Malibu Surfside News September 2020 Edition

28 | September 16, 2020 | MALIBU SURFSIDE NEWS NEWS
malibusurfsidenews.com
STEWART
From Page 6
Pacifica HOA.
7. How long have you
lived in Malibu? Over 20
years
8. Why are you running
for Malibu City Council?
During my over 20
years of living in Malibu,
I have developed a deep
love for this close-knit
community, as well as
Malibu’s one-of-a-kind
nature and beauty. Between
the Woolsey fire and
the COVID-19 pandemic,
our city has now faced two
major crises within the
last 18 months. Not only
is there a near certainty
for a financial crisis in the
months ahead, but it is
almost inevitable that we
will also see another fire or
natural disaster in our nearterm
future. With immense
challenges headed our way,
Malibu City Council must
have the “best hands on
deck” to bring their skills
and expertise to lead us in
a positive direction. Protecting
and preserving the
things that we love most
by preparing for whatever
might come next is what
compelled me to run for
office. I am certain that my
decades of experience in finance
and budget management,
as well as leadership
roles on Malibu’s Public
Safety Commission, has
prepared me to expertly
serve our city.
9. When we say parking
in Malibu, you say?
What a mess especially
when we are packed with
visitors. We need to write
more tickets for the violators,
raise the fines to the
point that it helps to deter
the bad parking habits,
and have tow trucks at the
ready when the violators
are presenting a hazard to
public safety. This is a high
priority to many of our
Malibu constituents and
these are issues that we are
working on right now in
the Public Safety Commission
where I am the vice
chair.
10. What is your stance
on short-term rentals?
Whatever law or regulations
Malibu establishes
is only the first step in the
short-term rental equation.
The important part
is how we enforce these
rules. We should have
continual, dedicated code
enforcement officers who
physically inspect the
properties, ensure compliance,
promptly respond to
complaints, and assist in
checking for non-permitted
operators. The funding
for these code enforcers
should come from the permit
fees paid each year by
the STR owners. No neighbor
should have to wait
for an STR problem to be
resolved. Additionally, the
city should limit its STR
approval to only what the
consensus is for the extent
of licensing including how
many days a year the property
may be rented out. But
in no case should the city
allow corporate-owned
properties or non-primary
residences to be used as
STRs in my opinion.
11. The Malibu Chamber
of Commerce is
the bridge between the
people and businesses
to form a tight, thriving
community. How would
you empower the Chamber
of Commerce to
drive the community to
new heights? The Chamber
is the advocate and
facilitator for businesses to
thrive in Malibu and other
communities around the
country. The Malibu city
government has to be the
equal and willing helping
hand to both the chamber
and its business members
by being an advocate and
facilitator as well as providing
prompt constituency
support. Yes, we have millions
of visitors each year
and we have to assist and
promote our businesses to
thrive with these out-oftown
clients. However,
we have to take care of
our local merchant owners
and our residents as they
are our first and foremost
constituents. It is in our
mutual best interest for the
city to have an eagerness
to say yes to what is proper
to support our businesses,
but we have to always
remember to protect our
locals and our city.
12. Parting words: In
early June, our city of
Malibu came to realize
how hard our city’s
finances have been hit.
The Woolsey fire, COVID
and now our budget crisis
are the types of disasters
that are often referred to
as Black Swan events in
business planning. These
are events that are thought
of as only one in a million
possibility of occurring,
but when they do, everybody
says we should have
seen it coming. And it is
highly likely that a natural
disaster could be the next
black swan for us as well.
Today our Malibu is facing
the worst financial crisis
in its nearly 30-year history.
This is the time to
bring the competent and
experienced leadership to
the task so that we can get
through this and remain the
wonderful place we all call
home. It won’t be easy, but
it does require those who
know what to do and will
make it happen. It is for
reasons like this that I am
a candidate and am asking
the residents of Malibu to
vote for me, Doug Stewart,
as I am ready to take on the
tasks as their City Council
member.
UHRING
From Page 6
8. Why are you running
for Malibu City Council?
I am running because
I want to help our City
Council make better decisions.
I believe we need to
do a better job of protecting
our environment and
rural character and I am
certain we need to bring
back a respect for the quality
of life of our residents.
I was promoted to senior
executive positions in
the companies I worked
for because I learned to
work as a team, listen to
facts and make decisions
that had a demonstrable
positive impact on whatever
was being acted
upon. I can do the same
for Malibu. If you know
me, you know that I have
been active in protecting
our environment. I led the
charge to stop a shopping
center on Legacy Park
and instead helped raise
$500,000 to buy the land;
and I was on the team that
created the Dark Sky Ordinance,
among other efforts.
As a Planning Commission
member I have seen the
quality of life in Malibu
slipping away. We ignore
the rules, we play favorites,
we pass ordinances
without any enforcement,
homeless encampments
fill our highways and
short-term rentals destroy
our neighborhoods. Those
WETTON
From Page 6
7. How long have you
lived in Malibu? 1978-81;
1998-present
8. Why are you running
for Malibu City Council?
I am running for City
Council to improve public
safety, protect the environment
and save/enhance our
problems are not insurmountable,
We just have to
have the willpower to fix
them. If that is what you
want, give me your vote
this November.
9. When we say parking
in Malibu, you say? Too
Much: The Homeless RVs
parked along PCH need to
be resolved. The campers
dumping sewage on our
beaches is a health hazard
and the permanently parked
RVs conflict with the Coastal
Commission’s mandate to
provide visitor access to the
beaches and ocean.
Not Enough: The traffic
congestion in front of Nobu
and Soho on PCH is unacceptable.
Another Planning
Commission member and
I met with Nobu and Soho
management to discuss a
plan where employees and
potentially some customers
would park in a lot in the
Civic Center and a shuttle
would take them to restaurants
on PCH. This concept
is currently successfully deployed
in Laguna and could
work not only for Nobu
and Soho but for other
establishments along PCH.
Nobu and Soho agreed, the
Chamber of Commerce
agreed so we took the idea
to City Hall. Since that time
we have seen no action on
the part of the city.
sense of community.
9. When we say parking
in Malibu, you say? Parking
in Malibu is a mess.
Correcting this is part of
my public safety platform.
We need to take back our
city from visitors who don’t
feel obligated to follow
our ordinances. We need to
tighten parking regulations
to discourage overnight
parking and camping along
10. What is your stance
on short-term rentals?
I agree with the city’s
plan to create a shortterm
rental ordinance that
mirrors the Santa Monica
home share ordinance. In
short, the homeowner is required
to be on-site during
the rental. After numerous
short-term rental presentations
at the Planning Commission
and City Council it
is clear that the presence of
the homeowner significantly
reduces complaints.
11. The Malibu Chamber
of Commerce is the bridge
between the people and
businesses to form a tight,
thriving community. How
would you empower the
Chamber of Commerce
to drive the community
to new heights? Have the
chamber highlight one
successful Malibu Business
per month at a City Council
meeting. Provide funding to
allow the chamber to host
a monthly CEO speaker
series to keep businesses up
to date on the latest business
and marketing trends.
Help the chamber promote
member businesses to the
local community, encouraging
residents to shop at
stores that enhance the local
economy.
12. Parting words: The
residents I talk to are concerned
with how quickly the
“Malibu Quality of Life”
is disappearing. They hope
the next City Council can
provide some workable
solutions in areas like traffic,
homeless issues and rising
crime in our community.
PCH and provide a safe
parking lot for people who
are currently “unhoused”
so that we can enforce our
ordinances. Parking fines
should be increased to
provide a stronger deterrent
to illegal parking.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
For the full Q-and-A, see
malibusurfsidenews.com.