KBUU Newswire – Day 370 – Thurs Nov 14 – Malibu Gets 100% Of Its Claims Paid By SCE – Settlement May Set Precedent For Woolsey Fire Victims – City May Ban Fire-Prone Landscaping – Scootermania Continues In SM

• =  Malibu gets a 100 percent settlement from Southern California Edison.
• =  13 point 7 million dollars to reimburse the city for Woolsey Fire damage.
• =  Private property owners might take comfort in that … it may be a precedent for settlements with the rest of us.
• =  Malibu comes up with a list of trees that are too dangerous for your yard.
• =  And those pesky swarms of scooters in Santa Monica have taken 1.3 million car trips off the streets in one year. 

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This is Malibu’s only local daily news. It’s the   ((((  time  ))) edition of the (((  day ))) news … from Radio Malibu  …. F-M 99 point 1 K B U U. Good morning … I’m Hans Laetz reporting.

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Fire victims in Malibu are asking “what does this mean for us???” after the Southern California Edison company has agreed to pay out massive damage settlements with local governments.

360 million dollars will be paid to 23 cities and counties … money the ciies and counties spent paid out to fight recent fires and floods caused by SCE powerline failures.

The settlement set a precedent … for what fire victims can expect from the power company for private property destroyed by the fire.

Malibu’s claim will be settled for almost exactly one dollar in for every one dollar spent … 13 point 7 million dollars.

The city’s lawyers will make an 18 percent contingency payment … which will bring the Malibu total settlement up into the 17 million dollar range.

That settlement will ease a immediate cash flow problem in the city’s bank account.

The city took 12 million dollars from its savings account last year … to pay for fire damage.

That took the savings account down to a level just above what the city needs to preserve its pristine credit record … an important asset that has allowed the city to buy land for parks use at very low mortgage rates.

The 13 point 7 million dollars heading to the City of Malibu is almost exactly the amount if claims that the city submitted, said attorney John Natalizio.

“To get a recovery of this proportion in just 12 months is somewhat remarkable,” Natalizio told KBUU. 

He credits the city staff, which quickly gathered its damage claims for submission.

“They had to count every tree trimmed and every rock moved,” he said.

Southern Cal Edison said it admitted no wrongdoing or liability in the settlement.

But its president issued a statement … saying the for-profit company is eager to make similar settlements with other plaintiffs who want to negotiate in good faith.

The 360 million dollar payout goes to agencies affected by the 2017 Thomas Fire … which burned from Santa Paula to Montecito.

23 people were killed in that fire … and the subsequent flash mudslides that the fire caused.

The Woolsey Fire started last year … it killed at least 6 people and burned property worth an estimated 1 point 6 billion in Malibu alone.

Southern California Edison went into secret arbitration with Malibu and 22 other government agencies very quickly after the fire, and the settlement was reached only 369 days after the fire was sparked by SCE power lines in Woolsey Canyon.

The settlement does not effect lawsuits brought by thousands of homeowners, renters, companies or other agencies against Edison. 

As much as $1.6 billion in claims may be pending against Edison and Boeing, the defense contractor that owns the land where the fire broke out.

This editors’ note: KBUU’s license holder and owner, Zuma Beach FM Emergency and Community Broadcasters Inc., is a plaintiff in a damages suit against Southern California Edison for damages it suffered in the Woolsey Fire.

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12 months after the fire … Malibu City hall has finally come up with a proposed ordiancne on planting dangerous landscaping in fire country.

The ordinance may be too late.

Many landowners have already replaced old burned out flammable vegetation with new fire-prone flammable vegetation.

The Planning Commission will take its first look at the proposed list of bannedplants on Monday night.

If enacted … Malibu would prohibit the planting of palm Trees with the Potential to Grow Over 18 Feet in HeiQht.

Trees planted under power lines would have height limits … allowing city staff to order homeowenrs to trim trees to within standards set by the state.

