Dear Petition Supporters,

Thank you again for your incredible support of this petition. It has made a significant impact and continues to shed light on the systemic failures that affected our Lake Encino community during the Palisades Fire evacuation.

Earlier today, Councilmember Nithya Raman issued a public response acknowledging the concerns raised by our community. While we appreciate her efforts to escalate this issue to the Mayor’s Office and the Emergency Management Department and her plan to introduce a Council Motion requesting further action, her response falls short of addressing the immediate needs and concerns of our community.

As our elected Councilperson, Councilmember Raman is tasked with representing our interests and ensuring we have a strong voice in City Hall. While we understand her office does not directly oversee evacuation orders, it is critical that she takes a stronger, more active role in pushing for meaningful solutions and accountability on behalf of her constituents.

The residents of Lake Encino, her constituents, are asking for the following:

 1. Formal Recognition of the Mandatory Evacuation: Despite the lack of official updates during the evacuation, the City must formally acknowledge that Lake Encino was mandatorily evacuated. This is critical for accessing relief programs, protecting homeowners from insurance complications, and ensuring proper documentation of this event.

 2. Accountability for the Breakdown in Communication and Coordination: The failures during the evacuation—chaotic messaging, lack of security, and absence of agency coordination—left our community unprotected and in a state of confusion. We need a full accounting of what went wrong and assurances that those responsible will be held accountable.

 3. Commitment to Future Protections: Reforms are needed to prevent this from happening again. Clear communication protocols, better inter-agency coordination, and stronger protections for communities in emergencies must be a priority moving forward.

This situation is not just about assigning blame—it’s about ensuring the safety, trust, and rights of our community are upheld. While we appreciate the Councilmember’s initial efforts, we need tangible results and immediate action.

We urge the Councilmember to take a more active and visible role in advocating for Lake Encino at the city level, ensuring the Mayor’s office and other departments prioritize our community’s needs.

We remain committed to seeing this through to a meaningful resolution. Thank you all for your continued support. Your voices are making a difference, and together, we will ensure that Lake Encino gets the justice and accountability it deserves.