=. Not so fast … the Malibu High project is not going to be rushed through city review.

=. That’s the word from the Planning Commission … as school officials say speed is of the essence. 

=. The giant barber pole of Malibu was built without city permits and might get torn down.

=.  A wall in a vacant lot to keep dirt bikes out … some asked for it … others hate it.

=. John Oliver feasts upon the national laughingstock that our elected sheriff has become.

And we know how your kitchen could be uncluttered … while helping people here on the westside.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:  this newscast is composed for a radio broadcast… And we use automatic transcription equipment to prepare the script for the Internet publication. The author has just had eye surgery and …. pretty much … cannot see what he is touch typing onto the screen … or how the transcription software is behaving. 

News is not a pretty business … and  a writer working by himself is not ever going to spot the occasional errors.    Those of you who object to this standard are invited to ask us about a  cheerful refund of your purchase price. 

But you can rest assured.  It was prefect on the radio. 

Malibu High Express Train May Derail At Malibu Planning Commission – Mazza Says He Won’t Be Rushed

If school officials in Santa Monica think Malibu City Hall will rush through their review and changes to the Malibu High School project … they have another thing coming.

That was the clear message last night from the Planning Commission.

School district officials are on a very tight deadline … not all of their own doing. 

Environmental regulations from the city prohibit grading and earthmoving during the winter rainy season. 

That means construction has to start this June …. If the new high school is to be finished by 2024.

Or maybe … if the new building is to be built at all.

That means all the marbles are in one basket … the school district says it must have approval from the Planning commission on may 31st or the Malibu High project may miss this year’s construction window … and may not be built next year because the price sis spiraling out of what the voters have approved spending,.

Construction inflation is wild right now … the school district says costs are going up more than one million dollars a month. 

If the project is delayed one year … the district may run out of money … 

District facilities manager Carey Upton … 

NEWSCART A73341 MHS SKED CAREY UPTON

“We our scheduled to begin in June. And if we begin in June we will hit the marks. But right now construction escalation is about $1 million a month and then a $100 million project it is essentially $1 million a month (in cost escalations) for every month that we don’t get started.”

Last night… At the Malibu city planning commission… Play Director Richard Mollica categorized the school districts schedule as aggressive.

The district needs city council approval in June… And that means the planning commission will have one night… May 31… To go over plans for the new high school.

Planning director Richard Mollica …. and somebody’s family dog … said it may not happen that fast. 

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“We have kind of… Kind of been doing our best to try to work with the school district. I’m not saying we’re meeting their expectations… If we were meeting their expectations I think they would have a permit in hand already. But the school district has a highly aggressive time schedule.” [DOG BARKING THROUGHOUT]

Mollica … and that dog … are both apparently alarmed that the city review process will be rushed. 

The city staff will only have one day to process whatever the planning commission does with the school blueprints… Before it has to send those changes out to the city Council in the agenda for the next city Council meeting.

Planning commissioner John Mazza voices his doubts … her remembers there last time school plans went before the city. 

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“I know for one… after the last… when we had the last meetings… It was hours and hours and hours… This walkway… That walkway… This white and that light.

“Very hard to do unless you give us every plan there is… And have every expert hanging there. And I remember we got told “OK you have to pass us because our plans will expire in two weeks and if you don’t pass it the way it is your bad guys.

“It sounds like that’s what we are lined up for again.”

Mazza says this cannot be rushed … and he won’t be rushed.

NEWSCART A73342 MHS SKED MAZZA 2222 .

“I for one make sure I for one want to make sure this one is done right because neighbors there… They’re already complaining to me… And they don’t even know what the plans are. 

“And then by the way we have to apparently by the way we have to pass a bond issue to build the school.
“So I hope we go at one at our pace… Rather than their pace… And do it right. Because this is a $160 million deal and I don’t feel like doing it in two hours with neighbors screaming at us and not knowing what exactly is going on.”

