Hundreds of people showed up Tuesday night to celebrate City Council candidates John Sibert and Joan House at Taverna Tony and Skylar Peak and other council candidates at Malibu Inn. Peak, Sibert and House finished first, second and third, respectively, to win seats on the five-person council.
The partying started early Tuesday night at Taverna Tony and Malibu Inn where supporters of the winning candidates gathered to celebrate. By 8:19 p.m. when the counting of Vote By Mail ballots finished, the trio held a commanding lead over fourth-place finisher Hans Laetz. The early lead meant each could relax and enjoy the night.
“It’s your community,” Peak responded when asked what he would say to the people of Malibu. “Take care of it and take control of it.”
Peak becomes the youngest person to ever win a seat on the Malibu City Council at age 27. He said his goals on the City Council would be to “emphasize community involvement in the decisions that affect our future,” including a skate park at Bluffs Park, public safety, wastewater solutions and “managed slow growth.”
Sibert said he looked forward to serving a second four-year term on the City Council.
“I’m really happy. There’s a lot of things I’d still like to get done in this city,” Sibert said. “We have a huge agenda coming up with the city. We have a lot of stuff to deal with. I’m looking forward to a new City Council to work with.”
Sibert said his biggest priorities would be settling the city’s lawsuit with the National Resources Defense Council and Santa Monica Baykeeper, keeping a balanced bunched and public safety on Pacific Coast Highway.
House, who previously served on the City Council from 1992 to 2004, pledged to limit the “buildout” in the Civic Center and Trancas shopping center areas, expand recreational facilities, create a citywide shuttle service and implement a fire-safety program.
“I’m very pleased, very happy,” House said. “I look forward to serving the people of Malibu in the manner I’ve always done.”
When asked what she had to say to Malibu residents, House said, “Give me a call when you have a problem.”
Also at the Malibu Inn with Peak were several of the candidates who came up short in the 2012 race.
Hamish Patterson, who finished fifth, commended Peak and said he appreciated the chance to make his voice heard during the election.
“For 30 signatures and zero dollars I got to have a voice that counted,” Patterson said. “I learned that we as a community are more of a community than we really think, and [I encourage] everyone to get involved with city government.”
Andy Lyon, who came in fifth, said his main goal in running was to shine a spotlight opposing the California State Parks plan to reshape the Malibu Lagoon.
I’m happy with the results. It was mostly about getting the lagoon out there. Last night was the victory,” Lyon said, referring to the City Council’s decision Monday night to formally oppose the project.