City Council Has New Code Of Ethics, ‘Absolutely Nothing’ In There Says Co-Author

Malibu’s city council has a code of conduct – expect no changes.

The code was written by council members Bruce Silverstein and Doug Stewart,

Silverstein says the code is in effect toothless … and is merely something to aspire to … 

70677 CODE BS 

“My goal was to make sure that there was absolutely nothing in here that was dictating activity which was legally permissible.

“No restriction on any legally permissible activity, and no mandate that anybody do anything.

“All this does to the extent that there are any mandates at all, is that it summarizes some state codes that we have to live by anyway.”

The ethics codes was approved on a 4 to nothing vote … with councilman Steve Uhring abstaining. 

In the debate … he said he felt the code of conduct was aimed at him … as a result of a raucous May city council meeting over the proposed hotel at Malibu Inn. 

That’s the one where a city staff member claims he was verbally attacked by Uhring, and had his life threatened by one of Uhring’s vocal supporters. 

Last night …. Uhring asked repeatedly … what did he do wrong??? 

70676 UHRING ETHICS 

STEVE UHRING: “A lot of this concerns that we have I think revolve around discussions about the work product that we’re getting from the planning department.

“And let’s look at an example the Malibu Motel project. The staff report that we received was bad, it was bad. At least 20 errors were defined by the MTC in an appeal, it ignored many of the rules of our municipal government and the LCP.

“I believe that when we receive something like that, it’s part of our responsibility to point out that it’s wrong, and try to get it corrected. 

“Now after that May 13 meeting the mayor (you), Marianne and Paul, all accused me of viewing of being abusive or whatever the right word is but abusive is the right word that you used to the staff at that meeting. I’m trying to figure out what I did that you guys think was wrong. Can you tell me that?

MAYOR DOUG STEWART:  “I don’t think we want to get into that on this topic, you’ve got your opinion, let’s put your opinion on the table.”

UHRING: “Well, here’s the thing: you’re asking me to sign this and other people to sign this. 

“I want to know what it means.”

Last night … council member Marianne Riggins was only too happy to tell Uhring what that means.

She said it was improper for Uhring to attack the staff for bringing the project through the bureaucracy all the way to city cpuncil.

She said it was not city staff’s job to deny any zoning applicant their day before the council..

She pointed out that city staff was obligated to bring the Motel project forward.

70675 ETHICS MR

“The motel project was brought forward because one staff felt that it was complete and the applicant wanted their hearing, and that is the law. They are entitled to have their hearing. 

“Now we can disagree with what’s presented in the staff report without attacking the staff for presenting the information.

“And I think that what the cases many times is that we are personally attacking staff members and or the department because items are brought forward, even though those items are legally entitled to have their day before the approving body and be heard.”

And by “we” … Riggins clearly meant “him” … Uhring. 

Last night … Uhring said the complaints about him came up after he led opposition to the proposed hotel at the Malibu Inn … a project that was defeated 4 to 1. 

And he accurately pointed out that the city staff’s report on the hotel was incomplete and had errors and omissions. 

70678 NASTY SU 

“Well, here’s what I’m trying to figure out. I’ve had four years on the planning commission and four years on the city Council. Eight years of my life are on video. And none of those eight years has anyone ever accused me of being nasty to staff.”

Some may beg to differ on that.

And the code of conduct was proposed after the city paid for a formal investigation … by an outside legal firm … into alleged harassment by city councilman Bruce Silverstein of then-city manager Reva Feldman.

The outside law firm was brought in during an official city inquiry … Silverstein helped choose them … during Silverstein and Uhring campaign to oust Feldman as city manager.

The Ellis investigative report found. … and we quote … the Silverstein’s communications and conduct toward then-City Manager Reva Feldman was “frequently hostile” and “unprofessional.”

Other witnesses described Silverstein’s conduct towards other city staff as “harassment” and creating a “hostile work environment.” 

But the Ellis Report did not support the accusation from Feldman she was being discriminated against because of her gender. 

