City extends contract for Sacramento lobbyist
At its meeting on Monday, the City Council approved a two year, $300,000 contract with its Sacramento lobbyist, California Strategies LLC.
The extension was supported by four of the five council members; Mayor Pro Tem Pamela Conley Ulich wanted the contract renegotiated for a lesser amount. Her reasoning was that the consultant, which has been working for the city since 2004, had already accomplished the Bluffs Park purchase and the Local Coastal Program amendment negotiation with the California Coastal Commission, so it had less on its plate and did not need as much money. Her colleagues disagreed.
“I think their scope of work is going to increase, and it’s really at a critical level,” said Councilmember Ken Kearsley, who pointed to additional issues such as raising funds for the Legacy Park project, preventing the influx of drug rehabilitation centers in the city and reducing the number of airplanes flying in Malibu’s air space during the summer. “It is probably the best money we can spend at this point. It’s nice knowing we have people up there in Sacramento who can open up doors and get us meetings.”
PCH closure blamed on wedding
Several residents were surprised late Saturday afternoon to find an eastbound lane of Pacific Coast Highway closed near Paradise Cove. This caused a significant and lengthy backup of traffic on the highway.
A Caltrans official said in an interview on Tuesday that a permit was granted to close 1,000 feet of the lane to accommodate guests being shuttled to a wedding elsewhere in the city. She said she did not know where the wedding took place. City officials at Monday’s City Council meeting said it was on Kanan Dume.
The Caltrans official said the lane closure actually reduced the impact of the shuttle bus on traffic because otherwise people might have run across the highway.
City Manager Jim Thorsen said at Monday’s council meeting that he was looking into the matter, and is hoping to limit the number of lane closures during the summer and in the few weeks following the season.
City officials also commented at the meeting on another issue that many residents have complained about, the fireworks show last month on a late Saturday night at a home on Carbon Beach. The State Fire Marshall’s Office issued that permit. City officials said the fireworks started later than they were supposed to, and Thorsen is looking into preventing the company that did that show from doing another one in Malibu.
Councilmember Andy Stern pleaded that people not use fireworks any time other than the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve because of the effect the noise has on people and their pets.
Conservancy parks plan set for Planning Commission review
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy’s plan to enhance its Malibu parkland with overnight camping facilities and other amenities will be presented to the Planning Commission on Oct. 9.
The proposal involves the enhancement of its parks at Ramirez, Escondido and Corral canyons. It also includes development at the city-owned Charmlee Wilderness Park, and the creation of a trail system that connects several national-, state- and Malibu-owned parks. The proposal comes in the form of a proposed amendment to the city’s Local Coastal Program. This means that following a Planning Commission recommendation, it will require approval by the City Council and the California Coastal Commission.
This is an updated version of a proposal from last year that would have skipped the entire city process and only require Coastal Commission review. The city filed a lawsuit over that proposal, with the SMMC threatening to sue the city in return. But prior to the parties going to court, staffs from both sides reached a resolution.
Portion of PCH to be closed
The California Department of Transportation is intermittently closing one lane of Pacific Coast Highway in each direction from McClure Tunnel to Topanga Canyon Road from 8 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. until Friday as part of a project to coordinate the highway’s traffic signals.
Dead bodies found off Malibu Canyon Road
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office is investigating whether two decomposing bodies found late Friday night off Malibu Canyon Road are a Simi Valley couple that has been missing since Aug. 1. An official said on Tuesday that the Coroner’s Office is waiting for the family of Robert and Barbara Callender to provide dental records, and he expected those records to arrive on Wednesday.
The bodies were found 600 feet down the canyon next to a Jeep owned by the couple.
Jr. Philharmonic holding auditions
Musicians ages 12 to 25 can audition for the Jr. Philharmonic, one of the oldest young people’s symphonies in the nation.
The orchestra performs on a professional level in venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Shrine Auditorium and Kodak Theatre. The orchestra was founded by Dr. Ernst Katz in 1937 and is now under the baton of longtime concertmaster, Gary S. Greene. Today the orchestra boasts a permanent roster of 115 young musicians from five Southern California counties.
Those playing violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, alto sax, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, tympani and percussion should call 323.272.3667 for a tryout. There is no charge. For more information, go to www.JrPhil.org.
-Jonathan Friedman