Sometimes with the Internet and cable news, we forget how much unifies us. But there is one issue that everyone in Malibu can agree on. This is getting rid of the ugly, fire-causing utility poles in all of Malibu. All five members of the city council unanimously voted to put this on the agenda. At the council meeting on Monday, Nov. 13, they will discuss how to start the undergrounding process in our beautiful city.
If it was easy, this would have been done years ago, but it’s expensive and the cost is going to be borne by individual property owners. The only way forward is for each neighborhood to create a special utility district, working with Edison and the city. Then the cost is spread over 30 years on your tax bill. The city council can provide a revolving fund to kickstart this. I know the city staff in the public works department is very willing to help any neighborhood set up such a district.
The result will be to:Â
- Rid ourselves of 19th century technology and the blight on our city from the poles and wires.
- See the number of fires cut by roughly 50 percent.Â
- For an average cost of about $30,000 per pole or $1,000 per year, there will also be at least an equal rise in property values and, therefore, an increase in the amount of money the city is taking in.
Many of our citizens have been pleading for this for years. Now is the time to act, so please speak at the council meeting on Monday and/or contact your council members.
Scott Dittrich