=.  A third year of La Niña drought is staring us as our reservoirs are dry.

=.  Federal officials tell the LA Times another year of punishing drought is in the forecast.

=. Ls Virgemes water officials plan a town hall next week on the drastic water conservation measures that have been implemented. 

=. The Point Dume tow away lot comes back before the city council on Monday … there may or may not be tow away this summer.

=.  Te beach team … deputies riding patrol on. Zuma Beach … goes b

=. Hey Alexa … add a thousand jobs to Santa Monica … and what’t the traffic going to be???

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

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Drought Worsens As Third Year Of La Niña Predicted

Heat waves and no rain.

A third year in a row,

That’s the early indications for California next year … the necxyt water year.

Long long Lon range predictions from federal officials indicate that the la Nina pattern will continue for t a third year.

News’s came yesterday that the federal government will release even less water from Gekln Canyon Dam … in Arizona … water that eventually reaches Southern Californ.a

The dough gets worse every day.

When it comes to water … there are two Malibus.

One has imposed severe water restrictions.

The other hasn’t.

Water in the hills above the city limits is delivered but the Las Virgenes Metropolitan Water District … which serves cities along the 101 Freeway over the hill.

Inside Malibu city limits …   water is delivered by LA County Waterworks District 29.

District 29 has unit yet ordered any water restrictions … they are asking us to cut back 20 percent … but no mandatory orders yet.

Different story up in the mountains.

Las Virgenes has nearly run out of water … says General Manager Dave Pedersen.

As we’ve reported … Las Virgenes customers have been placed on mandatory eater budgets. 

The water agency has computed how much water is being used for grass and trees and bushes … and ordered 50 percent cutbacks in that.

Miss that target and severe fines are in the works.

Miss the target several times and they will clamp a water flow restriction device on your water meter … slowing flow to a trickle.

Many customers are not taking it well.

“I am convinced that the district is totally unaware of the damage they will cause with this water rationing” say one happy camper on social media.”
Others are promising to raise a fuss at a town hall meeting called by Las Virgenes … on the Internet next Wednesday. 

One Thousand Oaks man says “I am stunned by those saying they will voice support against this.  Respectfully, have you all seen the photos of the reservoirs and snowmelt and rivers?   This is an emergency people.”

On this side of the hill … we are about 2 or 3 months behind our neighbors in terms of exhausting our water,. 

County officials say Malibu city water users need to conserve 20 percent … now … but nothing mandatory … yet.

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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.

Point Dume Impound Lot Comes Back Monday, 4th Vote Needed For This Summer

The controversial plan to put towed away cars on a vacant lot at Point Dume comes back to the city council next Monday,

And the question will be … will a fourth city council member support the plan … allowing the tow away operation to start this summer.

Without a fourth vote … no urgency clause … and without an urgency clause … the plan will not go into effect until this fall … leaving no local place for cars to be towed to.

And because the nearest other location os a 90 minute round trip for a tow truck … that effectively would mean no cars would be towed from blocking driveways … fire hydrants … or city streets this summer in Malibu. 

Council members Bruce Silverstein and Steve Uhring are the two opponents. 

One of them will have to join the other three city council members … two pass the ordiannce with an urgency clause. 

But even with that urgency clause… It will take 35 days for the parking lot to be set up lately.

Th meeting is Monday night. 

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Also on the agenda for Monday … making a deal with Caltrans and the Metro board to build a right turn lane along PCH at the Trancas County Market and Trancas Canyon Road.

Many residence have campaigned for the right turn lane… Given the high speed of cars on PCH and the large number of pedestrians and bicyclists occasionally blocking access to the driveways and the road.

Owners of the Trancas shopping center promised 8 years ago to install the turn lane … in a deal with local residents.

But they never built it. 

Now … state and county taxpayers will be on the hook to build the safety feature. 

Cities share for the project… $1 million… Will come from Malibu’s share of County sales tax transportation money… called measure R.

This means $1 million less for other road safety projects in Malibu.

Beach Team Reviewed Tonight At Public Safety Commission

‘The controversial summer beach team of LA County sheriff’s deputies at Zuma Beach goes up for discussion at the Public Safety Commission meeting tonight. 

