KBUU Newswire: After 37 Years, Annual Triathlon Is Cancelled Over Supposed Notification Concerns – Covid Outbreak At City Hall – Sheriff Warns Parents About Golf Cart Kids On Pt Dume
Written by 991KBU on September 19, 2023
AFTER 37 YEARS, ANNUAL TRIATHLON IS CANCELLED OVER SUPPOSED NOTIFICATION CONCERNS
On Monday night, two Malibu planning commissioners stuck to a strict interpretation of the rules, which they said require a 32-day notice to the public before a Temporary Use Permit can be issued. But two other commissioners said the rules were vague, and could be interpreted to require only a five-day notice, and that the event was not on a new course, just a shortened one.
“I support the (Triathlon’s) aims and goals here wholeheartedly,” said Commissioner Kraig Hill. “The problem that we have here is that this is not just about bureaucracy, we are being asked to break the law.
“The noticing requirement is the law.”
But Commissioner Jeff Jennings, the lone lawyer on the commission, said the city code language being cited by Hill and Mazza to derail the marathon was fuzzy at best.
“It’s confusing,” Jennings said Monday. “If the 32 day notice is definitively and absolutely black letter law and we can’t do anything about it … what’s that five day notice doing in there?
Jennings averred that particular legal point was weak, but said “I’m looking for a reason to allow an event that’s been going on for 38 years to continue. It is an event that is valuable, it is an event that a large number of residents are evidently deranged enough to want to participate in.
“It’s a huge event for our community.”
But Mazza was unmoved. “My only power is to follow what the City Council has passed. And our municipal code says we cannot do this, it says we may not do this, it says you must mail a notice.”
Favoring the event were Jennings and Skylar Peak. The fifth and deciding vote … Dennis Smith … was not at City Hall due to a family emergency. He reportedly had computer problems, and could not connect to the meeting.
The denial of the Temporary Use Permit can theoretically be appealed to the city council. But the next City Council meeting is Monday – the Triathlon is in 12 days – and there may be legal deadlines to make that agenda that have already passed.
A spokesman for Super League Triathlon told the commission that rescheduling the event for later this year is impossible due to the worldwide calendar for triathlons like this.
SOME MALIBU CITY HALL STAFF STRICKEN BY COVID
An outbreak of Covid 19 has reportedly hit some staff at Malibu City Hall, according to Planning Department officials.
Planner Rebecca Evans made an announcement at Monday night’s Panning Commission meeting.
“We have had some staff exposure to a person who testes positive for Covid.
“We do have some staff members in the city that are home with Covid right now.
City staff are wearing masks if we were exposed.
“There are free disposable masks available at the table over there if anybody would feel comfortable wearing one and didn’t bring one”
KRAIG HILL: “Otherwise no change in policy or anything?
EVANS: “No change in policy it is still a an optional decision up to individuals if they are masked at City Hall.”
City officials were assessing the situation Tuesday morning, and City Hall was open for business.
TWO CLUBS ONE SMALL POOL: SEAWOLVES VS MARLINS AT CITY HALL
The city parks commission today will wade into the contentious battle between two swim teams … both seeking use of the limited amount of time and lanes at the Malibu Community Pool.
The problem: only one pool at the high school.
It’s too small … and it’s in use from before sunrise to after dark.
And during the school year… 75 percent of the available pool hours are used by structured swim programs … such as the girls and boys swim and water polo teams.
Squeezed in to the remaining hours are aqua aerobics, lap swim, learn to swim lessons, lifeguard certification courses, and conditioning courses for older residents.
The Malibu Seawolves swim club has functioned as the city Parks Department’s contractor for years.
But last storing … its Board of Directors fired the swim coach … in a personnel dispute.
A group of parents was unhappy with that … and formed their own swim team … the Malibu Marlins.
And they want in.
No room … says the city.
The city parks commission meets tonight at 5:30.
They will consider a range of options … from making recommendations to setting up a committee … or to just leave things the way they are and open a request for proposals for next year from the Seawolves and the Marlins.
