Time to enjoy the view

STUART SIEGEL’S RETIREMENT

I wanted to do and sometimes it’s good to let new people take over.” As a longtime Hidden Hills resident, Stuart embraced his role on the council and felt that small city politics were genuine and loved tackling the issues that arose. “Being on the council is like a team sport,” he says, “…some things I was heavily involved in and others I was there simply to assist my fellow council members.” With no intention of moving, Stuart will continue to be involved in the Hidden Hills community, but this time as a homeowner, a friend, and fellow neighbor.

In 1989, Stuart, his wife and children moved into Hidden Hills. His three children grew up going to all the local public schools. He joined the city council because he was drawn to the issues. He served two terms on the HOA board and then ran with fellow friend, Monty Fisher (who passed away a few years ago), for a position on the council. “In the beginning,” he says, “there was one city manager and one city clerk. Anyone could walk into the building, there was no separate office, and speak directly to City Manager, Cherie Paglia.” People would stop him in the local market or call him at home with concerns. “I liked being accessible to the town members and it kept all of us involved and up to date on what was happening in the community,” he says.

Stuart and his business partners run local indoor swap meets and he felt it gave him great insight into governing the small community of Hidden Hills. “The swap meet was like running a city,” he says. His business often had over 100 vendors, maintenance people, a security force, and he ran three separate swap meets for years. His children worked with him at the swap meets during their teenage years and his employees and vendors were like family. They stayed for decades growing with the company. One of the managers of his Panorama City location started to work for him while in high school and is still with the company today.

“I am proud that as a council member, I was part of some extraordinary legislation,” he says. He was part of the council team that saved Ahmanson Ranch from development. He worked with the council to come up with a plan to remodel, widen and change the Long Valley Road entrance of Hidden Hills. “It has been a long time coming,” he says, “…but it will begin soon and should help to ease congestion.” The council also hired a lobbyist to work with state legislators to protect the community from legislation as it is a constant battle to retain autonomy. He also worked hard with the council to ensure that the two governmental agencies of the city, the Homeowners’ Association and the City Council worked closely together. Keeping the two entities aligned enabled them to operate best for the homeowners of Hidden Hills.

“The Woolsey fire highlighted the fact that this community, in times of need, comes together to help however they are needed,” he says, “… the public showed up to volunteer; to help homeowners get their animals out of harm’s way, to find places for people to evacuate to, and then they came back to man the phones throughout the night.” Homeowners Britt Aaronson and Bret Katz were just two of the many volunteers who slept at City Hall night after night watching over the town. A goat herder, hired by the city, showed up every season to bring his goats to clear all the brush and vegetation surrounding Hidden Hills, and they were so effective that not one home burned. Stuart says, “The fact that the community is very proactive, helped immeasurably during the fire.”

Over his many years in Hidden Hills, Stuart says the town has changed, but for the better. The community events are bigger, with the advent of the farmers’ market, food trucks, summer camp programs and the addition of pickleball events. He says, “Of course there are different issues from 1990 to today, 2022, but the flavor of Hidden Hills remains the same: a tight knit community with a small-town vibe.”