Coastal activist Sara Wan to receive prestigious 2023 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award for Environmental Advocacy

Parks and Recreation Commission reviews the Community Services Department monthly report

By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times

To start o the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on ursday, Feb. 23, commissioners reviewed the Community Services Department monthly report, received an update on the earth-friendly management policy, and voted to honor the late coastal activist Sara Wan with the 2023 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award.

e Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award is presented annually to recognize those outstanding individuals or groups who give their time and resources to enhance the quality of recreation programs within the Malibu community. Past recipients of this award have demonstrated a commitment and involvement in addressing some aspect of recreation in Malibu, and in doing so demonstrated the highest level of citizenship, making a lasting contribution to the community. Wan served on the board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) from 1996 to 2011 and acted as the chair of the commission twice. She was a member of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and co-founded the Western Alliance for Nature, a land conservancy. e Sara Wan trailhead at Corral Canyon (next to Malibu Seafood) was also dedicated to Wan by the SMMC in 2009.

She combatted large developmental projects on the beaches of Malibu as well as fought for the rights to keep public access to beaches. She was an expert in habitat and wetland issues, marine mammal issues, water quality and coastal land use and planning.

Wan was a Malibu resident since 1986 and was a proponent for the incorporation of Malibu as a city.

Wan passed away last year on Sept. 3, at the age of 83.

“Sara was a really remarkable person, she left this place better than it was when she arrived and she fought tirelessly till her ties on private property in the unincorporated areas of the county and associated provisions to provide a land use review and permit approval process that meets the requirements imposed by the FCC and other applicable law. It will establish standards to regulate the placement, design, and aesthetics of wireless facilities to minimize visual and physical impacts to surrounding properties; create streamlined permitting procedures for the installation, operation, and modi cation of wireless facilities while protecting the public health, safety, and welfare of county residents; require conditional use permits for macro-wireless facilities that do not meet development standards or require a waiver for special circumstances; and help facilitate the provision of equitable, high-quality wireless communications service infrastructure to serve the current and future needs of the county’s residents, visitors, businesses, and local governments.

Martinez said citizens have the right to voice their concerns about their health, safety, and their future.

“ eir future is fundamental to American democracy,” Martinez said. “ e LA Board of Supervisors has clearly put the interests of giant telecoms ahead of the interests of the people they’re supposed to represent. ere’s no other reason to take away the right of people in our community to be heard.”

“People will be exposed to cumulative radiation; instead of just being close to one of them, you’re going to be close to three, four, ve of them or even a hundred,” Martinez said.

During the LA County Board and Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 10, members of the public argued that the amendments will increase health, safety, and re risk.

Martinez attended that in-person meeting and said the cellphone service provider Verizon did not inform the community about the cellphone installation in her community in East LA.

“We believe many of those signatures are questionable, since many of those comments were petitioners and they submitted public comments that they did not sign that petition,” Martinez said. “Also Verizon is not community-oriented, they removed our group of children, parents, and grandparents from our community garden to place a cellphone tower and they did not have a CPU and brought last day on earth,” Commissioner Suzanne Guldimann said. “She’s just a really an exceptional human being and we were really luck to have had her in this community.” e commission voted to honor Wan with the 2023 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award.

Guldimann said her husband Larry would be very much touched to have her honored and commemorated this way.

For public comment, Malibu resident and retired professional soccer player Rodney Wallace is involved with the AYSO team in Malibu and asked the commission how they can open a sports facility in Malibu.

“I won [an] MLS [championship in] Portland and went to the World Cup in Costa Rica, so I know what community means and I know what it means to win as a group, and I think that we have a special chance here to also win within sports, within the community and recreation and I think the kids need a place to get together, nd structure and play,” Wallace said. “I’m just really grateful to be a part of this, but if we we’re able to armed guards and police o cers to remove our community from our community garden.”

Susan Foster, co-founder of the California Fires and Fire ghters and member of Fiber First LA, said the sta ’s recent changes to Titles 16 and 22 do not address the concerns raised by the board or the residents.

“You will have another telecom initiation Malibu Canyon re on your hands or another re from SCE’s own telecoms facilities, as well as the Woolsey Fire in 2018,” Foster said. “ ey should be built right in the rst place.”

Foster said the proposed changes look inviting but are deceptive.

“California has not yet adopted [these] federal standards,” Foster said. “Fiber First LA stands ready to assist the county with the re safety protocol we designed speci cally for Malibu, which is contained within our red lines to Title 16 and 22, I implore you to vote no until these ordinances are worthy.” e widespread use of cellphones in recent decades has led to a large increase in the number of cellphone towers, also known as base stations, being placed in communities. ese towers have electronic equipment and antennas that receive and transmit cellphone signals using radiofrequency (RF) waves.

