Nearby homeowner is subject of annoyance as he fights approval of the project unless certain conditions are met. Mayor to write ballot argument in favor of MBC deal.
By Jonathan Friedman/Special to the Malibu Times
Although not on the agenda, the proposed county project to refurbish the Trancas Water Pollution Control Plant came to the City Council’s attention at its meeting Monday night, with one resident urging the council to endorse the project.
Three years ago, the state mandated Los Angeles County to repair and upgrade the 40-year-old plant to meet safety and clean water regulations. The county’s public works department prepared a draft negative declaration and initial study last year, analyzing the environmental impacts of the proposed project, stating the project had no significant environmental impact on the environment.
However, Malibu Park resident Hans Laetz disagreed and sent a letter last year to the county citing 32 specific errors in the report and demanded the county reject the study. Laetz, in a Times story last year, argued that the fact that he can see the tanks of the facility from his home is a “flagrant public nuisance” and a violation of the state of California’s Environmental Water Quality Control Act.
At Monday night’s meeting, Malibu West resident Leslie Moss spoke about Laetz, who sent another document to the county last month with numerous objections to the project. But Moss said he found it hypocritical that in a cover letter, which was sent with the document, Laetz would withdraw his objection to the project under two conditions. They are that a fence be built before the project begins and a new fly control program be created.
Moss reasoned that Laetz could not have been serious about his objections if the two items he requested were granted would make up for them. Laetz could not be reached for an interview for this article.
Moss further dismissed Laetz’s earlier threat to demand an environmental impact report (EIR) if he did not get a fence built to shield his view of the plant. The County Public Works Department says an EIR is not needed for the project.
“He knows full well that his demand for an EIR at a huge cost to Malibu West homeowners is a sham,” Moss said.
A glitch that would hold up the idea of a fence is that the county may need to get a coastal permit because the original permit is only good for the refurbishment of the plant, according to public works spokesperson Ken Pellman. If a new permit is needed, then the project would be put on hold until the current debacle over the Coastal Commission/City of Malibu lawsuits regarding the Malibu Local Coastal Plan is settled.
The Trancas facility receives sewage from 237 single-family homes and condominiums in the Trancas and Malibu West communities and single-family homes in the Lechuza and Broad Beach communities, not including the homes in Malibu Park.
The project proposal has been circulating through the public recently, with the public comment period finishing last month. But the city has still not yet sent a letter of support or nonsupport for the project. City Manager Katie Lichtig said the city is making sure the project has no objectionable features, but she said, as far as she knew, it did not. The project will not go before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors until the question of whether a new permit for a fence is needed is answered.
Moss requested that the city endorse the project, but reject any further proposals by Laetz. He accused Laetz of practicing extremism.
The city had sent a letter of support last December to the county, but that was before the project proposal was circulated. The four councilmembers in attendance, Mayor Pro Tem Sharon Barovsky was not there, said they supported the project.
One for all
Also at the meeting, the council directed Mayor Ken Kearsley to write the ballot measure argument in favor of the Malibu Bay Company Development Agreement, which had to be turned in by Wednesday. But Councilmember Joan House objected to the wording of the direction the council was to approve that had him being the sole writer and to sign it on behalf of the rest of the council. She said to defer everything into one set of hands concerned her, and asked that she be able to look at it before it was finalized. Kearsley said he would e-mail her the copy, so she could look at it.
The council also approved a request for the ballot measure to be called Measure “M” and “C” as a backup. City Clerk Lisa Pope said the county could grant those requests as long as there is no conflict determined.
Also at the meeting, Malibu residents Leslie Schwarz and Jo Ruggles were appointed to the Malibu Trails Master Plan Advisory Committee.