After receiving budget reports for the current and upcoming fiscal years, the Malibu City Council voted to make a view protection ordinance its top priority during its quarterly meeting at City Hall Wednesday of last week. Other priorities include drafting ordinances to limit motorcycle noise, banning smoking in public places, limiting the amount of retail stores within the city and encouraging art in new commercial developments.
Council members also voted unanimously to partner with the organizers of a proposed Malibu marathon slated for Nov. 15 that will benefit the Malibu High School Shark Fund and other non-profit causes.
During the budget report, the city discussed a projected budget deficit of $1.2 million at the end of the 2008-2009 fiscal year (which ends June 30) due to a 10 percent decrease in revenues, such as sales tax, caused by the country’s economic downturn.
To address the shortfall, the city has trimmed expenditures from the proposed 2009-2010 fiscal budget and increased certain fees. Three city positions (senior civil engineer, division manager and part-time public works office assistant) were terminated, and certain authorized city salaries were reduced by $15,000.
A public hearing to approve the proposed 2009-2010 fiscal budget is scheduled to take place May 26 at City Hall.
Although the budget has decreased by $1.2 million, administrative Services Director Reva Feldman said the city does not have a budget shortfall for this fiscal or next fiscal year and that city expenditures are being closely monitored.
“We have come in under budget for as many years as I can remember,” Feldman said. “We may not get as much money in as we’ve had in the past, but we are balanced.”
Council’s five priorities
After discussing the budget, the council members then agreed on a list of five priorities for which they aim to adopt ordinances in the near future.
The creation of a view protection ordinance is currently the council’s top priority. The city has directed the View Protection Taskforce to recommend whether to restrict tree heights on private properties that may impact the primary views of surrounding properties. The city also directed the taskforce to develop a way to determine and define what makes a primary view.
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said the ordinance will be voted on within the next couple of months, once the council receives feedback from the taskforce.
Second on city council’s list of priorities is the drafting of an ordinance that will lessen noise from motorcycles by restricting the use of custom mufflers, which create higher decibels of sound than legally allowed.
The city then decided in a 4-1 vote to make the banning of smoking in public places its third priority. The decision didn’t sit well with Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, who insisted that public health had precedence over motorcycle noise. The rest of the council agreed, but said that the motorcycle noise ordinance could be passed quicker.
The council in February directed staff to prepare a smoking ban ordinance similar to those of surrounding cities in order to reduce second hand smoke and the health risks associated with it. It will be voted on when it is returned to the council at an undetermined date.
The council’s fourth priority is to develop a formula retail ordinance that would promote local businesses by limiting the number of chain stores that can operate in the city.
Its fifth priority is drafting a “one percent for arts” ordinance, which would encourage the display of local artwork by requiring new commercial development or commercial remodeling to devote one percent of their cost to featuring art from local art programs.
The council then voted to partner with Forever Runners, a running team and club that has proposed an annual marathon in Malibu.
Council members agreed to the partnership based on the ideas that the marathon will promote Malibu businesses and fund local nonprofits.
“The marathon will hopefully help the city raise money without having to raise taxes, and it will promote the health and fitness of people in the community,” Conley Ulich said.
“This [marathon] is for local people by local people,” Blue Benadum, Malibu resident and president of Forever Runners, said Friday in a telephone interview. “The whole point of the event is to benefit the community. This type of event draws people to town, to stay at hotels and shop at stores. The economic impact is awesome.”
Funded by private donations and sponsors, Benadum said, the marathon will donate a portion of its proceeds to various nonprofits including the Malibu High School Shark Fund, MalibuGreenMachine and Christopher’s Haven, a nonprofit that houses children with cancer.
Benadum said a number of permits must still be obtained, including a special events permit from Caltrans, which he said could cost $15,000 and take up to three months to obtain.
The proposed Nov. 15 marathon would start at the Camarillo airport and end at Zuma Beach.