Speakers have also expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cellphone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems.

According to the American Cancer Society, there’s no evidence that exposure to RF waves from cellphone towers causes any noticeable health e ects. However, ACS states it does not mean that the RF waves from cellphone towers have been proven to be absolutely safe. Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term e ects.

Executive Director for Malibu For Safe Tech and Executive Board Member for Fiber First LA Lonnie Gordon said W. Scott McCollough has worked with the planning department and City Council, and has been working with Fiber First LA, as one of the attorneys for the plainti s, to draft a similarly strict ordinance for LA County.

“ e (LA Co) ordinance is purposefully designed to create a back-room, tower permit rubber-stamp process that excludes the public and even nearby residents that will be directly a ected and aggrieved,” McCollough said. “ e ordinance does nd space for our kids and get others to be able to participate in physical activity, it would de nitely bring more people out and together.”

Commissioner Alicia Peak asked what they can do to nd a location to create a facility.

“What is it that we have available and is there possible places where we can get more,” Peak said.

Acting Community Service Director Kristen Riesgo told their commissioners to reach out to their council members.

“Let them know this is important to you, we ultimately need council’s direction to move forward on any new facilities,”

Riesgo said, “It’s kind of in council’s hand to tell us how to move forward, if they want to move forward, and that’s how we’ll get these items moving.”

Recreation Supervisor Chris Orosz presented the earth-friendly management policy, the department’s accomplishments and quarterly report.

For accomplishments, the department was able to install two new owl boxes at Charmlee Wilderness Park and reviewed and individual permit decisions will entirely ignore the environmental and other e ects on people. It will exacerbate, not solve, the digital divide.”

“Malibu currently has the safest re and electrical standards in the country built into the telecom application process for new installations, unfortunately the Board of Supervisors did not take our advice and voted in a terrible ordinance,” Gordon said.

“We want the people of Los Angeles County, the state, and the nation to have safe protocol for telecom installations. Telecom companies only care about pro ts, not people or the environment,” Gordon said. “Wireless installations are not safe or reliable and are aesthetically ugly, and they will not solve the so-called, ‘digital divide.’”

First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis addressed the public’s concerns before voting on the item.

“We have also built into the process requiring that applicants notify residents within 500 feet of any proposed small cell facility, that wasn’t done before,” Solis said. “People have that information ahead e next Parks and Rec meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21. of time. It may not be everything the advocates wanted, but I think it’s a step in the right direction and like anything, we also evolve.” ird District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath also responded to the public speakers regarding re safety concerns in Malibu.

2023 goals. e department also installed 138 native plants at Legacy Park in February.

Recreation Manager Kate Gallo presented the department’s updates and said the Spring Recreation Guide has been distributed to Malibu residents as well as the city newsletter.

Gallo said this is the second guide to feature photos from Malibu High School students.

For in-progress, ongoing and future agenda items, Riesgo provided an update on the permanent skatepark and said they hope to bring the plans to the planning commission by the summer.

“We’re working the best we can with what we have and working with our consultant who’s been open to helping us in any way possible to expedite it,” Riesgo said.

Riesgo said they hope to get the emergency call boxes within the coming weeks as well as turf improvements at Malibu Blu s Park.

“ ere were comments regarding re safety measures that take place in Malibu and those directives are going to be a part of the checklist process as well,” Horvath said. “So while some of the language that we heard today will not be written in the ordinance part of this directive, it will be included in the checklist along with a letter that will be issued as part of the noticing.” e motion passed 5-0 on Jan. 10. e coalition Fiber First LA includes Mothers of East LA, the Boyle Heights Community Partners, Children’s Health Defense (CHD), the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and other groups. More information visit, www.FiberFirstLA.org.

College satellite campus construction, the market has moved to Legacy Park, and vendors and visitors have enjoyed the new location since then.

Vendors and visitors shared their concerns hearing that the location is only temporary.

“We were thrilled to see the market move to Legacy Park, but we were disappointed to learn that it was only a temporary arrangement,” Wailani O’Herlihy wrote. “I believe that making Legacy Park the permanent home of the market would be a win-win for residents, visitors, and the City of Malibu as a whole.”

Visitors expressed similar interests, saying the new location allows future generations to enjoy its unique and positive experience, fostering a sense of community and connection among residents.