Rather, the independent report found that Silverstein also engaged in abusive or combative conduct toward both men and women who worked at City Hall.

And the Ellis Report noted that Malibu did not have a code of conduct for city council members …. like the toothless one written by Silverstein and Mayor Doug Stewart and enacted Monday night.

As we’e reported … Silverstein and Uhring both say that criticizing city hall … and the staff’s performance …. is exactly why people voted for them. 

And that the quality of some work by some at city hall … primarily in the Planning Department … was poor.
And objectively … they were correct about that.   

But the majority of the council has said that beating up city staff in public has only caused major recruiting and staff morale issues.

Malibu Looking Into Buying Key Park Entrance, And Land Near Malibu Racquet Club

Malibu may purchase another two pieces of vacant land … one of them is a key access point to a proposed public swimming pool or library and community center at Bluffs Park.

The owners of two pieces of land have come forward and asked the city if it wants to buy one or the other. 

One piece of land is at the corner of PCH at Portshead Road … on Point Dume.

That is right next door to the vacant lot … owned by the city … where the Christmas trees used to be sold.

That’s called the Heathercliff lot … even though it has no vehicle access to Heathercliff Drive … also … no vehicular access to Portshead Road.

The only way in or out is PCH … and for that matter … only eastbound PCH …. 

No left turns are possible two or from Pacific Coast Highway … and the fear is that if a park is installed at the Heathercliff lot …  hundreds of SUVs every day would be making U-turns at Heathercliff to get in … and Portshead to get out.

The solution … mentioned at recent city public lands hearings …. would be for the city to buy the vacant lot along Portshead Road … south of PCH.  The entrance there.

The property was valued at 733 thousand dollars the last time it was sold … that was back 25 years ago. 

Last night… City Manager Steve McClary revealed that the owners of that land have come forward and want to sell it to the city.

Also … the owner of a vacant lot near City Hall also wants to sell his land to the city.

That lot is north of the condominiums on Civic Center Way … and south of the tennis club. 

Last night … the city council told city manager Steve McClary: Let’s hear the details.

SMMUSD Meets Tonight To Discuss Malibu District Divorce

A critical meeting of the Santa Monica school board is tonight.

The seven member board will discuss the divorce package worked out by negotiators from the school district and the city of Malibu. 

It will be a special meeting of there Santa Monica -Malibu school board . one thing on the agenda.

Actually three things.

They are the three agreements reached between Malibu and Santa Monica to pry Malibu out from control of the bigger city. 

There is a Revenue Sharing Agreement, an Operational Transfer Agreement and a Joint Powers Agreement.

The revenue sharing agreement is old news… It was reached last spring.

It would see Malibu continue to send property tax revenue to Santa Monica… Until Santa Monica tax revenue catches up with the extremely lucrative amount of money raised here in Malibu.

If the district were to split this year… Malibu would be the fourth richest school district in the state. 

But shed no tears for Santa Monica… It would be number five.

And Malibu would send money to Santa Monica until the two cities tax basis equalized.

What’s new are the operational transfer agreements and the joint power agreement … which are the nuts and bolts of separating the two entities.

The meeting is tonight at 5:30 at the Santa Monica school board headquarters… next-door to Santa Monica high school.

MRCA Seeks To Increase Taxes In City Of Los Angeles

The MRCA is trying to expand its empire on the other side of the hill.

There MRCA has two bond issues on the ballot … on the Los Angeles city ballots … asking property owners to tax themselves to support land acquisition by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

Taxes would go up 38 dollars a year if Ballot Measure GG is passed by homeowners west of the Sepulveda Pass and north of Mulholland … including Encino, Tarzana and Woodland Hills.

If Measure H  s passed by voters in the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park . They would pay … It would result in a $65 annual special tax on homeowners and other “improved-property owners” 

In 2016 voters approved a similar tax for the same purpose, but it expires in two years. 

Those measures currently account for a $35 annual tax on qualified property owners east of the 405 Freeway, and $15 tax on those to the west.

This story is based on reporting in the Los Angeles Daily News newspaper.