City officials are taking their battle over rehab centers to the state level this week, with plans to meet in Sacramento with Malibu’s representatives in the state legislature. Councilman Lou La Monte announced at Monday’s City Council meeting that a Malibu delegate would take up the issue with State Sen. Fran Pavley and Assemblymember Richard Bloom.
In the last few months, the city has shone a critical light on the dozens of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers operating out of Malibu. The city argues that many rehab centers, such as Passages Malibu, tack on fake addresses to guesthouses and pool houses in order to obtain state licensing for extra facilities. The practice violates local zoning laws, according to the city, which is asking the state to step in on enforcement.
“What we’re asking [rehab centers] to do is to follow the law and what we’re going to ask these state officials to do is to enforce the law,” La Monte said. “Then we’ll be a long way to controlling the proliferation of luxury rehab centers.”
La Monte, Mayor Joan House, City Manager Jim Thorsen and City Attorney Christi Hogin were scheduled to leave for Sacramento on Wednesday
afternoon, with a series of meetings scheduled Thursday at the State Capitol.