City Council campaign notes
There are two major forums this week and another one next week. Operation Recovery 2007, the group composed of residents who lost their homes in last year’s fires, is holding a session on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Malibu United Methodist Church, located at 30128 Morning View Dr. The candidates will meet again at the church on Saturday at 4 p.m. as the guests of the Malibu Park Homeowners Association. And on April 2, the Malibu Rotary Club will host a forum in Pepperdine University’s Fireside Room at 7:30 a.m. with candidates Susan Tellem, Kathy Wisnicki and Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner in attendance. John Sibert and Pamela Conley Ulich met with the Rotary Club last week.
This Thursday is the deadline for candidates to turn in their second period financial statements, covering Feb. 24 through March 24. Wisnicki ($17,689) edged out Sibert ($16,920) in fundraising during the first financial period, which covered through Feb. 23. The other candidates trailed far behind with Conley Ulich collecting $10,250, Wagner taking in $4,450 and Tellem receiving $4,050.
Candidates must report within 24 hours any expenditures of more than $1,000 made after March 24. A third financial statement covering the final days of the campaign is due on July 31.
Absentee ballots can be requested from City Hall until Tuesday. Those wanting the ballots mailed to them should call the City Clerk’s Office at 310.456.2489 ext. 228 or send a fax to 310.456.3356. Absentee ballots must be received at City Hall by Election Day on April 8. It is recommended residents mail them no later than April 6. The ballots can also be hand-delivered to City Hall or any polling location on Election Day.
City to unveil Cross Creek Rd. tiles and open Las Flores Creek Park
The city of Malibu has two ceremonies planned during the next week to commemorate the completion of municipal projects. On Saturday, personalized tiles will be unveiled at Cross Creek Road. The tiles, which were custom-made by Malibu residents as a Legacy Park fundraiser, will be installed on the sidewalk and on a medallion at the corner of Civic Center Way. The city will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday to mark the completion of the first phase of the Las Flores Creek Park development.
The first phase of the nearly $5 million park project, funded mostly through various grants, includes the restoration of the creek to its natural state through the removal of exotic plant species and the replanting of stream banks and floodplain benches with native vegetation as well as other adjustments. Also, the four-acre park includes children’s play areas, viewing benches and trails along the length of the park, interpretive signage related to the creek and riparian environment, and a parking lot.
A second phase of the project, which Public Works Director Bob Brager said he expects to be completed by this summer, includes the construction of a pedestrian bridge to connect the two banks of the park and the installation of a restroom facility and an onsite wastewater treatment system.
Both ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m. on their respective days.
Senate bill would expand allowable brush clearance in high-risk areas
A Senate bill that would allow property owners in high-risk fire areas, such Malibu’s canyons, to clear brush up to 300 feet around the property regardless of whether the vegetation is considered a sensitive habitat area, is headed to a committee hearing on April 8. The bill was introduced by Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta).
The Malibu Local Coastal Program prohibits the existence of vegetation within the first 100 feet of a structure, allows minimal types of vegetation within the second 100 feet and has a few restrictions on the third 100 feet from the home. City Councilmember Ken Kearsley has stated in the past that there should be no vegetation allowed at all within 300 feet of a home.
The bill will be reviewed by the Natural Resources and Water Committee. Sen. Sheila Kuehl, whose district includes Malibu, is on the committee. A Kuehl spokesperson said on Tuesday the senator had not yet seen the bill.
Measure R senior exemption information
Residents who are at least 65-years-old by June 30 can file for an exemption from Measure R, the $346 annual parcel tax approved by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District voters last month.
Those senior citizens who have previously received the exemption from the Measure S parcel tax will be sent a form for Measure R in May, according to the district. Those who do not receive a form by mid-June should call Dawn Smithfield at 310.450.8338, ext. 269. First-time applicants who qualify should call Smithfield to be put on the application mailing list.
This form must be completed, signed and returned to the District Office by July 31.
-Jonathan Friedman