30 Minutes After Handing Over Reins As Planning Chair, Mazza Argues With City Staff

It took 30 minutes last night for the Malibu Planning Commission to erupt in an argument after it elected a new chairman last night.

The issue was not on the agenda … but commissioners brought up questions about sidewalk dining. 

Kind of like: Is it legal to eat lobster rolls in the parking lot?

Several Malibu restaurants started outdoor dining operations during the Covid epidemic … and they continue today.

The interim planning director …. Maureen Imuri … 

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“We did get back to Commissioner Mazza with regards to the outdoor parking … and have indicated to him for those restaurants …  we’re trying to outreach with them to see if anyone wants to get a Coastal (Use) Permit.” 

Commissioner Skylar Peak questioned that … why are city staff working with restaurants that are violating city rules??

70595 COVID SKYLAR 

“I have a question on that.

“So you’re telling me that somebody could get a Coastal Development Permit for taking up parking from something during Covid?  

“I don’t see how that would be possible at all.

“Like, I’m not aware that that could be possible in any way, shape or form.”

 

And that’s when things went off the rails. 

Commissioner John Mazza had more questions … but assistant city attorney Kellan Maertz pointed out that parking lot rules were not on the agenda and could not be discussed under the terms of the strict California open meetings law.

Those laws … plainly prohibit a public body from discussing items that are not on the agenda.

Mazza had just a few minutes earlier stepped down as commission chairman ….

Mazza insisted on drilling city staff on an item that was not on the agenda. 

Assistant city attorney Kellan Martz shut that down.

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JOHN MAZZA: “Let me ask a question. I am going to ask it.”

INTERIM ASST CITY ATTY KELLAN MARTZ: “And again, this is not an agendized topic, so you can’t …”

MAZZA: “Yes it is.  This is the discussion where we discuss things.”

MARTZ: “No, we are not ‘discussing.’  That’s what I am saying. The Brown Act precludes … does not allow us to do that.”

CHAIR DREW LEONARD: “OK, We are not ….”

MAZZA: “The Brown Act does not preclude asking the city clerk, who just made a comment about how the process works…” 

MARTZ: “It absolutely … absolutely does.”

[[GENERALIZED SHOUTING]]

LEONARD: “Wait wait wait.”

THE CHAIR GAVELS THE MEETING INTO ORDER.

MAZZA, INTERRUPTING THE CHAIR:  “So in other words,…”

CHAIR LEONARD:  “John, that’s enough.”

MAZZA, SHOUTING: “I am continuing speaking because, because.

CHAIR LEONARD: “ We are on staff comment right now.”

MAZZA, INTERRUPTING: “And this is staff comments.” [NOTE: JOHN MAZZA IS NOT STAFF, AND HE DOES NOT HAVE THE FLOOR.]. “Staff commented ….”

ASST CITY ATTORNEY MARTZ: “Mister Mazza, no!  You are not the chair anymore. He is in charge here …. [POINTING AT LEONARD]”

MAZZA: “It doesn’t matter who is the chair now.”

ASST CITY ATTORNEY MARTZ: “It absolutely does.”

MAZZA, INTERRUPTING: “it doesn’t matter who is the city attorney either.”

ASST CITY ATTORNEY MARTZ: “It absolutely does!  I am here to give legal advice.”

MAZZA, INTERRUPTING:  “so you want to tell me. That I..

CHAIR LEONARD GAVELS THREE TIMES: “Okay, John….”

MAZZA, INTERRUPTING:  “you’re telling me that a city employee can tell me how it works, and I can’t ask her.”

ASST CITY ATTORNEY MARTZ: “When it is a conversation where there has been other commissioners, it is called a serial question, absolutely you are not allowed to do that.”

The new commission chairman …. Drew Leonard … tried to regain control of the meeting.

Mazza, it should be noted, repeatedly interrupted, and spoke without asking the chairman for the floor. It should be also noted that Mazza repeatedly demanded that commissioners ask him for permission to spea, when he was the chairman…

But that was two weeks ago.

