SCE Says Circuit Breakers On Cuthbert Are Working Exactly As Designed, Cutting Power

The local power company says its system is working exactly as intended … after three power outages in four weeks.

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“We are seeing a situation here with the system is performing as it is designed to, with safety in mind.”

Those are the words of a Southern California Edison spokesman … as he describes the Cuthbert Circuit performing exactly the way it is supposed to … as it shut down power in western Malibu three times in the past two months.

The precise cause for two of those three outages is not known … and will never be known. 

One of the three outages was a bird that caused a flashover … but the other two were simply the system’s new automatic shutoff devices performing exactly as intended.

On June 2nd … June 25th … and July 3rd … new sensors on the power system sensed irregularities … and shut down the lines.

Spokesman Jeff Monford. 

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“Sensors that are designed to interrupt the power sensors that are designed to interrupt the power if they detect any form of interference contacting line or animal contacting the line.

“And the sensors are designed to stop the power of the idea being that we want to do what we can to prevent a spark, a spark that could fall down down onto dry vegetation on the ground.”

The power company’s Jeff Monford says each automatic shut off means Edison line crews will need to patrol every section of overhead lines … and that can be a lengthy process … each time. 

Now that policy of inspections is something new.

Up until a few years ago … the power company would not patrol each segment of overhead line after a power fluctuation. 

In fact … Edison used to use “automatic reclosers” … devices that waited five minutes after a power outage… sent automatically sent a test jolt of power down the line … to wait for a second power flashover to see if there was a problem.

Those days are gone. 

SCE now has high tech fault detectors … says the power company spokesman … and SCE has them set to hair trigger levels.

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“Well, in high risk areas we have what we consider to be conservative settings. 

“Our bias toward being a little overly-sensitive … compared to not sensitive enough … so that we are making sure that we are – in a high fire risk area – we have the sensors available if there is something that interferes with the line 

“So they are adjustable, and they are very finely-tuned for safety according to their location.”

In other words … you live in a very high fire risk area … get used to this … this is the new reality of living in the mountains.

Judge Will Hear Silverstein And Uhring Request To Be Dismissed As Defendants In Fernandez ‘Distress’ Lawsuit

An important court hearing in the lawsuit brought by a former Malibu city hall employee against two council members … and the city … will be this Friday.

As KBUU has been reporting .. it’s a case management conference scheduled by Judge Gail Killefer … for 8:30 am Friday in the civil courthouse on Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. 

During that hearing … lawyers for the city will argue that the lawsuit filed by Adrian Fernandez should be tossed out.

City council members Bruce Silverstein and Steve Uhring … the city … and the city manager at the time were all sued by Fernandez. 

Adrian Fernandez was the planner who drafted analysis of a proposed hotel across from the Malibu Pier … and he was widely criticized for his performance. 

He sued the city and the two council members … as well as then-city manager Steve McClary.

He claims Silverstein invaded his privacy by publicizing his mental health claim against the city government.

He claims Uhring threatened him.

And Fernandez claims Malibu … the city … itself is racist … by setting up a mostly white city and then demanding that city planners live here.

Silverstein has filed court documents pointing out that he has Legislative Privilege … and that disclosing Fernandez’s mental health claim was a First Amendment protected activity.

He argues that the public has a right to know about the capacity of their public officials … and the statement was made in a public forum.

And the city lawyers argue that “the public has a right to know about the capacity of their public officials” … and thus Fernandez’s medical condition was discussed by the council members “in a public forum.”

The lawyers write that … “as our Supreme Court explains, “newsworthiness is a complete bar to common law liability.”

The matter goes before the judge Friday morning. 

Coastal Commission Will Decide On New Public Trail From PCH Near Geoffrey’s

A big fight between homeowners in the Malibu hills … and the MRCA … may get settled at the California Coastal Commission today. 

The issue is public access from Pacific Coast Highway up into there canyons leading to the waterfall … which runs when the creek runs in Ramirez Canyon. 

Dozens of cars are parked along PCH most days … hundreds of hikers heading up t the canyon … or down to the beach.

Now .. the MRCA plans to open up another trail … from PCH up to the waterfalls .. 

