It is Saturday evening, May 23, at 8:15 p.m. I am at my computer thinking about how to reply to Mayor Andrew Stern’s comments in The Malibu Times, “Wasted time and money on drafting a viewshed ordinance … not authority to do it.” I was fortunate enough to have been chosen to be on this View Protection Task Force. It is comprised of a wonderful group of 13 citizens who volunteered to spend many hours discussing major points, led by a terrific gal appointed by the City. Her name is Coleen Berg, consultant from Choice Mediation. The committee reviewed numerous other ordinances from many coastal cities to see and reflect on our points for Malibu. Again, I was appointed to the Ad Hoc Committee and spent more hours organizing key points and then presenting them to the entire group of l3 people for more discussion and a final vote. I calculated I spent about 125 hours on this project so far.
To think that Mayor Andrew Stern called my efforts and the efforts of my committee members, who are volunteers, “wasting time and money” is an absolute insult. The committee, in good faith, was told to present their findings to the City Council in any form. Besides, three attorneys there were power-packed individuals who, each in their own way, were contributing to this terrific document called the “View Protection Ordinance” for the City of Malibu and its citizens.
In nine months, as dictated by the City Council, this committee has come up with a draft document to present to its citizens for review and comment on May 28 at 3 p.m. in the chambers of City Hall. In addition, we have saved the city many, many thousands of dollars to draft such a document.
Marilynn Santman