The ordinance wopuld also prohibit the Planting of Highly Flammable Trees within 30 Feet of Structures .

Eucalyptus… Pine … cypress … cedar would be among trees banned near structures.

And the ordinance would prohibit Wood Fences and Walls within Five Feet of Structures

Also … shade structures … canopies … sheds would be prohibited wthin five feet of hosues.

The matter goes before the Planning Commission Monday night.

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Caltrans officials say they will address the issue of blacked out traffic lights during intentional power outages … by putting reflective yellow tape on their traffic light backplates.

The backplates are those metal rectangles behind the traffic signals … designed to make the red green and amber lights visually stand out.

Caltrans tells KBUU News that there are 250 intersections in L A and Ventura counties that are in designated intentional power blackout zones

They will get reflective tape placed on their signal backplates.

A spokesman tells us … it’s sustainable and makes signal heads visible in zero lighting conditions when headlights are used.

“So, when signals are out it will alert drivers that they are approaching a signal intersection and serve as a reminder to treat it as a 4-way stop.”

Further … “Caltrans Headquarters is working together with California DMV  to produce an information campaign … reminding drivers of the California Vehicle code to treat dark signals as full stops.”    

Of course … California drivers are constantly reminded that there is a speed limit on P C H … and that is regularly ignored too.

City officials are very not happy that Caltrans would not send out portable stop signs to be placed in intersections … when they were blacked out last October 30th … when Southern California Edison turned off the power.

Caltrans will also not allow the city to place its own stop signs on the state highway.

L A County sheriff’s deputies are not being sent into intersections to direct traffic … either.

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In news from down the coast … Santa Monica officials say rental bicycles and scooters have eliminated 1.3 million car trips over the past year.

And destite reports of little old ladies tripping over illegally parked scooters and being injured … the city council there has voted to extend the pilot program.

yes … it has problems … the city of Snata Moncia says.

They hope to have a new regualotry program in place by next summer … with a new program that will address safety, parking and pricing issues.

The new program will focus on removing the electric devices from the city’s sidewalks, where riders pose dangers to pedestrians before leaving them to block the right-of-way.

2.7 million trips have been taken ion rental bijkes and scooters in Santa Mionica.
But the e-bikes and especially the e-scooters have triggered a backlash.

Non riders hate them.

Only 10 percent of non-riders surveyed by the City having a favorable view of their impact …according to an article in the Santa Monica lookout newspaper.

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PS Arts Family Afternoon – November 21

P.S. ARTS is partnering with Malibu Elementary for a fun- filled family art making workshop. P.S. ARTS Teaching Artists will lead families in a hands-on project that encourages parents and students to work together creatively!  Please join us from 3 to 5pm on Thursday, November 21 in the Cafetorium. Parking will be limited, so please carpool! P.S. ARTS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving children’s lives through arts education

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Traffic … in 65 seconds … first …

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Weather for the Malibu ….

((((     )))) … highs  ((((     )))) beaches … ((((      )))) mountains and canyons.

Downcoast winds …  (((   …   )))) miles per hour this afternoon.

Sunset tonight is at   ((((       )))).

After that … (((    )))) tonight … low ((((    )))) beaches …  ((((   )))) mountains and canyons.

Tomorrow should be   ((((    much the same    )))).

Right now here at the KBUU studios in Trancas … it’s  ((((       )))) degrees.

Leo Carrillo beach … (((    ))).

Paradise Cove … (((    ))).

Big Rock … (((    ))).

In upper Malibu Canyon … (((    ))).

Calabasas … (((    ))).

And Civic Center L-A … (((    ))).

In the ocean … it’s ((((       )))) degrees in the water at Zuma Beach.

Mo says the waves at Surfrider Beach today are   ((((    )))) feet high ….

Those are ((((  fair )))) surfing conditions …. according to Mo.

(((((   tide is at     

ide is at  .))))

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