When they all started acting like grown ups … the planning commissioners eventually agreed to ask for the item … can parking lots can be used as outdoor dining areas … be brought up at a future Planning Commission meeting … with the public notified as per the state law. 

This editor’s note  … KBUU uses a staff reporter to repeat for broadcast the statements made by the planning director … as her microphone has difficulty picking up her voice.

Lack Of Decorum And Bullying Of Staff Is Major Concern At City Hall

The lack of decorum and attempted bullying of the staff last night at the Planning Commission was not unusual. 

And it has been a major source of concern by a majority of the city council … and even crept into election politics this year. 

Some people applaud John Mazza … and his aggressive tactics with city staff.

But some city council members say the city is in danger of losing its liability insurance… And driving employees away… because of the division and divisiveness … such as what Mazza exhibited last night.

The planning commission and other commissioners have been asked to attend a meeting this evening … with a consultant hired by the city council.

Civility and following the open meetings law are both on the agenda.

MRCA Tracking Cellphones And Linking Them To Home Addresses, City Official Asks For Information

Yesterday … KBUU news reported that the MRCA is tracking cellphones near 50 beaches in the Malibu area … and tracing addresses.

The state agency is using the data to determine where beachgoers live … to come up with data on how many people from low income … economically-deprived neighborhoods are using coastal access in Malibu.

AN MRCA beach access worker … Mario Sandoval … let details of the secret data collection program slip out Friday … when he told the Coastal Commission about who uses Lechiusa Beach.

70186 MRCA TRACKING MARIO SANDOVAL 

“We do want to draw your attention to some visitation data… cell phone location  … our cellphone pilot project that included this beach along with 50 other beach sites

“There MRCA is part of a larger working group that developed this pilot project.”

No details were released Friday … at the Coastal Commission meeting …. about this government cellphone data collection program.  

Are there safeguards?  Who has access to the tracking data?

What’s to prevent MRCA staff from tracking individuals?

Planing commissioner Kraig Hill … reacted to the KBUU News report last night:

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“We heard today that the MRCA … in trying to make the case for toilets on Lechusa Beach … admitted that it was tracking cell phone users at Malibu beaches and trails  … and correlating those numbers with their home addresses to figure out where they were coming from, and to figure out whether they needed a bathroom or not. 

“And to me, if that’s true, that is scary.”

The MRCA cellphone data appears to be indistinguishable from data tracking where genral; Malibu residents are moving.

And the MRCA has a record of going after Malibu residents … personally … that it has disagreements with.

For example … the MRCA is threatening huge fines against residents of Ramirez Canyon over the agency’s claim that the residents owe them public access up their private driveways. 

Hill says the MRCA is using Big Brother techniques … if MRCA employee Mario Sandoval is to be believed.

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“I understand that and appreciate the sort of surveillance capitalism that we get by default from Facebook and there’s a quid pro quo there and when you sign up for something. 

“But it seems like another order of business, more of a big brother situation, if a government agency keeps track of people that way. So I would like to get some sort of truth on what is going on there.”

The MRCA disclosure came Friday … as the California Coastal Commission was overruling a Malibu Planning Commission decision about public access … and a public toilet … at Lechusa Beach.

There was no reaction last night from any planning commission member … about Malibu losing once again and getting overidden by the Coastal Commission.

Deadline Approaches For Governor To Sign Or Veto The Malibu Speed Camera Bill … Unless …

California Governor Gavin Newsom is running up against a deadline … set by the state constitution … to decide what to do with the Malibu speed camera bill.

The California Constitution requires the governor to either sign the bill or veto it … within 12 days of its passage by the state legislature. 

If the governor doesn’t make a decision … it automatically becomes law. 

That’s the opposite of the “pocket veto” in the federal government … in California … we have “pocket passage.”

The Malibu speed camera bill passed August 31st … that’s 18 days ago. 

