Altadena Town Council Sets First 2026 Meeting for Tonight, With Fire Recovery, Public Safety on Agenda

The Altadena Town Council convenes tonight at 7 p.m. at the Altadena Community Center with a packed agenda that includes reports on public safety, fire recovery efforts, and land use.

The meeting serves as the primary civic forum for this unincorporated Los Angeles County community, which continues to rebuild after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures one year ago.

Tonight’s session includes an update on the Altadena Eaton Fire Recovery Fund Advisory, a Land Use Committee report, and presentations from Sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers, and Los Angeles County Fire Department officials.

Captain Marquez of the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, Officer Keller of the California Highway Patrol, and Maria Grycan, community services liaison for LA County Fire Department Division 3, will deliver public safety reports.

The council will also hear from Brian McGinnis, a senior planner with the LA County Department of Planning, and Nikki Winslow, director of the Altadena Library District.

Matt Keeling of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will present a wildlife update, and Norma Garcia-Gonzales and Chester Kano of LA County Parks and Recreation will report on park conditions.

Committee chairs will present reports on land use, renter protection and recovery, education, and the Eaton Fire Recovery Fund Advisory. Vice Chair Milissa Marona co-chairs the recovery fund committee.

The council’s Renters Protection and Recovery Committee, chaired by Treasurer Darlene Greene, is among the groups set to report. Council Chair Nic Arnzen has previously identified renter displacement as a central concern for the community.

“Renters obviously don’t have ownership of property,” Arnzen said in an interview earlier this month. “So they’re frightened that coming back will not only be difficult, but it won’t be possible with the new pricing.”

Residents wishing to make public comment should fill out a comment card, available in the back of the meeting room, and hand it to a council member before or during the meeting. Comments are limited to two minutes per speaker. The council does not respond to public comment during meetings, according to the agenda.

Those unable to attend in person can watch the meeting live on YouTube at youtube.com/c/PasadenaMediaCA.

The meeting takes place at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

“The shift to rebuild puts us in a different mindset,” Arnzen said of the community’s recovery. “It gets us on task and starts us actually looking in a hopeful way at what can be.”