance to play a role in making their own homes and streets safer. I’m proud to bring this opportunity back again ahead of the holiday season, ” said Hahn. “I encourage anyone who has a gun that they’ve thought about getting rid of but maybe haven’t known how, to take us up on this offer.”
Saturday’s buyback will be Hahn’s sixteenth. Since May 2022, Hahn’s initiative, which has held events in Lynwood, North Long Beach, Norwalk, Wilmington, Long Beach, Hawaiian Gardens, Artesia, Bellflower, Torrance, and Pico Rivera, has taken in and destroyed 2,678 unwanted firearms.
There are important guidelines to participating in the buyback that ensure the safety of the public and deputies. Participants should not arrive on foot or by public transit, and should transport firearms unloaded and in the trunk of a vehicle.
Participants will receive gift cards in amounts according to the type of gun exchanged.
• Non-functioning firearms or parts: $50
• Working pistols, rifles shotguns: $100
• Ghost guns: $200
• Assault rifles: $300
3D and homemade guns will be evaluated for value on the day of the event. Gift card quantities are limited and subject to availability.
The event is scheduled for 9 am to 1 pm, Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Community Resource Center, 10750 Laurel Avenue, in unincorporated South Whittier.
Bass urges eligible Angelenos to apply for Medi-Cal before Dec. 31
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass yesterday joined the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and healthcare leaders in urging all Angelenos – regardless of their immigration status – to enroll in Medi-Cal ahead of December 31 to protect their healthcare and housing stability.
Beginning January 1, 2026, new enrollments in full-scope Medi-Cal will be restricted to those who meet federal immigration requirements, affecting adults aged 19 and older who are not pregnant and have an unsatisfactory immigration status.
This means that while previously undocumented adults could enroll under a state-funded program, they will now only be eligible for emergency services and pregnancy-related care under the new policy. Individuals who are already enrolled in full-scope Medi-Cal before the deadline can continue their coverage, provided they complete their annual renewal.
Without immediate action, thousands of Angelenos could face financial hardship from medical bills, potentially leading to housing instability. Research demonstrates the clear relationship between healthcare and housing — an unexpected medical bill can jeopardize a person’s ability to work and pay for housing, placing thousands of individuals and families across L.A. at risk of losing their homes.
“Healthcare costs are one of the major causes of people falling into homelessness. Preventing homelessness is key to our efforts in addressing this humanitarian crisis,” said Bass. “I’m urging all eligible Angelenos to enroll in Medi-Cal before eligibility requirements change on January 1, to help Angelenos stay healthy and housed.”
