Democrat Fran Pavley, and Republican Jayne Murphy Shapiro, both currently running for the State Assembly seat representing the 41st District, sound remarkably similar in their view about Malibu.
The 41st District is largely Democrat, and the current seatholder, Sheila Kuehl, is now running for the State Senate.
Shapiro, a moderate pro-choice Republican, barely mentions the word Republican in her campaign or in her literature.
Pavley is a life-long Southern Californian, and a teacher who served as Mayor of Agoura Hills and on its council for four terms.
Both candidates agree the city can and should solve its own problems.
“I don’t need to spend time learning the issues,” said Pavley, who believes she knows Malibu.
While discussing recent legislation that gave the California Coastal Commission power to write the Malibu Local Coastal Plan (LCP), Pavley indicated that she would have preferred a different approach.
However, little was happening and “the Coastal Commission was spending too much time on Malibu issues,” said Pavley, which seemed to her to be the driving force behind the legislation.
Though Malibu is not unique in not having a LCP, L.A. County doesn’t have one either.
“They and other cities do not have the same level of caseload. That’s the problem for Malibu,” said Pavley.
She concludes with hopes for local control in the near future. One of the big challenges for Malibu in getting an acceptable LCP, said Pavley, is to provide enough public access and visitors’ services. This is not easy in a city which lacks parking space, but she sees some hopeful signs. The work on the pier is one of them, she said.
“If problems occur, I would like to jump in since it’s a state project,” said Pavely.
In Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway is owned and managed by the state, but the traffic impacts are mostly local. To fix local traffic problems takes a broader approach rather than just trying to improve PCH, said Pavley.
“I think PCH’s solution is based on the ability of other regions to improve the traffic situation,” she explained.
“If the 101 freeway improves, traffic will be minimized,” she said, as she spoke about the cars that travel through Malibu to get to the west side of Los Angeles.
Malibu also faces dilemmas with its septic systems, and water quality issues are becoming a high priority for the city, she said.
“Supposedly, new septic technology is improving,” said Pavley, but “I’m somewhat concerned about the seawalls that need to be built to protect septics along the ocean.”
They are said to accelerate sand erosion along the shore, continued Pavley.
“If the state can play a positive role, I’ll be glad to do that, but it should remain a local issue.”
The Democratic candidate endorses Sharon Barovsky for the Malibu City Council.
In speaking about the 41st District in general, Pavley said, “The hard part of this district it that it’s geographically spread out.”
However, a lot of the areas in the district have similar issues, while environmental and traffic matters are prominent concerns for the residents.
Republican candidate Shapiro believes in the local government’s ability to make sound decisions as well. In regard to the LCP issue, Shapiro said: “I feel it is best to allow Malibu to have its own local control of its own coast and not have the Coastal Commission tell the Malibu coastline what to do.”
Shapiro does not endorse either City Council candidate because she said she does not know enough about them.
In regards to city public works matters, Shapiro’s view of the septic system versus citywide sewer systems is in line with that of property owners’ rights to decide for themselves, as long as they do not pollute.
Shapiro’s suggestions for traffic solutions also encompass the surrounding areas.
“PCH is unique to Malibu, like the 101 is unique to Valley,” she said. “I think that the PCH is the lifeline to Malibu and it should be maintained.
“We should have transportation dollars made available to maintain our PCH and our freeways, it’s really important.”
“We can eliminate a lot of traffic problems by expanding the 101 corridor and improving traffic on the 101 and 405,” said Shapiro.
“We have to use the surplus for transportation solutions,” she added. Shapiro is also in favor of public transportation saying, “Part of the solution includes an increase of the bus system to make buses more available for the masses that go to the beaches and to always maintain the canyon roads.
“It’s now at the point where it has to be done, it takes somebody who will work with both sides,” she said.