The City Council session on Monday evening opened in surreal fashion with Christi Hogin, the former city attorney and now six-month interim city manager, sitting in the city manager’s chair.
No one had the bad taste to mention recently departed City Manager Marilyn Leuck, and business went on as usual with the last eight weeks simply erased from the slate.
A surprisingly harmonious City Council quickly disposed of city business. It railed at Malibu’s mistreatment by staff at the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), struggled with trying to balance the economic necessity of allowing filming in an industry town, but yet keeping it under control, and listened somberly as the Fire Dept. explained this year could very well be a bad one.
Current wildfire danger
Acting Assistant Fire Chief Michael Dyer, stationed at the Carbon Mesa station, quickly dashed any hopes that the recent light rain and ground fog might have made Malibu potentially more fire safe. In fact, the light rain merely washed the soot off plants making them potentially more dangerous. In many areas, growth is heavy, the plants dry, and because of the past temperature and rain pattern, the risks are unusually high this year.
Light fuel, which is the brush-type plants that serve as the kindling, is dry, particularly on the Valley side where fires generally originate.
The Fire Dept. is into fire fighting mode, with accelerated training, and now has 23 remote automated monitoring stations reporting in at 4 p.m. daily with information. They have the potential for bringing in very quickly two large air-attack helicopters, plus two Canadian Super Scoopers on contract and four additional smaller helicopters.
In a chilling probability mapping, Dyer indicated that certain areas typically burn every 15 years or so. There are three major fire areas locally–Topanga burned in 1993, Malibu Canyon in 1996 and Kanan Dume in 1985. He emphasized brush clearance, not just your own, but also the overall neighborhood. Dyer also indicated if it wasn’t done immediately, the county was prepared to do it for you and the costs, which can be whopping, would simply go directly onto property tax bills.
Arson Watch is looking for Malibu volunteers. More information may be obtained by calling the Sheriff’s Dept. at 456.6652.
Film permitting
Following what appeared to be a horrendous neighborhood Music Television Video (MTV) filming experience in the Winding Way area, with amplified sound, bright lights and helicopter flights over the neighborhood and landings, the City Council moved to tighten rules. They directed staff to come back with new noise and light standards, and look into whether the city has the legal ability to curb or control helicopters, requiring both conspicuous posting of film permits on-site and also city film monitors on-site for certain types of shoots.
The Sheriff’s Dept. indicated they were on-site to enforce city permit regulations and that they work for the city, not film companies. This is how Sheriff’s deputies have been instructed, the department said.
RWQCB study
The City of Malibu and the RWQCB jointly conducted some pollution studies in and around the Cross Creek commercial center, the Malibu Creek, the Lagoon and the surf zone. Although they appear to agree on what they found, they don’t seem to agree on what the results mean–particularly what’s cause and what’s effect.
The science is very complex, however, getting into parts per million or even billion. They appear to believe that the septic systems work just as long as there is a few feet of separation between the bottom of the leach fields and the surface of the ground water. As long as that separation is maintained, the soil in between does its job and cleans out the pathogens (the bad stuff).
However, when the water level in the creek rises, either because the berm on the beach is closed, or if Tapia or some other source releases additional water, then the ground water level rises, occasionally to the point that septic systems may no longer work efficiently, or at all. In certain areas this could pose potential health problems.
The staff of the RWQCB gave what the city believes is an unnecessary “gloom and doom” report to the RWQCB board. The report cited things such as their belief that septic systems in the Malibu Colony are a cause of surf zone pollution, which the city feels was unjustified by the data collected. The city staff is attempting to change their mind.
Yes on ‘O’ Committee
A Political Action Committee (PAC), comprised of a few people frequently found on opposite sides of local issues, was recently formed to help push for approval of Proposition O on the November ballot. Prop. O is the advisory on the $15 million city bond issue. The Chairperson is Georgianna McBurney, Co-chair Mona Loo, Treasurer Ozzie Silna and Secretary Sarah Dixon. Additional information can be obtained by calling, Yes on ‘O’ at 457.1614.
In other action the council:
- Heard that Rambla Pacifico neighborhoods, which have been working on a cheaper private road solution to reopen access to the PCH, may be getting closer to an agreement themselves. The council decided to wait a few weeks before going forward with the larger and potentially more expensive public solution.
- Gave the go-ahead and monies for a Pt. Dume Neighborhood traffic study to develop a plan and return with it to the council in Jan. 2001.
- Balked at re-signing a contract with the California Wildlife Center, which takes injured mammals off Malibu beaches, until they can get a better handle on the ongoing political and legal battle in which two sides are battling for control of the center. The contesting principals, Aaron Frank and Rebecca Dymtrk, both spoke to the council, who voted 5-0 to wait, for now.
- Heard a Sheriff’s Dept. report by Sgt. Callie Barrier about the beach patrol. The patrol had a good year, in a summer without major mishaps, by using a combination of beach patrol, ATVs, helicopters, a sheriff’s horse posse and sheriff’s reserves.
There were few gang problems. Most enforcement related to drinking on the beach, some public nudity, traffic and parking citations, and towing for 373 hapless motorists. The Sheriff’s Dept. calculated the city’s share of both traffic fines and parking fees covers the roughly $250,000 cost of the beach team.
- Heard from Sgt. Kevin Mauch about some back-to-school traffic problems, particularly at Malibu High School, Webster Elementary and Our Lady of Malibu. Mauch described it as “too many cars and not enough real estate.” Many motorists still don’t realize that it’s illegal to pass a stopped school bus on either side of the road. The rule is if the bus stops, you stop, unless it’s a divided highway.
- Instructed staff to come back with a plan to monitor water dumping into Marie Canyon in the Pepperdine University area.