More City Council Hopefuls Pull Nominating Papers

• Some Prospective Candidates Begin Campaigning at First Council Meeting of the New Year

BY BILL KOENEKER

The upcoming Malibu City Council election set for April 10 got off to an official start three weeks ago and has picked up speed as council hopefuls took their campaigns to the city council meeting Monday night.

Two other council hopefuls, Skylar Peak, who pulled nominating papers last week and Missy Zeitsoff, who pulled papers Tuesday afternoon, have tentatively thrown their hats into the ring.

Activist and surfer Andy Lyon, the only candidate who has returned nominating papers and been deemed qualified by Monday night, launched his campaign by praising council members for reaching a tentative solution to locate the skate park at Bluffs Park.

"I wish it had been here when I was a little kid," he said.

 Just minutes before another council hopeful, Hamish Patterson commented on the skate park. "I am here on behalf of the skating community. Bluffs Park is an excellent spot," he said.

However, Lyon was not finished with the council and moved on to one of his top issues, the Malibu Lagoon.

"Bring the lagoon project back for a vote. It has never been a clear vote. The staff letter still supports the project as designed. Support it or not and decide whether to pull the letter. Make it clear," he insisted.

Minutes later, Councilmember John Sibert, who is presumably running for a second term, agreed and announced his own proposal.

"There is so much heat and so little light on the lagoon. The city needs to take a position," he said, in calling for the municipality to finance a $25,000 study by an independent third party preferably outside of California "to look at the verifiable truth."

"Let's get this in front of us. I am not a hydraulic engineer, nor marine biologist or ecologist," Sibert said, adding there is a lot of misinformation and a third qualified party could give "a good sound evaluation of what is there in the Environmental Impact Report."

"This is not to do another study, but look at what is there. Do it quickly. When you get new facts, you reassess your position," he added.

Other council members agreed, but were stopped short from deliberating on the matter after City Attorney Christi Hogin told members the proposal would have to go on the agenda for council consideration.

Mayor Laura Rosenthal, Councilmembers Lou LaMonte and Pamela Conley Ulich concurred.

Later in the meeting, soon-to-be candidate Missy Zeitsoff talked about how there has been no increase in the developer fee program for the benefit of the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles. "There should be an increase in the development fee to support the fire department," she said.

Zeitsoff said the city should craft a program for itself for law enforcement so that new development pays a share for the required increased services.

She said the city should look at creating their own version of the Quimby fee for every new residential development. "Currently the Quimby fee is only for subdivisions. Every new home should be charged and we would have a lot for the parks," she said. 

One more candidate pulled nominating papers Tuesday afternoon, Jack Utter, according to the City Clerk's office, as the Malibu Surfside News went to press.

By the end of Tuesday this week, Joan House, Andy Lyon, Hamish Patterson, John Sibert, Skylar Peak Jefferson "Zuma Jay" Wagner, Jack Utter and Missy Zeitsoff had gone to the city clerk's office to obtain the documents.

City Clerk Lisa Pope explained that as the nominating papers are returned to her, they are sent off to the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder's office for verification of the status of the voters making the nominations. They must live in the City of Malibu and must be currently registered to vote. 

Councilmember John Sibert had already filled out a notice of intent to collect campaign contributions, according to the City Clerk's office.

The nominating procedure is a formal process in which candidates must obtain the signatures of not less than 20 Malibu registered voters "nominating" the candidate for a position on the ballot. No more than 30 signatures may be obtained.

In April, there will be three seats open. Councilmember John Sibert is running to keep his seat, as is Councilmember Jefferson Wagner. Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich is termed out of office. Her seat will be up for grabs.

The last date to file nomination papers for incumbents is Friday, Jan. 13, while the last date for all others is Jan. 18. The filing period for write-in candidates is Feb. 13 through March 27.

Voters may request vote-by-mail ballots from March 12 to April 3. The last day to register to vote is March 26.