Three Forums within the Next 10 Days Introduce Council Candidates to Voters

• Groups Focus on Concerns that Affect Them Directly

BY BILL KOENEKER

As is the tradition in Malibu City Council elections, the pace of the public candidate forums and panels picks up in the month of March.
The forums kick off this week with the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and the Malibu Association of Realtors, who are holding a joint effort at Hughes Research Labs Auditorium on Thursday, March 4, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
So far, eight of the 10 candidates in the race for two open seats have indicated that they are going to participate in the free public event.
The 10 candidates are Ed Gillespie, Harold Greene, Matthew Katz, Kofi, Lou La Monte, John Mazza, Laura Rosenthal, Steven Scheinkman, Michael Sidley and Jan Andrew Swift.
A panel composed of members of both organizations will ask questions that are viewed as “important to business and real estate interests.”
The chamber and the realty board have indicated that they are considering the endorsement of candidates based on the results of the forum.
The next forum will also be a Thursday night program. The Point Dume Community Association will host a public forum on March 11 from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. at the Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School located at 6955 Fernhill Drive.
The organizers’ press release indicates that all Malibu and Point Dume residents are invited to attend the event, which “is specifically tailored towards Point Dume and its over 2300 residents.”
As was the PDCA practice in the past, residents are asked to submit written questions in advance of the meeting for the candidates. “The purpose of the meeting is to have the candidates running for city council address the issues facing Point Dume and Malibu,” the press release goes on to state.
The Point Dume Community Association is a non-profit organization that addresses the interests of Point Dume residents. The March 11 meeting is also the annual meeting of the organization.
Next, the Malibu Township Council is holding its forum on Saturday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to noon. This year, the candidates forum is scheduled to be held at the Malibu Performing Arts Center, the home of the future city hall on Stuart Ranch Road.
A press release issued by the group says, “Traditionally, the event is taped and replayed on local TV during the last few weeks of the election.”
In addition, candidates who wish to do so, can set up booths outside the MTC forum room to distribute literature and meet with voters in one-on-one conversations.
Beginning March 15, registered voters in the City of Malibu may request absentee ballots. Many candidates are also providing the forms. March 29 is the last day to register to vote. The window for requesting absentee ballots closes on April 6.
The canvass of the April 13 election results and the formal council reorganization meeting takes place on April 26.