Quarterly meeting highlights

By The Malibu Times · Thu Feb 01 2001

While Malibu's revenues have not drastically increased or decreased for the first half of the fiscal year 2000-2001, the city's expenses may exceed expectations, according to a quarterly review report presented to council on Jan. 23.

Julia James, Administrative Services director, drafted preliminary projections indicating the city may spend approximately $200,000 more than it envisioned at the beginning of the year.

The city generated $12.5 million in general funds last year, but this income may be harder to maintain in coming years because the state has changed the format by which it calculates what to give to the city.

Motor vehicle registration license fees and state gas tax income will be cut in half.

Current reserves total $4 million and the city hopes to put $500,000 in at the end of the year.

Unplanned Expenditures

• Malibu is sued more often than other cities of comparable size and the city's expenses on legal counsel are projected to exceed budgeted expectations as a result.

"Malibu has above average amount of litigiousness and I wish this was not the case," said Mayor Tom Hasse, in a later interview.

There are 14 ongoing cases right now. To reduce costs from the city attorney's budget, James said some functions will be transferred to the city clerk.

• Aside from legal expenses, the city also underbudgeted expenses for the Film Permit Consultant. Kim Collin-Nielson's fees exceeded projections because of an increased workload.

• The city is currently paying two city manager salaries because it has arrangements with the former city manager, Marilyn Leuck, and current manager Christi Hogin at the same time.

Environmental Building and Safety Department

• Vic Peterson, head of the Building and Safety Department, reported that as of Dec. 31, 2000, there were 386 open code enforcement cases.

The vast majority, 181, exist because people built or modified structures without a permit. Forty one of the cases are inactive pending receipt of further complaints.

Seventy cases have been monitored for inspections and 38 are in the planning process, meaning that the property owner has submitted a planning application and is in the process for correction of the violation.

Ten cases are pending property owners' attention, and 12 are inactive pending resolution of task force issues.

• Requests to review and obtain planning records have increased in the last year and City Hall lacks space for people to do so, said Peterson.

• There are 38 new development projects in the city.

But this number does not represent the true scope of development that is going on and it does not give an idea of the city's actual growth, explained Peterson, because it does not include remodels and additions. These items increase the size of the community as well, said Peterson.

• There were 695 building permits issued in 1995 and this number has gone up to more than 1,000 last year.

• A Waste Water Management System plan will be delivered to the council in February.

Law enforcement

• Traffic collisions rose from 110 to 143, up by 30 percent, from last year.

• There was one traffic death in 2000. This number is already matched in 2001 since a person died on PCH in January, (The Topanga intersection is not counted because it is outside of city limits).

• Response time for emergencies was 6.6 minutes and 20.8 for routine.

• A DUI enforcement officer gave out 850 hazardous citations with 107 arrests in 2000.

• While Capt. John O'Brien said rumors about evicting the city operations from City Hall were unfounded when he spoke to the council recently, Lt. Thom Bradstock updated council about the sheriff's plans to move back to Malibu. The Sheriff's Department does have a long-term goal to move back into the facilities by the end of 2003.

The department plans to begin by moving into the county-operated Public Works' equipment facilities so they can have access to a fueling station.

Public Works Department

• The city spent $19,916,000 on natural disasters in the past 8 years; FEMA reimbursed $16,030,102 of that amount.

The remaining $4 million were not considered reimbusable because they included the reconstruction of the Las Flores Canyon Bridge after the 1993 fire, which was considered a betterment by FEMA, and landslide repairs that are not funded unless the landslide is first abated.

Also, there were two projects on Malibu Road and Malibu Canyon Road that were denied because the streets were eligible for Federal Highway Administration funds.

Another unreimbursed loss for the city included a waiver in permit fees for people who re-built their homes after the 1993 fire, costing $600,000 to the city.

• The new Traffic Information Emergency Radio System is almost complete.

• Rambla Pacifico homeowners are in the process of forming an association to privately finance and reconstruct Rambla Pacifico Road.

• A completed flood mitigation plan is expected to go before City Council in March.

• A prototype stormceptor system, which takes trash out and treats water before it enters the lagoon east of Malibu Colony and Malibu Road, has been running during storms.

Purizer, the company that installed the system free of charge, plans to start running it 24 hours a day.

• Flood drains in the Big Rock and Las Flores Canyon areas will be enlarged, but Public Works will wait before work begins. It needs to coordinate efforts with Caltrans, which is responsible for the drain pipes under PCH.

Recreation Department

• While Malibu High football fields are unavailable, the demand for ball fields creates a crunch in field space, reported Paul Adams, Parks and Recreation director.

• The skate park on Civic Center Way is nearing completion. The upgraded facility will have drinking fountains, a public phone, vending machines and newly surfaced ramps. Additonally, a local artist volunteered to paint artwork for the park.

• The department continues to have high staff turnover. Marilyn Stern, Recreation Supervisor, moved to San Diego, leaving the position vacant.

Planning Department

• Barry Hogan, planning director, said the department is working on streamlining the planning process, which has historically been lengthy and complicated for property owners.

• A Civic Center design draft guideline will be ready for City Council on Feb 26.

• The housing element, a statement of the city's current and future housing needs and expectations to meet all income levels in the area, will come before the council on Feb. 12 for final approval.

• Four Geographic Information Systems proposals are ready.

• A consultant was hired to work on the zoning ordinance.