There is a small, bitter group of people in Malibu who keep renaming themselves. I have seen them organized as the General Plan Task Force, the Local Coastal Plan Committee, the Committee to Re-Elect Carolyn Van Horn, even as the City Council itself. Lately they go by the name of the Malibu Township Council and I was truly shocked when they sued the city to prevent it from approving a local coastal plan for Malibu.
In the nine years that the Keller-Van Horn team was on the City Council, the City Council never managed to complete its obligation to prepare a local coastal plan. They wasted their time with petty infighting and their characteristic villianizing and blaming of others. And they have not changed a bit. Instead of participating in preparing a plan we can all live with, they attack Christi Hogin and they go to court to try and stop the City Council from finishing the plan.
At last night’s City Council meeting, the city approved a local coastal plan draft to send to the Coastal Commission. The councilmembers all agreed that the draft, while imperfect, would communicate to the Coastal Commission Malibu’s land use policies and how Malibu implements the state’s coastal policies. I applaud the City Council for doing (finally) what the Keller-Van Horn group never could. The majority of the citizens of Malibu want the Coastal Commission to listen to the city’s views and we are relieved that we finally have a City Council capable of getting its act together to make the City’s views known.
I served on the LCP Committee for four years and I have attended many City Council meetings. I am glad to see that the city is no longer run by anger and obstructionists. Most of the residents of Malibu are happy and hopeful. Keep up the good work City Council!
Kay Furgurson