This story has been updated. Please see editor’s note below.
The Malibu Times sat down this week with council candidate Jennifer deNicola for the third of six interviews — one with each candidate leading up to the election.
What do you think is the theme of your candidacy?
I think the theme of my candidacy is about true leadership, integrity, holding those who govern us to high standards of integrity and responsible to answer to the residents.
You more than other candidates talk about the importance of working with other agencies outside of Malibu; could you expand on why you think it’s important Malibu work with other organizations?
Here’s a really good example. About a year — year-and-a-half ago — there was a death on PCH from a bicyclist that hit a hole in the asphalt and fell over and then was run over by a bus. It was a freak accident, but that asphalt — that crack in that asphalt is something we can fix. We had some incredible people in Malibu working to get that crack fixed. Weeks, and weeks, and weeks went by and we’re not talking about a big deal — it’s asphalt. Couldn’t get it done.
After someone complained to me about it numerous times, I finally said “Alright, let me try.” I called up to Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom’s office and said “Hey we got a really big problem, here’s what happened,” sent him the newspaper clipping, “This just needs to be fixed.” Lo and behold, within a matter of a day or so, Caltrans is out and doing it. This is just a small example. Malibu, we don’t live in a bubble.
We can’t keep and preserve this small quaint town by just staying within the borders of Malibu. We need to have a seat at the table. Even though we don’t legally own the road, we need to be working hand and hand with Caltrans, we need to be partners in this. It’s not their road, it’s our road. In order to do that we need to work with different levels of government because they’re the ones who control Caltrans. Many times they think they don’t answer to anyone, but they do. We need to make sure we have partnerships with those people so that they understand we’re serious.
Another issue you focus on on your website is making Malibu a green city. What do you think is one of the environmental problems that you’d tackle first?
I believe that we all think and say we’re environmentalists, but we need to be environmental leaders. Instead of looking at Marin County, which is where we looked at for a poison free solution, people should be looking to Malibu. Instead of for a dark skies ordinance we’re looking over at Aspen, Paris and New York City— if they can be dark sky compliant, Malibu surely can. Rather than looking to other cities, we need to be that leader. That’s where I think— the first thing I’d like to do is bring that leadership here.
We need to protect our environment. There’s a theory that we talk about with seventh generations. Every decision we make is with seven generations forward. That’s the mindset shift that needs to happen. Not just with the city council, because I think with a lot of the city council, we’re there. We need to make sure our staff does it too. We need to decide this as a city. Sign on to this charter and then start looking through the lens as an environmental champion so that Malibu can be that leader so that when someone is looking for an earth-friendly pesticide program, they go “let’s look at Malibu, let’s use Malibu as the example,” that’s what we can be and that’s where I’d like to bring Malibu.
Would you agree with the concept that you’re the most polarizing candidate of all the six so far? If you do agree, why do you think that is?
I haven’t heard that but you hear things that I don’t hear. I guess I’m fortunate to get the group of people that do like me. They’re very vocal about it. That’s pretty much what I see. Even the people— When I’m knocking on doors, I’m still knocking on doors with the boys’ sign up in front of it. Because they’re still my neighbors, they’re still my community members.
I can’t get 100 percent of people to like me. I can either stay on the sidelines and nobody know who I am and therefore I can live in a bubble of a world that thinks that the world likes me and I’m this good person that doesn’t really get anything accomplished or I can be on the frontlines — which is what I’ve chosen. With that I know comes some divisiveness, but all I can do is stand up every day, show my heart to the world, use my gifts, my intelligence, my honor, my integrity, my passion, my ability to bring people together, leaders together, experts together, scientists together and truly inspire people to want to join onto a cause to make the world a better place. That’s the choices I’ve made.
You say you’re a fighter a lot, but the other part of your campaign is wanting to work with other agencies. But the biggest thing about you that most people know is the PCB issue, which arguably could be viewed as working against another public entity. What’s your breaking point for diplomacy versus action?
There are definitely times that you need to push and there are times that you need that diplomacy and that’s a fine balance. That’s something you learn from experience, it’s something you learn from education, it’s something that’s within you. This is something that I’ve been good at my whole life. Here’s how I look at it — when you’re fighting — and I use the word fight because you have to be a fighter to get anything accomplished — you have to be willing to go that extra mile because life is not easy. The easy things we’re going to get done, anyone can get those things done. Those are not the things that protect our world in 10, 20 and 50 years down the road. The climate change entire movement? They fought for that. The poison free movement? They fought for that. To ban PCBs back in the 1970s? They fought for that. This is what we do. ISIS? We’re fighting to protect ourselves from ISIS. There are many times that diplomacy is no longer an option.
You need someone to lead that charge, who’s going to get everybody down that road. At that point you have to be willing, you have to be strong enough, you have to stand with your morals and integrity and you have to make that hard choice because that’s what leaders do.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect an accurate list of valid endorsements.
