Agoura Hills Council Fills Vacant Seat After Northrup's Resignation

AGOURA HILLS, CA — The Agoura Hills City Council selected Penny Sylvester to fill former council members Linda Northrup's recently vacated seat.

Northrup resigned on Aug. 15 amid her battle with cancer, she announced in a letter to her colleagues. Her resignation immediately opened up a vacancy on the council.

The council publicly interviewed 14 applicants at its regular meeting Wednesday. Each applicant gave a three-minute introduction followed by a roughly 10 minute question and answer session with council members.

Three of four council members selected Sylvester as their top choice at Wednesday's meeting, and all four council members voted to recommend her appointment after deliberation.

Though council members said they were significantly impressed by the entire applicant pool, Sylvester stood out for her demonstrated commitment to community programming, her experience with local schools and experience on the planning commission, council members said.

Sylvester moved to Agoura Hills in 1998 to raise her children in a family neighborhood with good public schools, she said.

"I love this city. Every time I walk our dog I'm reminded of what a special place this is to call home," Sylvester said

Sylvester volunteered as a Cub and Girl Scout leader shortly after moving to Agoura Hills and transitioned into leadership positions at local schools and with the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

Sylvester worked with the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center and ultimately joined the planning commission in 2021 at council member Illece Buckley Weber's recommendation.

"I don't think that there's anything that I have been present at since 2020 or 2019 that Penny hasn't been there, including all of the Zoom calls. And that was far before she knew somebody was going to be resigning. She's just shown a real keen interest in what's going on in this city," Buckley Weber said.

Sylvester noted that key local concerns she would focus on are public safety, traffic, housing, drought and wildfire. She fielded questions about Old Agoura, public safety, local business and city programming, emphasizing the importance of a council that communicates well and educates the public.

"I think we can all acknowledge that public safety, traffic, housing and the threats of drought and wildfires are among the top concerns of our residents. After living here for decades and seeing the challenges that face us, I believe we need to wok harder than ever to preserve our community's character and I want to help," Sylvester said.

Sylvester underscored the importance of preserving Agoura Hills' beloved open space and village-like feel while encouraging business development and meeting housing needs.

Sylvester is well-liked and supported by Agoura Hills residents, Buckley Weber said.

"She's very well supported by our residents, she's very widely known by our residents because of the work that she's done in the school district. She's been a volunteer in very many things," Buckley Weber said.

Mayor Deborah Klein Lopez celebrated Sylvester's involvement with the schools and experience in the community.

"The history that you have with the school system is a very unique and special relationship that we have between our cities and schools. And so that Penny has that experience, it's very personal to me because it's what I had, I did the same thing. I put all of my heart and soul into my kids education and some of the other volunteer aspects that come with living in Agoura Hills. ... I know Penny personally and I can tell you she didn't mention half the stuff that [she] does," Lopez said.