City Wants ‘Greener’ Development

• Council Seeks Incentives for Sustainable Approach

BY BILL KOENEKER

Can the Malibu City Council encourage home builders to go “green” in designing and constructing new dwellings? That was one of the questions members explored at a special quarterly meeting last week.

The council had previously directed the staff to collect information about how other cities offer incentives for builders to use photo voltaic, or solar cell energy sources, or other related “green” building.

The idea would be to provide incentive-based programs such as moving to the head of the line or waivers of building permit fees related to the construction of PV panelings.

Municipal staffers, in a report, explained how other municipalities have approached the matter. Some cities offer an expedited review process typically requiring that the building meet certain thresholds of efficiency. Others direct cash payments for installation of PV paneling.

One city offers a complicated scheme in which a private company builds and maintains a PV system with no upfront costs to the city. Once online, the city pays the difference between the original energy costs and the new costs to the contractor.

Also discussed in the report is Senate Bill 1, the so-called implementing arm of the 2004 state “million solar roofs plan,” requiring developers, beginning January 1, 2011, to present to potential home buyers the option of installing a PV system in the residence and other incentives, including solar tax credits.

Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said such incentives should be employed immediately by the city to counter the perceived need for liquefied natural gas. “We need to devise some incentives,” she insisted.

Councilmember Sharon Barovksy asked if the city had any kind of program currently available and was told no.

Mayor Ken Kearsley suggested the city conduct a workshop involving contractors and architects and have them come back to the council with incentives—either financial or help in the permitting process.

Councilmember Andy Stern said he was not in favor of putting another item on the staff’s plate unless it took up very little time.

Councilmember Jeff Jennings said he was initially nervous about the direction the matter was headed, but now feels the “carrot approach” of incentives is OK. Jennings said he would not want to place all of the emphasis on PV technology since there is other technology on the horizon.

The council debated about if other items on their wish list could be bumped to move the green building incentive proposal further to the top of the list.

“It is way past due. Let us do it now. It should be a number one priority,” added Conley Ulich. “I agree with Pam. It should be number one,” said Barovsky. “I would like to see something that addresses all of the sustainable issues.”

Council members agreed by voice vote to move the incentive proposal up closer to the top of the list.

VIEW PRESERVATION ORDINANCE

The council offered little hope for advocates who are trying to expand the scope of the city’s view preservation ordinance. Currently, a pilot program for Malibu Country Estates was sent back to the drawing board by the planning commission.

Council members expressed no sentiment about expanding the measure from its pilot program status, nor offered any other recommendations about changing the status of the enforcement issue, which currently proposed offers little involvement of the city in the enforcement arena other than for mediation or arbitration.

The proposed law for MCE would make the ultimate enforcement of the issue up to civil litigation.

MUNICIPAL FINANCES

Council members were told the revenues for the past fiscal year 2005-2006 exceeded the projected revenues by 108 percent. General fund expenditures for the same fiscal year were 82 percent of the annual budgeted amount. The city ended the fiscal year with almost $12 million in the undesignated reserve.

Council members patted themselves on the back for the accomplishment given the big ticket purchases made during that fiscal year such as the acquisition of the Chili Cook-Off property and purchase of Bluffs Park.