Editor's Note: Malibu Patch sent a questionnaire to the seven City Council candidates. The questions come from Malibu Patch readers and Malibu Patch staff. All candidates received the same questions. Be sure to find out the candidates' views on more Malibu issues by watching the Great Malibu Debate .
What is your name, birth date and how many years have you lived in Malibu (if there are any gaps, mention them and explain them)? Who are your immediate family members? Feel free to mention names and ages.
Name: Andy Lyon
Birthdate: 11/13/1962
Years in Malibu: "In the 'Bu since '62."
Family members: Four children, ages 22, 21, 18 and 7.
What is your education and work history?
I went to Webster, Malibu Park Junior High, Santa Monica High, and SMC. I had the Evening Outlook paper route in the Colony when I was 10, bagged groceries at The Colony market, washed dishes at Cardi’s, delivered Rx’s at The Malibu pharmacy/Colony coffee shop, lots of odd jobs around Malibu. I waited tables at I Love Sushi, bartended at Alice’s and Beaurivage and for the last 15 years I have been selling Real Estate here in Malibu.
Why are you qualified to be on the City Council?
I am a citizen of Malibu that doesn’t want anything in return other than to hopefully keep Malibu, Malibu.
Who are you voting for in this election?
I will vote for whoever commits to stopping the bulldozers that are set to destroy the lagoon even if that means standing in front of them, and whoever is willing to fight the sewer project and the overdevelopment that it will allow. So I guess it is up to the other candidates as to whom I will vote for. Hamish for sure.
What is your favorite book? movie? Why?
Ask the dust by John Fante.
Breaking Away. As a kid growing up in Malibu I really related to this movie as Pepperdine started to take over.
Why do you live in Malibu?
This is where I grew up. My parents left me here…and like the native weeds that line the Pacific Coast Hwy, my roots are planted here and doing quite well.
Who was Malibu’s best City Council member? Why do you choose that person?
Pamela…for taking a stance on the lagoon issue and trying to actually do something about it unlike the others that are giving lip service on that issue or spending City money to avoid saying anything at all.
Do you think the agencies involved in lobbying for sewers have any connection to the developers that will profit from them in our community?
Well, the whole reason we are supposedly needing a sewer is because the existing septics are the source of pollution at the lagoon and surfrider beach. If they were actually the problem you would think that they would be the first to hook up to a sewer. Instead the first to hook up are commercial properties that aren’t even built yet? How does that begin to work on an existing problem?
And now it turns out that the source of the problem is from the birds and the City isn’t going to use the information that they received from the USGS report that they spent something like $125k for to challenge the MOU?
Ok…so, the Co. that is designing the sewer RMC, who also did the legacy park donates money to Heal the Bay who has been a major driving force in forcing Malibu into a sewer project with RWQCB.
Cathrine Tyrell of RMC used to be on the RWQCB and now sits on the SMBRC who is doing the lagoon project.
I asked Thorsen what other company’s bid on the sewer project and he told me that I could find that in the public records but that RMC was picked based on the fact that they were leaders in the field. He told me this at the finance sub- committee where they were asking for an additional $1.45 million because they didn’t know they were going to have to inject the water into the ground. That’s how they lead the field?
So now we have Heal the Bay forcing the sewer and pushing for the lagoon project and getting money from State Parks for the lagoon and money from the company doing the sewer project. Oh, and the company that is going to dredge the lagoon has someone on the Board of HtB too. Very incestuous.
Anyways, the sewer will allow the commercial properties to build out. Contracts are being awarded based on relationships forged on the SMBRC by favors and back room deals.
So the Sewer project, Legacy Park, and Lagoon Project are all interconnected and tied together by the SMBRC where Heal the Bay also sits. How much money is being donated to Heal the Bay by the commercial property owners? Why isn’t the council protecting the residential property owners that are in the septic ban area now that is shown to be from the birds ?
It should be noted also that the GHAD that was allowed by the council was engineered by the same engineers that are doing the lagoon project…Moffit & Nichols.
So my answer to the question is yes, definitely.
How will you help Malibu retain its beautiful rural charm?
Not quite to the extreme of Rhoda May Rindge’s armed cowboys.
Some of the candidates seem to have hung their hats on being born here or living here a long time. What’s more important, being a long-time resident in Malibu or having a track record of showing up at City Council meetings and volunteering in Malibu organizations?
What’s important is why you want to put yourself in this position. Are you someone that just wants the position or do you want to actually stand up get involved because something is so unacceptable that you can’t just sit back and not get involved.
