=.  The other candidate for LA County supervisor comes out strong against camping in the Malibu mountains.

=.  Malibu thinks it can win 200 million dollars in federal funds to underground power lines along PCH. 

=.  But Washington has yet to set up guidelines for the city to apply for the grants.

=.  Caltrans will try try again to explain what it is planning for PCH bike lanes. 

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This is Malibu’s Only Local Daily News … the Thursday edition … I’m Hans Laetz reporting. 

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Second Supes Candidate Comes Out Strongly Against Unsupervised Santa Monica Mountains Camping  

Both candidates for the LA County supervisor seat representing Malibu are now on record as opposing unsupervised camping on the trails in the Malibu mountains. 

Lindsay Horvath issued a statement last night …. that actually goes beyond the general statement of opposition issued last month by Robert Hertzberg.

In it … Horvath promises to seek an amendment to the county’s Local Coastal Plan … the LCP issued by the Coastal Commission.

Part of her statement …. as voiced by a KBUU reporter:

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“I cannot in good conscience support any activity that would further endanger families, including unsupervised overnight camping in Malibu and the surrounding coastal/mountain areas …”

Horvath faces San Fernando Valley Senator Bob Hertzberg in the November runoff election.

Three weeks ago … Hertzberg struck first. … coming gout against camping in the Malibu mountains.

He cited the danger of homeless people camping.

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“I am told from some of the folks that are out there doing arson watch but there have been as many as 22 small fires caused by these things. Any of those could’ve irrupt it into a big fire depending depending upon what conditions or how dry the brushes or whatever it may be… And it’s just not worth the risk.”

But where Hertzberg made a more general promise … Horvath went a bit further.

She came out in favor of changing the county LCP … the Local Coastal Program … to prevent the establishment of off-trail camping in the mountains.

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“As Supervisor, I will prioritize codifying the protection that residents are seeking through a new LCP Amendment. 

“The California Coastal Commission must adopt more stringent regulations for overnight camping to prevent another devastating wildfire in our beautiful Santa Monica Mountains. 

“The residents of Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains deserve a leader who will work tirelessly to insulate their communities from wildfire risk, inappropriate development, and climate change.”

Last night’s statement by county supervisor candidate Lindsay Horvath … as voiced by a KBUU reporter.

This Sunday afternoon … Hertzberg and Horvath will square off for a debate before the Malibu Decmoratic Club. 

Seats are still available on an R S V P basis by contacting the club via email.

We will post a link at the KBUU Newswire later today.

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City Estimates $200 Million Cost To Feds For Undergrounding PCH Power Lines

It’s going to cost 200 million dollars for the city to put power lines on Pacific Coast Highway underground.

And city public works director Robb DuBoux says federal officials have told him the project will be eligible for federal funding under the Infrastructure Act.

The problems is …. Washington has not yet written the rules to apply for the grants. 

The city’s Robb DuBoux … at the Public Works Commission yesterday:

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“Yeah it’s really frustrating that a lot of the grants that have to do with the infrastructure bill that was passed by Congress last October… the grant requirements and eligibility that are needed in there … there government has not released those requirements yet.’

In addition to the 200 million dollars in federal funding for undergrounding PCH power lines … the city is looking for 20 million in federal dollars for other PCH safety projects … 

That would widen PCH for bike lanes in half the city. 

DuBoux is also applying for 5 million dollars to rebuild the crashiest intersections in Malibu … which would be PCH at Las Flores and Rambla Pacifico.

That money would come from Malibu’s share of county Metro transportation funds … Caltrans funds … and maybe federal dollars. 

DuBoux is also hoping to get state loans or grants to defray the 63 million dollar sewage plan expansion and installation of sewer lines in the Civic Center area.

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County May Require Indoor Masks, Malibu May Not Be Affected That Much

Masks might be required indoors … as early as tomorrow … if the county’s director pop public health decides that will prevent overloaded emergency rooms and ICUs.

