Council needs a cure, doctor says she’ll run





Meril Platzer

Meril Platzer

Neurologist Meril Platzer is the latest to enter the race for Agoura Hills City Council.

Platzer will challenge twoterm incumbent John Edelston, owner and president of a healthcare consulting firm; Illece Buckley Weber, a civil litigation attorney; and long-time educator Sue Lepisto in the November election for two seats on the council.

Councilmember Dan Kuperberg announced he will not seek reelection after 16 years in office.

Platzer, a 30-year resident of Agoura, says she would bring a “fresh approach and face” to the council if elected.

She would try to change some ordinances that allow “haphazard building along the 101 corridor.”

“I do not like the excessive laws and permits that prevent homeowners from modifying their homes, often costing the homeowner hundreds of thousands of dollars to move into their home or to upgrade, and the past poor maintenance of roads with potholes,” she said.

“ We need to enhance the beauty of our city . . . planting more native drought-resistant plants and trees, especially along our corridors.”

She has pledged to promote healthy living, education and the environment. She would like to see the creation of more walking trails, and safe equestrian and bike paths.

Issues affecting the elderly also top Platzer’s list of priorities. If elected, she would like additional community outreach programs for the elderly and others, especially those with special needs.

She said she would like the city to set up a cable station to give citizens who are not computer literate the chance to watch council meetings.

Platzer moved to Agoura Hills in 1981, before the community’s incorporation as a city. She lives in Old Agoura.

“We moved to Agoura because it was a unique community, pristine, with open space and parklands yet close to the city of Los Angeles and the beaches,” she said.

Platzer has been involved in city affairs. She participated in early planning to establish Agoura Hills as a city, working with Fran Pavley, who was the first mayor of Agoura Hills and now serves as a state senator.

After Agoura became a city, Platzer was instrumental in changing three ordinances.

She worked to enact the “Dark Skies” ordinance to limit light pollution.

She also convinced the council to change an animal code ordinance to include llamas and alpacas as domesticated animals.

Platzer played a pivotal role in establishing a grandfather clause to maintain corrals in Old Agoura. Under the law, residents who purchased an undeveloped piece of property could not infringe on the rights of a neighbor who had a corral based on city housing setback rules.

A graduate of UCLA with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography, Platzer attended medical school at Wayne State University in Michigan and completed her internship and residency at USC Los Angeles County Hospital. She has operated a neurology practice in Woodland Hills, specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and working in the early identification and screening of patients with memory loss. She also works with people who provide care to Alzheimer’s patients.

Platzer has three grown children, all of whom attended Las Virgenes schools.

As an advocate for the American Academy of Neurology, Platzer has met with senators and congress members in Washington, D.C., eight times to promote Alzheimer’s awareness, genetic screening for newborns with neurological conditions and help for members of the armed forces who have suffered traumatic brain injury.

“I am an advocate, mother, and physician. . . . I will definitely be a fresh face on the canvas and will serve our city well, Platzer said. “I have faced many challenges in my life, so I am used to challenges and face them head on.”

Platzer has been gaining a groundswell of support from residents.

“ I have known Meril for years, and I know her to be a person of good character,” said resident Larry Brown.

“I have had a snoot full of professional politicians, and one thing I know about Meril . . . is that all she cares about is the good of the community.”


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