Malibu City Information O cer Matt Myerhoff said the current Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for Farmers Market at Legacy Park will expire on July 8, or when the Santa Monica College campus obtains a Certi cate of Occupancy (COO), whichever comes rst.

“Although the City of Malibu is not part of any agreements or leases between the Malibu Farmers Market, LA County or Santa Monica College, the city recognizes the value of the Farmers Market to the community,” Myerhoff said. “The city supports the Farmers Market as a longstanding, important community gathering place and opportunity for residents, businesses, employees, students and visitors to get high-quality farm-fresh produce and natural products.”

In November 2022, the city passed an emergency ordinance to enable the Farmers Market to continue to operate during the SMC campus construction by allowing it to locate temporarily in Legacy Park.

“When the city purchased the land for Legacy Park, it came with restrictions on the uses of the park,” Myerho continued. “All of the parties in the original agreement have to agree to proposed changes in the uses for the park. e city is currently working on obtaining that. Currently, the city’s TUP code allows six commercial events per year on that property, and each Sunday Farmers Market counts as an event.”

During the Malibu City Council meeting on Feb. 27, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Uhring said he has read the Letters to the Editor printed in e Malibu Times recently and asked the council how they can support the farmers market.

“I’d like to see if there’s some way we can keep the farmers market where it is at Legacy Park,” Uhring said. “I think the residents like it and I think it’s a good thing for the city.”

During the Malibu City Council meeting on Jan. 23, the council voted to waive the permit fees, but requested a nancial report if they hope to request another fee waiver.

“ e money is not going to make or break the City of Malibu, but it may make or break the farmers market,” Uhring said during the meeting. “I believe they deserve a purpose for this city and they provide a signi cant bene t and I don’t want to see that get screwed up.” e council stated that if the Cornucopia Foundation requested further fee waivers, a nancial report was required, but to date, nothing has been submitted.

“If we want to do that, let’s do that next year,” Uhring said.

Debra Bianco, the president and cofounder of the market, said the vendors and visitors have asked her what they can do to make the location permanent.

“I don’t know what the county, the college, or even the city has in store for us, but right now, the residents are asking the city, ‘can we stay,’” Bianco said. “So many residents want it here, when it’s summer and it gets really hot, you’re not on asphalt, we just love it here.”

In terms of growth, Bianco said the pandemic and the new college made it di cult for them [the market] to grow what they used to have.

“We’ve gone through so much damage from the loss of property that we’re not even back to half of what we were before the college took over,” Bianco said. “ e pandemic came and within months, the college little at a time, started taking more and more [property] away.”

In terms of providing a nancial report, Bianco said, “when we’re ready, we’ll give it to the City Council.”

Bianco said the additional parking on the Chili Cooko lot near Stuart Ranch Road is essential for the farmers market.

“We’re not allowed to charge for parking, so why do we have to pay,” Bianco said. “It’s for the residents.”

The market continues to expand its vendors with more fresh produce, diverse foods, accessories, local art, and vintage clothing.

Aimee Rivka, jewelry vendor, started her business in Malibu when she was 17 and said the vendors and locals gave her the tools, inspiration, and motivation to start her jewelry business.

“I started my business in 2010, and now I do ne art festivals, but I got my start here at the Malibu Farmers Market,” Rivka said. “It’s a good place for people to pick up stores to sell in, but also give us the motivation to further our craft and business.”

“It’s very nice because Malibu people really like art and they have very good taste, but also they have the means to support artist,” Rivka said. “And now with all the big box stores moving in, I think it’s very important to instill art and craft to the city of Malibu, because I think it really needs it.”

Rivka said she loves the new location near Legacy Park, and hopes it becomes a permanent location.

“I love being next to the park because it gives you a sense of nature, but also on the parking lot it gets hot, but I think being next to Legacy Park really highlights that outdoor experience to where you’re coming to a farmers market where food is grown in the ground and in nature, art and crystals, it’s all inspired by nature so I think being on the nature side is really important,” Rivka said. Ethan Pettengill, the farmers market assistant, said there has been an increase in vendors since the market has been at its new location. but did say, “On our overall work force, it seems like we’re seeing more frequent turnover.” Job vacancies are spread across all departments at City Hall currently.

“I think that Legacy Park really opens up the farmers market side of what we’re bringing, and I think it allows vendors the opportunity to be more in touch with their cusomters and in nature than in a parking lot,” Pettengill said. “It’s a super-unique location and it’s perfect for Malibu.” e weekly Malibu Farmers Market is on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Legacy Park. Parking is available along Civic Center Way and at the Chili Cooko lot near Stuart Ranch Road.