Malibu pays for summer beach patrols … primarily on Zuma

Beach .. as a result of a deal brokered between the Coastal Commission … LA County and the city 20 years ago.

The city instituted a parking tax … coastal objected … the city promised to pay for special law enforcement at Zuma every summer. 

Sheriff’s deputies … being paid overtime … drive back and forth on the beach on ATVs,

These days ,,, nearly all of the citations are for people drinking beer or wine … which is illegal.

But the LA gang fights of 20 years ago are long gone. 

The cost?

It’s usually around $800,000 a year… But the exact cost for this year is not in the contract that the public safety commission will vote on tonight.

Some Malibu residents have publicly questioned if priorities haven’t shifted… making the summer beach team a big reaction to the wrong problem.

Last month… When the beach team was training at Zuma Beach… Deputies were on their ATVs in the sand when a horde of outlaw minibike riders… From Central Los Angeles… Swarmed the coast highway.

Te minibikes took over the PCH … driving their unlicensed and loud machines on the wrong side of the road … in the bike lane … and around traffic. 

The normal complement of Malibu sheriffs deputies was hopelessly outnumbered.

That issue may come up tonight as the public safety commission looks at the beach team contract. 

Also … reducing speed limits by 5 miles an hour on several Malibu streets and roads … we’ve reported on that.

That also comes up at 5 o’clock tonight on the City zoom platform.

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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.

Major Crimes Drop 11 Percent In Malibu

Sheriff’s deputies say major crimes in Malibu … very rare to begin with … have dropped 11 point 3 percent …. If you compare march of this year with the same month last year.

Grand theft auto is way down… down 10 percent.

In Malibu … in the month of March … there were 23 traffic crashes in the Malibu city limits. 

23 people were Injured.

410 traffic tickets were issued for various hazardous driving violations… most of them for speeding.

An additional 174 tickets were issued for nonhazardous infractions.

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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

Amazon Plans 10,000 Jobs In Santa Monica

“Hey Alexa … add one thousand new jobs to Santa Monica.”

In news from down the coast… Amazon has just announced plans to add 1000 jobs in Santa Monica. The gigantic corporation has leased property in the water garden… That gigantic office building at the corner of Cloverfield and Olympic boulevards.

Amazons headquarters will remain in the Seattle and Washington DC areas… But it is now building what it calls tech hubs in California.

Specifically in San Diego… Irvine… And Santa Monica.

Amazon has just opened a massive warehouse facility just at Pacific Coast Highway… In Oxnard. Company officials tell KBUU that the Oxnard facility will not add traffic to the Coast Road here in Malibu but the addition of 1000 jobs in Santa Monica is certain to affect the local real estate market… And the west side job market as well.

Amazon has opened more than 15 facilities … either warehouses or offices … across Southern California in a year.

The company claims it has created more than 17,000 jobs statewide in 2021 alone.

“The new tech jobs in Santa Monica will include roles building cloud infrastructure, improving the Alexa experience, and designing cutting edge video games … says an Amazon VP.

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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.

Abortion Ruling Ignites Protests And Plans

Protests yesterday in Santa Monica .. peaceful and heartfelt … against the conservatives not her Supreme Court reversing ht nations laws on abortions. 

Some street blocking and window smashing last night in downtown Los Angeles.

California is a state dominated by Democrats who support abortion rights.

And California will continue to allow abortions. 

The pressure on local abortion and women’s health providers is certain.

California clinics are already seeing women from Texas and other states arrive here. … traveling from other states to have the procedure.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and two top California lawmakers are preparing a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that will go to voters this fall.

If passed by voters … it would enshrine access to abortion in the state.

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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.

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City Of LA Homeless Plans Go Nowhere

Los Angeles City officials have posted  permanent metal signs that set deadlines for all homeless people to leave at more than 100 locations. 

But tents and makeshift shelters remain at many of the sites … according to the LA Times.  

The Los Angeles Police Department has issued tickets sparingly.

Most RVs remain parked on City of LA streets … no big exodus of ramshackle vehicles has been observed in Malibu – yet.

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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