Incumbent seeks third term in Agoura Hills

Kuperberg vows to preserve
open space
By Stephanie Bertholdo
Acorn Staff Writer

City Councilman Dan Kuperberg

Agoura Hills Mayor Pro Tem Dan Kuperberg is seeking his third term with the city council and promises to maintain his commitment to slow growth.

Kuperberg, 44, said that he’s worked diligently over the last eight years to keep development in the city in check. He has a "verifiable, proven record," Kuperberg said.

Regarding open space, Kuperberg said that he "helped slow down development on Ladyface Mountain and spearheaded the acquisition of 500 acres as protected open space.

"The city is now almost 40 percent open space," he said.

While open space is near and dear to Kuperberg, he also thinks that keeping it beautiful is equally important. Kuperberg recently helped capture a $1 million grant for billboard removal in the city, he said.

A Los Angeles County public defender, Kuperberg said his experience gives him personal and professional contacts in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C. Over the last six months, Kuperberg has met with U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) regarding funding for the Kanan Road/101 Freeway interchange. Having served for eight years on the council’s legislative committee, he added that he’s the "senior legislative guy" on the city council.

In addition to getting money for the overdue Kanan interchange project, Kuperberg said he’s voted for traffic solutions, speed humps and better signage throughout the city.

Completing the freeway/Kanan interchange project is among Kuperberg’s main goals if he’s reelected.

Kuperberg is also proud of his accomplishments with Las Virgenes Unified School District. He said that he helped the city give more than $1 million to schools, some of which came from the redevelopment agency. Funds also went to new landscaping at Agoura High School, deputies on campuses and other services.

Kuperberg is proud of his work on the city’s beautification plan, which he said will benefit everyone. However, managing the city’s needs through the state’s fiscal crisis will be vitally important in the coming years, he said.

Creating two new Agoura High School scholarships, increased funding for the juvenile intervention team and improvements at every city park since 1997, he said, were among his other accomplishments. He also helped get additional recreation programs by chairing the parks and recreation committee.

SpringFest, now in its fifth year, is another Kuperberg accomplishment. He said that the yearly event promotes local small businesses and that 100 booths attracted more than 5,000 people to the business community last year.

Kuperberg has lived in Agoura Hills with his family for 12 years.

An issue that concerns voters, however, is Kuperberg’s stand on the Oak Creek project. Of all the development proposals brought to the city council over the past 10 years, the Oak Creek mixed use project on Canwood Street was the best in terms of traffic and the environment, according to Kuperberg.

Other proposals, he said, included a Wal-Mart, a factory outlet and a mall with movie theaters. The Riverwalk project would have flattened two hills, he said.

His endorsements include U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), state Assemblywoman Fran Pavley (D-Woodland Hills), L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaro-slavsky, most of the Agoura Hills City Council and Mary Wiesbrock, president of Save Open Space.