Fact check ..

The bond issue has already passed.

Delaying the plans may be exactly the goal of some people.

They know that any delay will effectively sink the project … a prospect that some property owners near the school would just as well be happy with. 

Sheriff Radio Tower At Civic Center Gets Stop Work Order

That new sheriff’s office radio tower in the heart of Malibu could be painted a different color …. rather than the bright red and white stripes that make it look like a smokestack at a steel mill.

City planning director Richard Mollica now says the FAA might allow a more neutral color.

Mollica blamed Los Angeles County officials for approving the gigantic … ugly radio tower … without getting a required city permit. 

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“That application was conditioned that the county was required to apply for those CUPs prior to the construction of the tower. That obviously didn’t happen. We’ve asked them … we’ve informed them … to stop work on the tower.”

And Mollica says the 75 foot high smokestack was okayed by county bureaucrats … without consulting the city. 

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“in case someone is wondering … ‘how did they get permits to build a tower and this and that’ … The city has the planning sphere of influence over the county property. But the county handles plan checking and the issuance of construction permits. 

“So it was not our building and safety folks that issued a to permit for that construction. I wanted to make that clear to you that nobody there in our departments in our planning department missed an opportunity to stop this. They started this on their own without communicating with us.”

City planning Director Richard Mollica… Putting a bureaucratic finger at his colleagues at the county of Los Angeles for failing to obey City of Malibu rules.

One possibility is that the sheriffs department radios could be moved to a nearby roof… And the microwave dishes placed on the old County Courthouse structure as well… meaning the tower would not be necessary at all.

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Support for Radio Malibu KBUU’s comes from the Mark & Grether Real Estate Group.  

The Mark & Grether Group is a small tightly knit team based in Malibu, with a full-time marketing and operations staff to deliver exceptional results and smooth real estate transactions. Mark & Grether Group is a top producing team…

With 35 years of experience… and over $1 billion of real estate sold or leased… From Malibu’s coastline to the canyons.

K-Rail On Merritt Raises Cloud Of Concern

The issue of off road vehicles churning up dust and dirt is roiling Malibu Park.

Citizen complaints about cars and off road motorcycles …. Racing around on vacant land east of malibu High School … have promoted the school district to put up K-rail … concrete railings … along its property line.

The K-rail iOS along Merritt Drive … near Bushgc Drive. 

This being Malibu … that has some people unhappy.

School district and city officials are working on a solution that pleases people … but this being Malibu … you know what that means.

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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

SM Renews $10 Million Gift To SMMUSD, Malibu Checks In With 2.5% Of That Largesse

The City of Santa Monica is upping its financial contribution to the Santa Moncia-Malibuy Unified School District. 

Santa monica is sending $10 million and change to the joint school district … earmarked as rent for city parks uses … but actually a transfer of tax revenue to support local schools.

The City of Malibu has a similar arrangement … but pays only 250 thousand dollars for use of three school campuses. 

Malibu also does not have a city parks program for after-school kids  … but instead funds the Boyds And Girls Club for that. 

Santa Monica officials says using City funds to support the school district’s educational mission makes sense from several levels. 

But those payments are part of the complicated financial arbitration still underway … as the Malibu and Santa Monica interests are in secret arbitration trying to find a financial formula to divorce.

Yesterday …. School superintendent Ben Drati thank teachers and classified staff for two years of extraordinary efforts to keep the schools functioning well during the pandemic and the quarantine.

And he thanked community support.

NEWSCART DRATI STATE OF SCHOOL

“And as a reflection of our great work in student success… US news and world and report released it’s 2022 rankings on public high schools. And santa monica and Malibu high schools are rated in the top 6% nationally.  [APPLAUSE].  And that’s huge.”

Drati delivered his speech at Santa Monica’s new high school complex … mostly completed … but miles ahead of the Malibu high reconstruction.

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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.

