In other matters, the city reports its financial state is in good condition.
By Olivia Damavandi / Assistant Editor
The newly organized Malibu City Council held its quarterly review meeting last week on Wednesday to discuss the city’s financial state and outline short- and long-term project goals for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. During the meeting, it was announced that Caltrans has agreed to send an official to Malibu’s monthly Public Safety Commission meetings.
The meeting, however, opened with public commentary regarding the California Coastal Commission’s recent decision to restrict the use of a 1.75-acre piece of land next to Bluffs Park donated by a developer.
The city wants to use the land as a ball field. However, the Coastal Commission says it would better serve the public as a passive recreation site.
Public speakers included former Malibu Mayors Jeff Jennings and Joan House, along with developer Norm Haney, who urged the city council to communicate with the Coastal Commission to show commissioners why ball fields are major assets to Malibu, and that they are used by residents and nonresidents alike.
“The [Coastal Commission] staff works very hard at proposing their vision of what they want and that is the only vision the Coastal Commission will hear unless someone shows them the other side of the issue,” Haney told the council.
Jennings and House said there is much confusion about the facts of the property. They referred to a recent article in The Malibu Times that quoted Fran Gibson of Coastwalk California, who praised the decision to make the donated land passive recreation, as saying it would “be a beautiful park above Surfrider Beach.”
The land, however, is located miles north of Surfrider Beach and offers no views of it.
The city council agreed that efforts must be made to communicate with the Coastal Commission on the matter. Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said the city had tried to set up appointments to discuss the matter with the commission, but was ignored.
“We want to meet with [Coastal Commissioner] Sara Wan at her home in Malibu and discuss these issues personally,” Conley Ulich said at the meeting. “That would be great.”
Councilmember John Sibert, however, said, “You have to meet with Coastal commissioners on their own turf. It’s hard to meet with them at meetings, before or after, because they have so many things going on.”
Caltrans to attend Public Safety meetings
In light of the multiple deaths that occurred the past two months on Pacific Coast Highway, Sibert announced that the city had recently reached an agreement in which a Caltrans official will attend monthly Malibu Public Safety Commission meetings.
The meetings discuss ways to improve the safety on Pacific Coast Highway.
“They [Caltrans] understand there’s a lot of pressure now,” Sibert said at the meeting. “It’s unfortunate it takes events like this to get them motivated but [Sen.] Fran Pavley called them. They have put together a number of possible short-term, mid-term and long-term improvements. Some are already in the works.”
The improvements include extending timing on signals from Topanga into Malibu, among others.
Conley Ulich, echoing a request from the family of 13-year-old Emily Rose Shane who was killed last month in a PCH collision, recommended the implementation of a physical barrier that would at minimum stretch along the highway from Heathercliff Road to Kanan Dume Road, an area known for having many pedestrians.
City’s financial state consistent with prior years
The city expects to begin its 2010-2011 fiscal year with a total fund reserve of $9 million.
“Revenue sources are where we expect and are consistent with prior years,” Assistant City Manager Reva Feldman said at the meeting. “Overall, we are well within our budget for the year.”
Ongoing goals and objectives include completing he pedestrian bridge and bathroom facility at Las Flores Creek Park; constructing the Paradise Cove stormwater treatment facility; constructing the stormwater and park phase of Legacy Park (expected to reach completion in September); implementing the city’s pavement management and tree maintenance programs; and improving storm water drainage at the intersection of Malibu Road and Webb Way.
Other ongoing objectives include operating, monitoring and maintaining the city’s newly constructed Civic Center storm water treatment facility; continuing the implementation of ordinances that ban the use of expanded polystyrene and the use of plastic bags within city limits; assisting residents with the development of special assessment districts for utility undergrounding; and preparing an Area Trails Map.