MALIBU—At a Malibu City Council meeting on Monday, February 14, citizens petitioned for a mitigation ordinance intended to stay the implementation of a new Los Angeles fee scheme, which externalizes the costs of water system repair. Landowners are being asked to forgo home construction or face prohibitive water system upgrades in the millions.
Homebuilders are not the only ones paying exorbitant sums. Current homeowners seeking to renovate are also subject to the new Los Angeles requirements.
Citizens requested that Malibu demand Los Angeles pay for water system improvements, since this is the legal obligation of Los Angeles County, and not taxpayers, who would arguably experience double-taxation under the scheme. Craig George, building safety manager for Malibu, claims that currently 45 homeowners are in financial limbo as a result of the new policy.
The new Los Angeles rules require homes in Malibu to be able to pump 1,250 gallons per minute for two hours. Many homes are not able to meet this requirement, due to aging water system infrastructure that hasn’t been updated since 1960.
Speaking before the Malibu City Council, developer Christopher Deleau said that the needed improvements to the Malibu water infrastructure are estimated at between $150 million and $200 million. The Malibu water system was purchased by Los Angeles County 51 years ago, and since then there have been allegedly no improvements. Some speakers at the meeting pointed out that by passing the costs of system modifications onto citizens, Los Angeles was guaranteeing that no progress would be made on the Malibu water system, while at the same time guaranteeing no revenue collected, since the sums required of citizens desiring to build are considered astronomical.
The request for an urgency ordinance permitting mitigation measures has been ignored for the time being, owing to the fact that the ordinance was not on the meeting agenda. Individual council members seem to be favorable towards the ordinance.
