As a member of the Yes on M Committee, I would like to thank the City Council and many talented citizens of Malibu for negotiating a Development Agreement that solves so many of the problems the city has been wrestling with for over a decade. On November 4, the citizens of Malibu have the opportunity to decide on the direction of Malibu’s future. We have the right and the responsibility to make an informed decision. Here are some of the amenities we will enjoy when Measure M passes.
Measure M provides ball fields. Countless parents and community members have been frustrated trying to find land for our kids to play sports in central Malibu. Measure M offers $1.5 million dollars to build two soccer fields in a Central Park on the Chili Cook-off site.
Measure M reduces traffic. If you read the agreement, reducing traffic in Malibu is a great reason for supporting Measure M. Traffic will drop because four out of the seven parcels the Bay Company owns in the Civic Center will never be developed.
Measure M provides for an Urgent Care. Without a hospital in the near vicinity, our lives depend on creating a financially viable Urgent Care in the center of Malibu to continue to provide emergency health care for our children, parents, spouses and friends. The Development Agreement allocates money for a modern facility in our community.
Measure M helps our pollution problems. State agencies have known for a long time how to clean Surfrider Beach. The septic systems in the Civic Center does not work. Measure M forces commercial owners in the Civic Center to get rid of polluting septic systems and pay 100 percent of the costs of a clean wastewater facility.
Measure M provides a Community Center. A few years ago, many residents took advantage of the music, yoga, art and dances classes that were offered by the Community Center. Now, due to lack of space, the Community Center has been forced to close indefinitely. Measure M ensures that a 5,000 square foot Community Center will be built at no cost to the city and leased to us for one dollar per year.
You will be asked to vote on Measure M on November 4. I hope that every voter recognizes the importance of voting yes. If M wins, the citizens of Malibu will enjoy guaranteed open space, a long overdue environmental clean-up, medical care for our future and new recreational opportunities for our families.
Kathy Wisnicki