Who pays for night lights in Malibu? It has been over one year since I first sent letters and e-mails to Councilperson Ulich about our ongoing concern of the difficulty of working with the SMMUSD and their misuse of Measure BB funds. At the recent City Council meeting regarding the lights issue, Ms. Ulich surprised me with her misguided legal ranting and lecture on the merits of lights for all the future sports activities at Malibu High School. The lights issues had already been resolved by the Zoraces lights meetings, but Ms. Ulich decided to add confusion to the discussion with what seemed to me as calculated misinformation. I was surprised by her lack of discussion or concern about the costs of returning to the Coastal Commission with another city lights proposal.
Over $80,000 has already been spent by Santa Monica/Malibu School Unified District board to go before the Coastal Commission, paid from our $270 million Measure BB school funds (an additional $250 per parcel tax payment).
The SMMUSD paid for a lobbyist and spent months preparing for the CC hearing. SMMUSD also plans to use Measure BB funds for the proposed illegal development of the expansive sports fields (without restrooms), artificial turf and a 250 space lighted parking lot at the high school. Yet, the City Council and Ms. Ulich lacked discussion or any concerns about the costs of returning to the Coastal Commission with the proposed LCP changes. Who will pay for all of this again? Does Ms. Ulich expect the SMMUSD to use more Measure BB funds on after-school sports programs and another hearing before the Coastal Commission?
Dawn Ericson