It’s not clear when the bill was actually presented to the governor as a done deal … starting that 12 day clock. 

The Malibu speed camera built would allow the city to install five automatic radar cameras that could issue minor tickets to the owners of cars caught going too fast.

The tickets could be as small as $10… for a 10 mile an hour infraction.

Another bill awaiting a decision … a Senate bill that would basically require Caltrans to install bike lanes on PCH.

The state transportation agency already has a policy of accommodating bicycles … on all new projects … but state legislators want to make that a law.  Newsom vetoed a similar bill five years ago … saying he wanted to see if Caltrans would install bike lanes on its own. 

So far … a mixed record. 

Getting back to the governor’s desk … Newsom has a huge number of decisions to make …. hundreds of bills were passed as the legislature raced to adjourn on August 31st.

Expect news on the Malibu speed camera bill soon.

Last Chance To Tell The City What You Want Done With Malibu Public Land Parcels

Today is the third and final chance to tell the City of Malibu what you want to see done with five vacant land parcels that the city owns.

The city council has hired a consultant to take the pulse of the community … to ask whether parks should be built … open space preserved … whatever.

The land in question is the chili cook off site … the triangle lot at Webb Way … and a two acre parcel up behind the new Cross Creek Ranch shopping center on Civic Center Way.

Also … the old Christmas tree lot at Heathercliff on Point Dume .. and a vacant lot up Trancas Canyon Road. 

This morning at 10 … the opinion-takers will be standing at the Chili Cook off lot to take your opinion.

You can also write a letter or send an email.

Details are at the city’s web site. 

Another Whale Apparently Killed By Ship Washes Ashore At Hueneme

In news from up the coast … a whale that washed up dead at Port Huenemem shows signs of being hit by a large ship.

The minke whale had extensive bruising on the right side of its flank … near her fluke.

The injury would be consistent with a vessel striking the whale … and veterinarians think that the whale was alive when the injury happened.

But the veterinarian team has not ruled out other causes, including domoic acid poisoning.

The rapid growth of algae can cause elevated levels of the neurotoxin that can be harmful for wildlife.

The Ventura County Star reports domain acid has made dozens of sea lions sick … with many dying. 

Domoic acid poisoning has also recently affected dolphins in local waters. 

A variety of whales – blue, minke, humpback, gray and other species – feed and migrate in the waters off Malibu.

The area is bisected by marine lanes … used by cargo ships. 

Federal agencies recommend large vessels reduce speeds to 10 knots when moving through the Santa Barbara Channel during whale migration season. 

Tell Your Kid It’s A Secret Font: State Law Requires SMMUSD To Spend $80k On Cursive Handbooks

California has a new law that requires cursive handwriting to be taught in elementary schools.

Cursive but not typing … you might say.

Well. … it’s the law.

The Santa Monica Malibu school district is spending 80 thousand dollars on a curriculum package … lesson plans and workbooks.

Starting with kindergartners … kids will be taught how to make print letters.

Cursive gets introduced in third grade.

Remember how a capital Q looks like a numeral 2.

The school board will consider the 80 thousand dollar investment in ancient and dying boomer calligraphy next Thursday. 

What’s next?? 

The California Legislature is rumored to be considering mandatory goose quill pens and ink pots.

OK … we made that last part up. 

Rain Or Drizzle Possible Tomorrow Into Friday

There is a chance of rain or drizzle Wednesday night and Thursday as a low pressure system moves into the area.

Yesterday’s rain clouds were a dud … but a stronger cold storm system is moving into the area tonight.

Daniel Swain … a meteorologist at UCLA … says  this second low pressure system is moving down the coast.

DRIZZLE SWAIN than I believed.

This is an unusual winter-style weather pattern … unusual for this early in the calendar. 

The system does not have much moisture to work with and rainfall amounts will be under a tenth of an inch.

Much cooler than normal temperatures will continue through Friday … but warmer conditions will return for the weekend.