“Hardest hit right now are our planning, administration, and nance departments,” McClary said. “We’re trying to get all the positions lled as fast as we can, however we obviously made a priority to bring in additional contract planners because we felt that was an urgent need.” e Planning Department is still short as contract consultants are lling in for permanent positions.

McClary receives feedback from Malibu

Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

“I will say there has been progressing since November; it’s not progress happening as fast we like, but it’s progress nonetheless,” Wood said. “We all look forward to an upcoming mediation on March 21. Our ad hoc committee will meet their school separation school committee and complete the negation hopefully for the revenue sharing agreement.” e Los Angeles County Fire Department provided a presentation on the New Zone Zero Defensible Space Requirement.

“What we’re trying to do now is give everyone a heads up that there is a new law that’s coming; it’s extremely restrictive and once we know the requirements we’re going to share them with everyone,” LA County Fire Department Forester Provision Chief Ron Durbin said.

During public comment, Mountain Recreation Conservation Authority clarify his position that the revenue sharing formula as described in the Term Sheet represents a “victory” for Malibu, as the proposed formula appears to guarantee Santa Monica a 4 percent per capita student funding increase compounded annually for the next several decades, with any funding de cits to be covered by transfers of Malibu property taxes to the Santa Monica School District. By contrast, the proposed revenue sharing agreement as outlined in the Term Sheet does not provide any target growth for Malibu student funding or even an expectation that Malibu funding will remain at current levels.

Kean also asserted in his election-eve letter to the editor that this is “an equitable nancial model for both sides.” As Santa Monica High School is consistently rated higher than Malibu High School (# 108 vs #174 in California, see usnews.com/education/best-highschools/california), e Malibu Times asked Kean if he could residents who are concerned their emails and phone calls are not returned fast enough. Even City Councilmember Steve Uhring has expressed frustration in not receiving reply emails from city sta .

“ ese are legitimate concerns that we’re working to correct,” McClary stated. “Most of the complaints we get are related to projects in the planning department, and building and safety, related to development concerns.”

In November, the City Council approved an $81,000 study with a consulting rm to address employee retention. at study should be complete in roughly six months.

“From my understanding it’s been over 20 years since that’s been done,” McClary said. “When we get that back it’s going to

Coastal Division Supervisor Ranger Timothy Pera provided an update on the additional parks sta , patrolling, and homeless encampment clearance around canyons and parks in Malibu.

Pera said they have also added public o cers for more enforcement along parks and beaches. No service calls, or any incidents were reported.

City Manager Steve McClary provided an update on the contract sheri ’s bureau meeting and said they have additional o cers underway.

“Right now they’re down 1,100 o cers, and they have about 8,400 sworn o cers, so there’s help coming,” McClary said. “But it’s going to take some time, but overall a very positive response from Sheri Luna.”

McClary said they have met with e Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbor Department and have received updates on the landslides, ooding and Dume restoration at Westward Beach.

On March 3, Beaches and Harbors closed the Point Dume access road at the end of Westward Beach Road due to a debris ow onto the road from a property on Birdview Avenue explain to Malibu residents why, in his view, this transfer of school funding from Malibu to Santa Monica, without regard to school rankings, standardized test scores, or other measures of academic parity is equitable.

Kean has declined to comment.

After repeated requests for a statement from the SMMUSD for an update after the Jan. 15 deadline for completion of initial drafts of the agreements passed without word, the district issued a statement March 9. It reads as follows:

JOINT STATEMENT FROM CITY OF MALIBU AND SMMUSD e Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and City of Malibu have continued to work together to complete the deliverables outlined in the Term Sheet executed last fall. Speci cally, the parties are drafting two signi cant and complicated agreements: a Tax Revenue Sharing Agreement and an Operational Agreement. e parties and their jointly-appointed mediator are scheduled to meet together in person tell us exactly how we are positioned in terms of our compensation and bene ts compared to who we’re competing with in the labor market.”

“We’ve got a compensation study going on but that won’t be done for 38 weeks,” Uhring said, expressing disappointment that the subcommittee he was on to contribute to the employment study was disbanded.

Along with the study, the city is also drafting a pilot program for a teleworking policy.

“We know from the industry that employers who include a remote work option are currently attracting seven times more job applicants,” McClary said. “We’re hoping that by implementing a and potential land shift and blu failure. ere is no current estimate for reopening.

“ ey do have plans to do a full restoration once we’re able to get through this emergency period,” McClary said.

McClary said they are preparing for the storm and are predicting 2 to 3 inches of rain, and that they’ll be closing watching the canyons and city streets and issuing any appropriate alerts.