Her decision is due today.

And it comes as support for mask mandates is eroding in there general public … among some doctors … and most importantly for Barbara Ferrer … among her bosses at the L A County Board of Supervisors.

A minority of doctors is emerging with the opinion that a milder form of coronavirus … and the arrival of anti Covid drugs … means wearing masks is not necessary.

“The threat has decreased,” says the health officer of Seattle and King County. 

“And for that reason, taking steps that are seen as inconvenient or costly or philosophically objectionable is less palatable and less desirable.”

Malibu has never enforced indoor mask requirements … and neither has the L A County sheriff.

With eroding public support … any possible order from L A County may or may not influence people.

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Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Foundation.

The Malibu Foundation underwrote the KBUU solar panels and batteries at the transmitter … which keeps KBUU’s FM transmitting on 99.1 during storms and blackouts… 24 seven… on clean renewable Malibu sunshine.

Caltrans Regrouping On PCH Bike Lane Proposal

Fallout continues from a disastrous meeting held by Caltrans last month … where state engineers completely fumbled their explanation of their plans to add bikeways along PCH between the pier and the Ventura County line.

As we reported … the state called the public meeting to explain their plans to remove more than 2 thousand parking places along PCH to make way for painted bike lanes.

Malibu mayor Paul Grisanti said after the meeting it was a disaster … with state officials mumbling vague plans and avoiding specific answers.

This was one exchange between a bicyclist and a Caltrans planner that night….

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CYLCIST: “… a cyclist would run into those doors. I don’t know if there would be a buffer between the part cars and the bike lane. Those are my two questions

CALTRANS REPONSE “ Um … [Unintelligible] parking [Unintelligible] class II [Unintelligible] [Unintelligible] And for the [Unintelligible] parking space.”

Last night … Malibu city public works director Robb DuBoux said that before the meeting … he had tried to warn Caltrans officials that they had needed to be specific.

DeBoux told the city Public Works commissioners last night that Caltrans is now trying to come up with a new plan … for bike lanes on PCH.

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Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Brewing Company.

Malibu Brewing Company is a locally owned craft brewery, proudly supporting our community, and local public radio. 

Just released: a limited, holiday-spiced Winter Ale …  a perfect fireside companion.

It makes a special gift for the beer-lovers on your list.

Find Malibu Brewing Company premium craft beer in select retailers, or order direct at brew malibu dot com

 

Feds May Relocate Sea Otters But Not To Malibu

Finally  this morning …. The federal government has unveiled its plans to expand the range of California sea otters.

The mammals used to live in Malibu … alll the way down to Baja in fact …. 10s of thousands of them.

But the were hunted to the edge of extinction.

Right now … wild otters live as far south as Santa Barbara County.

There are only 3 thousand otters on the California coast … mostly in the Big Sur area.

There is a small population that was relocated to an island about 50 miles up there coast from Malibu.

The U S Fish and Wildlife Service yesterday issued plans to relocate sea otters …. But only a few hundred of them … and only northbound.

Relocating sea otters to San Francisco Bay … the Northern California coast … and even Oregon is envisioned.

But there are sensitive economic issues that have to be worked out first.

Number one … otters eat crabs and other delicious fish.

Expanding the otters habitat might affect commercial fishermen.

Many marine biologists and environmentalists think that the best way to help restore endangered sea otters is to spread their numbers out over a wider area across the West Coast.

But only up the coast … not down the coast towards the Channel Islands and Malibu coast.

 

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You can hear the news live every morning until 9:30 on KBUU.

FM 99.1 in western Malibu.  Also: streaming at www.radiomalibu.net

Between 10 and 2 … you can hear the newscast playback loop on KBU2. That’s on FM 99.1 HD2 in your car, or streaming at s7.viastreaming.net/6500

If humanly possible, the KBUU NewsScript is usually published at around midday at www.radiomalibu.net