This trail will go through the edge of the Meadoes Court subdivision. 

The owners of a house there promised in 1994 to give an easement to the state … and build the access trail.

MRCA … the Mountains Resource Conservation Authority … says this lot is the last piece of private land that they need to complete the access trial.

A 750 thousand dollar payoff to the state has been negotiated but hr new owners of the house … working to make the Coastal Commission happy.,

This could affect the homeowners along the other two access routes to the waterfalls. 

Winding Way is one trail … a private road with public access trials on the side of it. 

And the private driveways in Sycamore park … where MRCA is trying to wedge in a trail ..,. are also 

Council Will Decide How Big The Wetland On Civic Center Is

Malibu’s city council will have to referee a spat between the Malibu Township Council and an investment company over a vacant lot off Civic Center Way.

The vacant lot … on Civic Center Way under the condominiums … sometimes fills up with water … 

It’s a wetland … an important biological feature during wet years.

But during dry years … it’s been viewed as a fire hazard … 

For years … the owners used to regularly run a tractor over the land and plow it with a disc … wetlands and all. 

The weeds were viewed as a fire danger.

Now … the 7 acre lot called the Smith property is viewed as a very special and valuable wetlands that should be protected from further environmental degradation and restored.

The question is …. How much of the 7 acres is wetlands. … that should never repeated with wetlands plants. 

The investors who bought it say they will restore the wetlands … but not all of the prominent lot is deserving of that.

The Malibu Township Council and activist Patt Healy beg to differ.  

They say the weeds are actually wetland … on the Pacific Flyway … needed for the use of migrating birds not only as a source of food and water but as a place to rest and recover before continuing their incredible journey.

Next week … the city council will wade into the thorny issue … and try to decide just how much of the vascillating wetlands deserve protection…. And how much can be set aside for future development.

SMMUSD Board Approves Budget That Calls For Malibu Parent Support

Fundraising in Malibu’s public schools is beginning to enable the local schools to pull their own weight … as compared to Santa Monica. 

For years … substantial parent support in Santa Monica has dwarfed the small amount of parent financial underwriting for Malibu schools. 

The reason is simple … the Santa Monica school board swooped in and took over the once-substantial contributions from Malibu more than two decades ago.

The policy backfired on Santa Monica …. Malibu parents stopped giving … and it fell to Santa Monica parents to make up the difference.

Now … with Malibu still trying to prove it can support an independent school district … Malibu is stepping up.

The city council out here is supplying a half million dollars in seed money to set up a foundation … to raise money to support Malibu schools.

Next year …the Malibu Education Foundation will kick in 593 thousand dollars to support arts teachers … reading tutors … and a new middle school sports program in Malibu.

After just a few years … the Malibu Education Foundation is raising a half million dollars. … compared to the Santa Monica Education Foundation’s $1.8 million.

The City of Malibu’s subsidy for the local foundation is a kickstarter … designed to get it up and financially independent in a few years. 

The Malibu Education Foundation says they are ahead of the city’s goals in that regard. 

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education last week unanimously approved a $282 million budget for the next school year.

Rebuild Malibu Gets Award From Planners Group

A regional planning group has given the City of malibu an award for tis Rebuild Malibu program.

City staff and outside consultants have swarmed the task .. setting up a special office and hiring people to help fire victims in the planning and permitting process.

The American Planning Association’s Los Angeles Section has given the city effort its 2025 Award of Excellence for Resilience and Sustainability.

Heat Wave This Week Will See 96º In Local Mountains

You may be hearing headlines on the TV stations about a big heat wave.

Don;t fall for it.

Coastal areas today will see highs around 70 degrees, with the mountains and the 101 cities hitting about 96.

Heat Advisories are unlikely due the relatively short duration of the heat as well

as relatively cool overnight temperatures providing some relief … says the National Weather Service.

Late night and early morning clouds will likely continue near the coast each

day … with the potential for pockets of dense fog.🌫️

Monsoon moisture from the east … thunderstorm weather …may push the coastal low cloud development out to the west.

There is a 5 percent chance of a shower or two in the higher inland mountains.