“If folks can stay o the road if possible, it would be very much advised,” McClary said.

McClary provided an update on the illegal parking on Point Dume Headlands near Cliffside Drive and said Public Works would be installing 18-inch high delineators near the curb.

“ ese delineators will assist in preventing vehicles from illegally parking on top of the walkway,” McClary said.

Malibu/Lost Hills Sheri ’s Lt. Dustin Carr provided a brief update on crime, tra c, and safety and said tra c and crime has been down. In at the district o ce on March 21, 2023 to work jointly on a few of the agreements’ remaining issues.

While the District remains rmly committed to uni cation, there have been several challenges and issues external to uni cation that have placed signi cant demands on the District’s remote work policy, that will take some of the strain o the employees and make it a more attractive place to be.”

McClary also said the city is taking steps to modernize its software and IT systems that will make work more e cient at City Hall.

“Nothing can be done without sta ,” he said. “We need the people to get the work done. It’s absolutely essential to any mission or project we’re trying to accomplish for the community of Malibu. So, it’s really important to get out in front of this problem. We really need to nd a way to attract good people and when we get good people we want to be able to keep those people because we lose their experience when they walk out the door. It takes a the latest RV count, the station has been able to maintain a number of seven RVs.

Carr said the department has assigned a full-time sergeant to Malibu, and said he would be introducing him in the next inperson city council meeting. Carr also warned the community of rockslides.

“Please be careful where you drive,” he said. “I don’t want to see anyone get stuck in one of those situations there.”

City Council moved on to item 4A, appeal No. 21-019 - Appeal of Planning Commission Resolution No. 21-68 (6968 Dume Drive; Owner, Highlands Investment Group LLC; Neighbor/Appellant, John Roesler).

The recommended action was to adopt Resolution No. 23-11, determining that the California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the project; upholding Appeal No. 21-019, and denying Coastal Development Permit (CDP) No. 17-088 for the construction of a new 7,472-square-foot, two- time and nite resources. Nevertheless, the parties remain committed to completing the remaining tasks identi ed on the Term Sheet and to the projected end date, which remains achievable at this time.

One of the challenges referred couple of years to get new employees up to the speed of where the last employee was.

“It’s a very complex work environment in Malibu. We ask for everyone’s patience as we work through this.”

Acknowledging employee retention has been an issue in Malibu for a long time. Uhring suggested somethings he thinks might be an enticement to some workers, including offering higher education opportunities, discounts at local restaurants, and even car washes.

“I’m trying to make employees feel good,” he said. “Make Malibu an attractive place for them to work. What do we have here in Malibu that is unique enough that we can use to make employees want to come here? We’re going to have to get creative.” story single-family residence with a 999-square-foot basement, swimming pool, onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS), associated development, and afterthe-fact retaining walls, grading, and front yard gates, including Site Plan Review (SPR) No. 19-030 for construction in excess of 18 feet in height, up to 28 feet for a pitched roof, and Demolition Permit (DP) No. 19-023 for the demolition of the existing 2,257 square foot, singlestory single-family residence and onsite development located in the Rural Residential, One-Acre (RR1) zoning district at 6968 Dume Drive (Highlands Investment Group LLC). e council received a presentation on the status of outdoor dining and the current application process and consideration for approval of permanent outdoor dining and guide sta on whether to process amendments to the city’s ordinances in regards to the operation of restaurants.

Motion carried with a 3-2 vote.

Councilmember Paul Grisanti to in the statement appears to be the unexpected resignation and departure of Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati, who took a position with the Bell ower Uni ed School District.

When pressed for more details on missed deadlines, e Malibu Times, in a spirit of transparency, said besides Whole Foods, Ralphs, and the new facility on Civic Center Way, most of the parking centers in Malibu are under-parked. has made several requests of the district for comment. A spokesperson would say only that both sides are working earnestly, that the joint statement “speaks for itself,” and that the district will reach out to stakeholders “when there is something to report.”

“All the older centers we have in Malibu are severely under-parked because the requirements were totally di erent,” Grisanti said.

Planning Director Richard Mollica said they would work with ZORACES for outdoor dining and parking.

For the last item on the agenda, Grisanti appointed himself as the COG’s alternate to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission Governing Board. Grisanti is on the Las VirgenesMalibu Council of Governments (COG) board and is the president of Smart Coast California.

“I’m pretty up to date to everything that’s happening on coast,” Grisanti said.

Councilmember Doug Stewart seconded his nomination, motion carried. e next Malibu City Council meeting is scheduled to be in-person on March 27 at Malibu City Hall.