Are you building a resume or taking a stand?
What is your agenda? To help keep Malibu Malibu or promote yourself?
That’s what is important.
The Tapia sewage treatment facility was built without Malibu community input and has caused grievous harm to Malibu's main watershed. It is set up to get worse as it processes more than 10 million gallons of sewage a day. Will you support an effort to hold the Army Corp of Engineers accountable for coming up with a plan to reroute that processed sewage to the Valley for irrigation purposes?
There already is a pipe going back to the valley. We all had to deal with that project a couple of years ago on Malibu Cyn…why is it not online yet? It was supposed to go online last year at the same time that the lagoon project was to begin. They could right now be sending water back to the valley right now. Funny, at the CCC hearing for the lagoon project the design team during their presentation showed how they unveil the new lagoon when finished...they take down the berm and then flood it. I wonder what would happen if the lagoon was dug out and there wasn’t any water coming down from tapia to flood the ‘new lagoon'?
Again, these people all sit on the SMBRC.
Why does Malibu insist on taking the blame for Tapia?
It is time send the blame and the water back to the valley.
Do you support a livable wage for City Council Members, such as $2,000 per month or more, plus benefits?
No, I’ll wait for the consulting job that you get after you serve on the council...from what I see that’s where the real money is.
Benefits are okay, I guess, since there is already a group plan in place.
A voter-approved city law restricts candidates to serving two terms on the City Council. But terms served before 2000 do not count toward that total. Is it appropriate for a candidate to use this loophole to run for three or more terms?
I’m going to give Joan the benefit of the doubt…maybe she forgot.
How do you feel about the Malibu Bay Co. Development Agreement (Measure M) that voters rejected in 2003?
It’s come back, only this time it is in the form of a phase I sewer assessment district that commercial property owners get to be the only ones that vote on it?
Malibu shopping centers in recent years have started to resemble Rodeo Drive, especially in the Cross Creek area. Many shops and services used by local shoppers have closed due to high rents. What do you think of Preserve Malibu's proposal for a diversification ordinance that would require a broader offering of services, or do you have a better solution?
I support what ‘Preserve Malibu’ is doing and would work with them. I would also hope to slow development by fighting the sewer and working to put the Civic Center properties on individual AOWTS’. Go walk around Cross Creek on the weekend and try and find someone you know. One thing you will notice is the lack of people carrying bags of things purchased. It is a bunch of looky loos…we have all these stores and really what they are here for is to hopefully see somebody famous getting chased by the Paps.
How do you propose working with other council members with whom you might disagree on contentious issues?
Contrary to how I have been portrayed, I am able to work with anybody when it is a two way discussion instead of a two minute attempt at getting a point across to someone that doesn’t have a time restriction or refuses to respond to the question.
I will however stand up for Malibu and will not waiver to anything that I perceive to be a sell out against Malibu.
How would you change city government (larger, smaller, different emphasis)?
More clarity in what is happening at City Hall. Real time streaming of all committee meetings and staff meetings. Allowing public input via Skype on Council meetings.
More input from the community groups that are spearheading and handling the real issues that are affecting the City. I think that these groups are so important and are almost being alienated. I want the input of these groups to help in getting things done.
Do you support the acquisition of land for additional parks and recreation facilities? If so, how would you finance this?
Well, I bet anybody that was thinking about donating land or money for land to Malibu would be thinking twice after legacy park or blowing the chance to get the properties across from Heathercliff.
Of course I do support getting land, but not in shady development deals.
How do you plan to better prepare the citizens of Malibu for the next fire? Do you believe the last fire was handled well, and how will the Corral Canyon Volunteer Fire Department affect the next fire that will be coming soon?
All the preparedness in the world might not be enough when a fire breaks out in 50 mph Santa Ana winds. Having the equipment to fight the fire in the right place at the right time is imperative though to have a chance. We need to have the super scooper planes and water dropping helicopters on call and ready to go. Also might look into utilizing the water that Pepperdine sends over the hill by building more water tanks up across the ridge towards Corral and Latigo. Monday morning quarter backing the last fire does no good and won’t bring anybody’s home back.
I think it is great that Corral Cyn has its own volunteer fire department, but I’m unclear if they are for the sole use in Corral Cyn.
So if the next fire hits corral again I think it will definitely help…not sure how they will contribute to a fire in another canyon.
But it does say something about not relying solely on anyone else to protect your property.