The parks commission meets at 5:30 tonight at City Hall and via zoom.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE SENDS MEMO TO MALIBU: TOO MANY KIDS DRIVING GOLF CARTS ON POINT DUME
The county sheriff’s office said in a social media post today that there is a “recent increase in reported and unreported golf cart collisions in the Point Dume area.”
In the memo, parents were reminded that street-legal electric carts must only be driven by licensed drivers, and that they must have California license plates. They must also have safety equipment and cannot speed above 35 mph.
Plain old golf carts are not legal except in cities that allow them within one mile of a golf course, and there are no such places in Malibu.
And kids caught driving without licenses can be denied driving privileges until age 18.
Larger carts, called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles or Low-Speed Vehicles, can only be operated by licensed drivers and must be insured and registered with the DMV.
Failure to follow registration requirements will result in the impoundment of your vehicle until proof of ownership and adequate registration is obtained from the DMV.
Motorists found driving a Low-Speed Vehicle on the roadway without a valid driver’s license face fines, towing and storage fees and having their vehicle impounded for 30 days.
Parents can be cited for allowing unlicensed drivers to have vehicles on the road.
Federal regulations specify requirements for low speed vehicles, said the county. A low speed vehicle is a 4-wheeled motor vehicle, whose speed is not more than 25 mph.
The federal standard requires 10 specific items of safety equipment; (1) Headlamps, (2) Front and rear turn signal lamps, (3) Tail lamps, (4) Stop lamps, (5) Front/Rear/Side reflectors, (6) Drivers side mirror and either interior or passenger side mirror, (7) Parking brake, (8) Glazed windshield, (9) 17-digit conforming VIN number, (10) Seat-belt assembles installed at each designated seating position.
SANTA MONICA COPS GO HIGH TECH TO PREVENT LOOTING
Organized gangs breaking into stores has become problem in California.
The state is rushing out millions of dollars to local police departments to combat organized retail theft.
Santa Monica police are getting just over 6 million dollars from the state for this effort.
Santa Monica PD will establish an Analytical Real-Time Center.
They hope to use license plate readers and smart cameras to strategically allocate police resources to address crime throughout the city.
Also … remote flying drones.
And a system to allow cops in the field to hear 911 calls as they are coming in to the police operators.
Santa Monica has seen gangs of organized crooks enter and exit the city on the 10 Freeway … smashing and grabbing from stores.
Santa Monica was one of 38 local law enforcement agencies awarded funds through the Organized Retail Theft prevention grant program.
Santa Monica police will be adding focused deployments in major shopping areas … and will be joining the Los Angeles County Retail Theft Task Force to collaboratively address high-profile retail theft incidents.
The six million dollars in anti theft money goes on top of there annual police budget from Santa Monica … which is 741 million dollars this year.
Santa Monica has 215 police officers on staff now.
SMPD was humiliated in 2021 when gangs of looters took over part of downtown, at the same time that police were diverted to a peaceful civil rights march near the pier that had nothing to do with the burglaries and thefts a short distance away.
MALIBU SHIRT VENDORS GET TRAILER TOWED OFF ABBOTT KINNEY BLVD IN VENICE
A Malibu based clothing store has had its retail trailer towed away from a swanky Venice shopping street
Merchants and residents living in the area had complained that a trailer was illegally parked on Saturdays … hawking designer t-shirts to tourists and locals alike.
The Westside Courant newspaper says the trailer was owned by Jones WRKWR, a Malibu company.
The newspaper reports that Jones WRKWR had been bringing their custom built trailer onto Abbot Kinney Boulevard early every Saturday morning … and leaving it all weekend while employees sold merchandise on the street.
The city, Los Angeles has signs clearly limiting vehicle height on Abbet Kinney to 6 feet.
The Westside Current also reports that the city limits parking to two hours per visit…
But the Malibu store was occupying valuable customer parking spaces for two days every week without moving it.
The trailer was impounded by Los Angeles Department of Transportation workers, and towed to an impound yard.
