The council meets Monday after a one-month break to discuss employee and bridge construction contracts, and to consider expanding the CineMalibu program.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
Among the issues Malibu’s governing body will be addressing on Monday are steelhead trout restoration in Solstice Creek, a department head’s contract approval and the expansion of the CineMalibu outdoor movie program.
The City Council will also consider expanding CineMalibu, its film program at Bluffs Park begun in 2005. According to a city staff report, expanding the program from five films to 15 would cost more than $60,000. The current budget is $6,000. But according to the report, additional sponsorships would offset those costs, and an expanded program would present the opportunity for more city and nonprofit group fundraising.
Last year, there were five films screened by CineMalibu, with three co-sponsored by nonprofit organizations. An additional five films were shown at the park hosted specifically by nonprofit groups, with the city joining as a partner. The proposed expanded program calls for six events of the regular CineMalibu format, four community nonprofit events and five “teen movie nights.” There is a proposal for possibly an additional three “co-sponsored events,” which the staff report says could be film festivals.
The staff report also indicates that the location of the CineMalibu events could include more sites in addition to Bluffs Park, most likely Malibu High School, Malibu Pier and the local movie theater. The report suggests that educational opportunities can be increased at the events, as well as the opportunity for city fundraising. It also calls for a Fourth of July community event and the development of an “aggressive merchandise marketing plan” while seeking additional partnership of the CineMalibu name. There is also a suggestion to make CineMalibu a year-round program rather than just the summer.
Solstice bridge construction contract to be discussed
The council is expected to instruct the city manager to award a contract to the lowest bidder perceived most responsible for construction of a replacement bridge on Corral Canyon Road at Solstice Creek. The building of a new bridge is part of the multi-agency program to return steelhead trout to the creek. The existing bridge, which is a concrete box culvert, interferes with fish movement in the creek, according to a city staff report. The new bridge will not affect the fish, according to the city.
Most of the bridge reconstruction project will be paid for with a $637,000 grant the city received from the Department of Fish and Game in 2005. But the city will put up $383,000 for the reconstruction.
The National Park Service, which owns a large portion of Solstice Canyon, has been removing many alleged obstacles to fish movement for the past several years.
The council will also vote on a two-year, $137,000 contract with Environmental and Community Development Director Vic Peterson. He has been a city employee since 1994, but has never had an official employment agreement with the city. All city department heads are required to have a contract with the city, but that rule was not established until after Peterson already had the top spot of a department. Peterson was originally the director of the Building and Safety Department. He then took his current position when Building and Safety merged with Planning and Permit Services to form the new department.