After Councilmember Tom Hasse’s motion to delay the open land bond measure until the April 2002 ballot failed on Monday night, the councilmember had a change of mind.
“I am changing my position from supporting that bond measure to being neutral,” said Hasse, in a telephone interview Tuesday morning.
“Certain members of the steering committee believe they alone know what is best for Malibu,” said Hasse, “but when I saw the level of opposition to the bond, I thought it would be best to delay it to answer concerns and to rewrite the bond’s language.”
But the bond’s steering committee is committed to staying on track for November.
“We’re on target with money raising, we’re on track and we want this to be focused as a bond measure, not political football,” said committee member Lloyd Ahern.
“What is this bond measure going to do?” asked Hasse. “The way it’s written right now, $2.25 million can be used for all improvement benefits. But a 15,000 square foot community center alone can cost up to $4.5 million, so everything the bond is promising to do, it cannot do.
“My question to the steering committee is what uses do you want that land to be put to?” continued Hasse. “They all come up with different answers: wetlands, play fields, parks. So the taxpayers are being asked to pony up $12.75 million. For what? A fight later on. The bottom line is, if 1,400 voters vote against this bond, it’s dead.”
Former Malibu mayor John Harlow concurred with Hasse.
“It was disturbing,” said Harlow about Monday night’s events. “The [bond steering] committee, during this presentation, subtly hinted that they campaigned for the council and if they [the council] didn’t support them they would not vote for them [at the next election in April].”
At Monday night’s council meeting Mayor Joan House said she would bring back a resolution where council will rank the projects. However, the opposition wants to see this information in the bond measure language itself because the councilmembers can change.
“Where the need is greatest is where resources will first go,” said Ahern. “Ball fields, a community center, open space, all of those things are viable options.” When council decides, “there should be immense citizen participation, which there will be.”