Plans for Farmers Market, Community Labor Exchange move forward during City Council meeting

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The Malibu City Council approved the Legacy Park Agreement Waiver for Temporary Malibu Farmers’ Market Use, the request from the Malibu Community Labor Exchange (MCLE) to waive the fees for the Conditional Use Permit application. The council also approved the letter for the Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the Malibu Lower-Cost Accommodations Public Works Plan proposed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. 

To start off the meeting on Monday, Nov. 28, several individuals were recognized and honored for their ongoing commitment to the community. Barbara Bruderlin and Chris Frost were commended for their years of dedication to the community. 

City Council awarded Richard Lawson and Judy Villablanca with the 2022 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award. Richard Lawson has been a teacher at Malibu High School since 1996 and continues to focus on positive outcomes of mental and physical health. Judy Villablanca served on the Malibu Parks and Recreation Commission for over five years. She was instrumental in developing several recreation programs and projects, including the temporary and permanent Skate Parks. 

Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Drew Smith and LA County Fire Department District 7 Community Service Liaison Megan Currier presented a Zonehaven Evacuation Zone Map Tool.

Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Lt. Dustin Carr provided an update on public safety and traffic enforcement. Carr said 134 vehicles and 34 oversized vehicles were cited for the month of November, including the holiday weekend. 

For council updates, Councilmember Karen Farrer acknowledged and thanked public safety personnel for staying alert during the holiday weekend. 

“I want to thank everyone who kept us safe and prepared, from the Fire Department to the Sheriff’s and those doing arson watch,” Farrer said. “We had no PSPS this year, and we had no people scrambling to figure out how to cook their Thanksgiving dinner like we did last year, so that was great.”

Farrer provided an update from The Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments (COG) Governing Board Meeting and said the proposal to have three interim shelter beds at a location in Santa Monica through the People Concern will now be funded through LA County Measure H, and the board approved that unanimously. 

Councilmember Steve Uhring encouraged the community to visit the Adamson House for the holiday fundraiser. 

“Please, if you’ve got a chance over the holiday weekend, over Christmas, go to Adamson House; please visit them, they could use your help, and it would give you a perspective of what’s going on in Malibu,” Uhring said. 

For more information on the Adamson House fundraiser, visit Malibu Life, page B1. 

City Manager Steve McClary said the discussion to return to in-person meetings will be addressed in the City Council meeting on Jan. 9. 

The council tabled the Comprehensive Development Services Review Consultant Agreement with Baker Tilly US, LLP until a date uncertain. 

The council approved the Professional Services Agreements for Contract Planning Services and appropriated $900,000 from the General Fund Undesignated Reserve.

The council approved the Legacy Park Agreement Waiver for Temporary Malibu Farmers’ Market Use. Planning Director Richard Mollica presented the recommended actions, which are to adopt the urgency ordinance and authorize the city manager to sign a waiver on behalf of the city as the owner. The waiver would allow the farmers market to operate on a portion of Legacy Park without counting as a commercial activity per the Legacy Park Agreement restrictions. 

The council approved the request from the Malibu Community Labor Exchange (MCLE) to waive the fees for the Conditional Use Permit application to operate a day labor program on the County property on Civic Center Way.

On Oct. 10, the City Council received an update on the MCLE Permanent Trailer project, including the challenges that have been identified and potential solutions. The MCLE has been working with the city to develop permanent and temporary solutions for its continued operations on the county property once the Santa Monica College Malibu Campus Project is complete. Funding for this permit was not included in the Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. Waiving the permit fees will result in a loss of revenue of $3,784 for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

The last item discussed was the report on the letter for the Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the Malibu Lower-Cost Accommodations Public Works Plan proposed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. 

Contract Planner Joyce Parker-Bozylinski presented the report. 

A dozen public speakers signed up to share their concerns about the proposal. 

Farrer motioned to approve to add minor changes to the letter, and Councilmember Mikke Pierson seconded the motion. 

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12.