John Oliver Snips Alex Villanueva Into Little Bitty Pieces

LA County sheriff Alex Villanueva is ridiculed on national television …

John Oliver’s HBO Show … “This Week Tonight” … featured the LA County sheriff …and his televised threat to criminally investigate an LA Times reporter.

The report had uncovered the alleged coverup by Villanueva of a deputy kneeling on an inmate’s neck for three minutes. 

On hius national TV show … Olicer laid into there sheriff for launching a criminal investigation of the LA Times reporter who uncover what clearly looks like a Villanueva cover-up.

The clip starts with a Villanueva news conference,

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VOICE OF ALEX VILLANUEVA:  “so here are the three individuals that we wanna know more about. 

VOICE OF CBS LOS ANGELES NEWS REPORTER:  “He pointed out a political opponent in the race for sheriff… the inspector general… and a Los Angeles Times reporter.”

VOICE OF ALEX VILLANUEVA:  “The matter is under investigation. This is stolen property. It was removed illegally by people who had some incentive. And it will be subject to some investigation.”

JOHN OLIVER: “Okay… when you’re accused of being complicit in some terrible act… being more concerned about who said it than the accusation doesn’t exactly convey innocence.”

‘We should point out that Villanueva … several hours after announcing the criminal investigation onto he LA Times reporter … walked that back.

And said he never said what he clearly said.

Comedy nectar for HBO’s hummingbird beak … John Oliver.

He said Villanueva is very good at coverups. 

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JOHN OLIVER: “A 2019 IG report found that … over just a two month period .… Officials working under him canceled 45 administrative investigations into his employees… Some of home some of which involve domestic violence … child abuse and sexual misconduct with an inmate. 

“And he’s not just breaking promises to reform. It seems his whole reelection bid is going to involve full culture war:”

VOICE OF ALEX VILLANUEVA AT CAMPAIGN EVENT: “I think 2024 is going to be a special year. I think it’s going to be a referendum on a national disease that is going to finally see a cure that is coming along. Woke us up is on the ropes… Let’s put it out of its misery.”

JOHN OLIVER: “That’s fun …isn’t it???”

The three minute takedown of Alex Villanueva is available to watch for free at theHBO website on YouTube …. https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-oliver-goes-after-la-county-sheriff-alex-villanueva-and-his-idiotic-campaign-ad?ref=scroll

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Support for KBUU radio… For eight years now… Has come from Rancho Del Cielo. Perched high above the Pacific Ocean and overlooking Paradise Cove… Rancho Del Cielo is a partner bringing public radio to the Malibu.

Send Your Tupperware To Namibia? No – Santa Monica

Finally this morning … here;’s a way to clean your kitchen of clutter … and help people who could really use it,. 

Two groups … Volunteer Collective and Community Kitchen Kits … want your pots.

Eleven collection points will be in place citywide from May 7th to 15th to accept

donations of new and slightly used kitchen items. Volunteers will gather a few weeks

later to assemble the ”kitchen starter kits” which will be distributed to individuals and

families through nonprofit housing agencies including PATH, LA Family Housing,

Community Corporation of Santa Monica, and many more.

A full list of items to be collected, and drop-off locations and dates, can be found at

https://www.volunteer-collective.org/initiatives/kitchen-kit-drive

“Every box represents some personor family moving into a new home,” said Volunteer

Collective Executive Director, Noah Taubman.”What better way to welcome people into

our neighborhoods and their new life”.

Volunteer Collective is a nonprofit promoting volunteerism through easy and impactful

monthly challenges which allow all of us to help our neighbors in need.

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Support for KBUU Radio also comes the the Malibu Association of Realtors.

When choosing someone to represent you when you buy … sell or rent a house … local knowledge is very important.

Malibu zoning rules … Coastal Commission rules …

Members of the Malibu Association of Realtors are local experts.

The Malibu Association of Realtors …  supporters of our local community … and supporters of local radio 99.1 KBUU.

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