The state wants Malibu and the Regional Water Board to try and reach a compromise over the ban.
By Jonathan Friedman / The Malibu Times
Many observers expect the Civic Center area septic ban to eventually head to the courtroom, but after Monday’s City Council meeting this cannot happen until March at the earliest. Without making comment, the council approved an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board that Malibu will not challenge the ban while Regional Water and city officials try to find a compromise. The agreement will expire in March.
The State Water board last month affirmed the decision by the Regional Water board to put an immediate halt to permitting of septic systems and phase out existing commercial systems by 2015 and residential systems by 2019. But the state board told Regional Water and city officials to continue discussions about a possible compromise that could satisfy both sides. State Water board Chair Charles R. Hoppin said he would check in with City Manager Jim Thorsen and Regional Water Executive Officer Sam Unger twice per month through December to see how talks are going.
City Attorney Christi Hogin presented the agreement to the council on Monday. She said March was a good time frame.
“We feel that will give both time and sufficient pressure for all the parties to move forward,” Hogin said. “If come March we want to reevaluate that, we’ll have that opportunity. But for now, I think everybody wants to sort of keep the ball rolling.”
Triathlon to stay at two days
Also at Monday’s meeting, the council voted 4-1 for city officials to approach Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Sheriff Lee Baca at an upcoming gathering of officials from various cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Department about the feasibility of placing a temporary Malibu/Lost Hills Substation at the old City Hall building in the Civic Center. Currently, a portion of the building is used as the temporary library. College, county and Santa Monica College officials are currently developing a plan for a college campus/permanent substation dual facility.
Thorsen cautioned that city officials would have at most three minutes to speak at the session. Council members still thought it was a good opportunity.
“What you’re doing is planting the seed so you can bring it up later, you stick the bug in his ear, so you make sure people are hearing this,” Mayor Pro Tem John Sibert said. “Then when you bring it up in some more detail, when you figure out what it is you’re going do, then it’s not totally new.”
Also at the meeting, the council said Malibu Nautica Triathlon officials could again host races on a Saturday and a Sunday next fall. This has been the format since 2008, but several residents this year complained of traffic delays on Pacific Coast Highway and other inconveniences, especially regarding accessing AYSO games.
Councilmember Laura Rosenthal said she believed the chaos was mostly due to bad signage and other communication failures. She said with better signage and a discussion with Sheriff’s officials on how to improve the situation, it could return to a mostly complaint-free event as it had been the previous years. She said the event was important because it supports the Children’s Lifesaving Foundation, a local nonprofit that offers programs to at-risk youth.
“I think it’s important that a longtime charity that is near and dear to many people’s hearts in Malibu is able to raise more money [with an additional day],” Rosenthal said. “I think that it’s something that Malibu is able to give to these people, to share our city.”
Event officials said they would publicize alternative routes to those going to AYSO games, which they said would solve most of the problems. Mayor Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner gave a warning that this year’s complaints cannot be repeated.
“What I’m trying to say politely to you is if the same thing goes on and it isn’t run as well as it was in the past years, it’s going to be more difficult for you here to present your case [for a two-day event].”
Lastly, the council formed an 11-member Arts Task Force, which will create a Strategic Arts Plan for the city along with help from a consultant. Among those selected for the task force are actor Daniel Stern, film and stage director Graeme Clifford and Planning Commissioner John Mazza.