On Monday evening, the Malibu City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting and addressed several topics: the temporary day-use impound yard, Malibu Library Set Aside Funds, Super League Triathlon, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority proposal, and the discussion to return to in-person City Council meetings.
For the commissioner update, Councilmember Karen Farrer announced her final meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15, as president of The Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments (COG) Governing Board.
Farrer said item 7a involves the COG’s homeless grant funds from the county and recommended the city and residents to tune in. The item involves $86,400 in grant funds being allocated to The People Concern for three beds for Malibu’s homeless population. The item was approved. To see the meeting agenda visit, lvmcog.org. The virtual meetings are published on the LVMCOG YouTube channel.
Councilmember Steve Uhring said during the Administration and Finance Committee meeting on Nov. 8, they discussed using $950,000 from the General Fund Undesignated Reserve to fund additional contract planners to augment Planning Department staffing. Uhring said it will be brought to the City Council for approval.
“As I expressed in the A and F meeting, this $950,000 is not the silver bullet that’s going to fix this process, there are other things we’re going to have to address,” Uhring said. “I think if we’re going to get ourselves out of this hole, we’re going to have to do more than just pour money into it, we’re going to have to make some decisions to fix some of the things that are going on right now.”
The council also approved the discussion of holding City Council meetings in-person when the new councilmembers come in. Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Silverstein motioned to approve the item, and Councilmember Mikke Pierson seconded the motion. Motion passed.
The council received a report on the Use of the Temporary Day-Use Impound Yard and the Malibu Library Set Aside Funds for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. Council approved the library set aside funds.
Public Safety Director Susan Dueñas said she sent a proposal on the impound yard to the Malibu Middle/High School several weeks ago and now they are waiting for a response.
During the Public Safety Commission meeting on Nov. 2, Dueñas said they will most likely use the campus upper parking lot for the impound location.
The council moved on to item 6b, an agreement with Super League Triathlon. The recommended action is to consider authorizing the city manager to execute a five-year agreement with Super League Triathlon Inc. to host the Malibu Triathlon through September 2027; or appoint an ad-hoc committee consisting of no more than two council members and staff to review the city’s Road Race Policy and the proposed agreement and return to City Council with a recommendation.
Community Service Deputy Director Kristin Riesgo provided the report to the council.
Organizers and athletes spoke during public comment in support of the event.
Super League Triathlon Inc. co-founder Michael Dhulst spoke and said he hopes the council will let them continue hosting the marathon in Malibu.
“For us it’s a purpose-driven event — doing sports for good, supporting the great cause of CHLA (Children Hospital Los Angeles) raising the money for pediatric cancer research — but also it’s about the celebrity participation and we believe this is a very powerful tool to inspire and raise awareness for sports and promote an active lifestyle,” he said.
Dhulst said the triathlon began before the pandemic but was postponed during the pandemic.
Uhring was concerned about the contract and questioned the financial reports that were mentioned.
“I just think, as a city, if we’re going to be signing these kinds of contracts, we should be looking at the financials,” he said. “That’s part of the decision process to make a good decision.”
Farrer motioned to form an ad hoc committee and ask to gather financial reports from the organization. Silverstein seconded the motion. Motion passed.
City staff recommended council send a letter to the city’s current and incoming state representatives and the California Wildlife Conservation Board in support of the MRCA proposal acquiring properties currently available in three locations throughout Malibu and the adjacent Los Angeles County unincorporated area for the purpose of conservation.
Nearly 20 residents spoke against sending the letter to the MRCA.
Silverstein suggested having the Parks and Recreation Commission be responsible for creating an action plan and proposing it to the City Council.
“They should invite participation by members of the public who have the largest interest in helping this be accomplished,” Silverstein said.
As for a deadline, Deputy City Manager Elizabeth Shavelson said the MRCA is putting together a packet to request funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board by spring. Shavelson said they meet quarterly with the Santa Monica Conservancy to distribute their grant funds.
Uhring said he doesn’t mind passing this item to the Parks and Rec Commission but said they do need to revisit the item when they have a new council in place.
Silverstein withdrew his motion and said they should revisit the item when the new council is in place in January.
The last item on the agenda was the community Christmas Tree Lot Fee Waiver of $16,000. The recommended action is to consider whether to approve the request from the Malibu High School Athletic Booster Club to waive the facility use and staffing fees for the Ioki Property for the Annual Community Christmas Tree Lot. Council motioned to approve the fee waiver. Motion passed.
The City Council meeting was adjourned in memory of Eileen Ryan, Bret Barish, and Andrea and Marco Bullo.
The article was updated to correct the spelling for Bret Barish longtime Malibu local.