The Malibu Times • March 17, 2022

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The Malibu Times The Malibu Times NEWS PA PER • MAGAZ I NE • O NL I NE

NEW S PAPER • MAGAZINE •ONLINE Malibu’s Award-Winning Community Paper Since 1946

VOL. LXXV • NO. XLIX

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY

Paddle out memorial held for local hero and friend

Councilmember Pierson removes hot topic from meeting agenda Community outraged with displacement of Georgia Goldfarb on Parks and Rec panel By SAMANTHA BRAVO of The Malibu Times

The Malibu City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night. The evening started with addressing item number 7a on the agenda, “Councilmember Pierson to make his appointment to the Parks and Recreation Commission.” Councilmember Mikke Pierson made the motion to move the item to the next City Council meeting on March 28. Councilmember Steve Uhring seconded the motion with no opposing. Mayor Paul Grisanti declared March 2022 as American Red Cross Month and encouraged citizens of Malibu to reach out to its humanitarian mission. During public comment for non-agenda items, community members Bill Sampson and Jo Drummond addressed the firing of Dr. Georgia Goldfarb by CONTINUED ON PAGE A6

Friends, family, and well-wishers gathered together on March 12, at Zuma Beach to paddle out to sea and honor their friend Steven Robert “Moak,” who died on Jan. 17 (Additional photos on A6). Photo by Julie Ellerton/TMT.

Government identifies aquaculture opportunities in federal waters of f Malibu Coast Coastal Commission claims it fast-tracks aquaculture operation approvals; with kelp the fastest growing sector By JIMY TALLAL Special to The Malibu Times

For anyone thinking of starting an offshore farm to raise fish, shellfish, seaweed, or kelp near Malibu, now may be the time. A ‘Presidential Executive Order’ that passed in May 2020 calls for the expansion of sustainable and environmentally safe seafood production in the U.S. to ensure food security without unnecessary regulatory burdens. In addition, technological innovations in the aquaculture field now make it possible to farm commer-

cially in open ocean sites. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been developing science-based tools for all types of aquaculture, including the best places to site an aqua farm within reasonable range of the waterfront. Last November, it published an Atlas with maps that identifies very specific areas off the coast of Malibu in the Santa Monica Bay that would be suitable for an aquafarm (in addition to a number of sites off Santa Barbara). Expressions of interest from businesses in pursuing operations on these sites have already been received by state and federal agencies. In identifying the ideal sites for aquafarms, NOAA used sophisticated analyses with hundreds of variables, including military and transportation routes, oil and gas CONTINUED ON PAGE A8

Malibu Film Society no longer able to screen films in Malibu

Karen Farrer named president of LVMCOG Board

INSIDE this week

Non-profit must meet city code conditions after complaint from separate Malibu Film Festival

Malibu councilmember to head up inter-city authority

By JIMY TALLAL Special to The Malibu Times

By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times

The Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Government Board announced Malibu City Councilmember Karen Farrer as the president of the board during its Feb. 18 meeting. LVMCOG is a joint powers authority of the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village. Through the COG, the cities cooperatively and voluntarily work together to address regional priorities and matters of mutual interests. Previous president Kelly Honig, of Westlake Village, nominated Farrer as president and Stuart Siegel of Hidden Hills for vice president. Farrer follows Honig, who served two terms.

An underwater shot of a kelp forest in Malibu. The NOAA and California Coastal Commission have been encouraging aquaculture in the area. Contributed photo

KAREN FARRER “I am more than happy to do it,” Farrer said. “Kelly did a great job and I was happy to step up.” The board also includes Siegel, Denis Weber of Agoura Hills and Alicia Weintraub of Calabasas. Farrer said the COG discusses individual issues and concerns and provides perspective CONTINUED ON PAGE A8

Before the Malibu Film Society (MFS) can bring movies back to Malibu, the Planning Department says it must now meet one of two conditions: either get a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for each event or use a venue with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that specifically allows movie screenings. Both conditions are complex, and neither were imposed by the city back when the non-profit first launched in 2009. MFS was founded when Malibu’s only movie theater re-opened after a fire, and residents learned it was losing its lease. That’s when two local businesses — The Malibu Times (under former publishers Arnold and Karen York) and Community Cinema Consultants — ap-

proached the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue (MJCS) with a way to keep movies on the big screen in Malibu. Together, they created the non-profit MFS. To help fund the startup, they applied for a General Fund Grant, which stated that it would be holding events at MJCS. When the city approved that grant, then-City Manager Jim Thorsen explained in a recent phone interview that no questions were raised regarding the permissibility of those events under the existing municipal code. According to the organization, MFS was so well-received by the community that the city approved a second grant request the following year. Since then, MFS has grown with the support of hundreds of local members and sponsors, along with major film studios. Over the CONTINUED ON PAGE A8

Elizabeth Lamont reminisces on decades of interior designing in Malibu. PAGE B1 Opinion . . . . . . . . . A2

News Briefs . . . . . . . A3 Calendar . . . . . . . . . A4 Real Estate . . . . . . . . A7 Malibu Life . . . . . . . B1 Legal Notices . . . . . . B3 Business Svs. & Dir. . . B7 Classifieds . . . . . . . . B7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . B8


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