Malibu Surfside News September 2020 Edition

12 | September 16, 2020 | MALIBU SURFSIDE NEWS NEWS
malibusurfsidenews.com
SILVERSTEIN
From Page 6
Township Council (member);
Malibu Democratic
Club (member); Malibu
Coalition for Slow Growth
(supporter); Sierra Club
(member). I also was active
providing guidance
to the Malibu Foundation
when it was first formulating
its plans to be of help
to members of the community
who lost their homes
in the Woolsey Fire.
7. How long have you
lived in Malibu? 9 years
in October
8. Why are you running
for Malibu City Council?
The Woolsey Fire was a
devastating disaster. On
Dec. 10, 2018, I attended the
first regular meeting of Malibu
City Council following
the Woolsey Fire. I expected
to witness the council members
in full exigency mode,
working to help the community
in the aftermath of
the fire. Instead, I witnessed
90 minutes of ceremonial
platitudes and self-congratulations
that were an insult
to the community. I spoke
out against the charade at
that meeting, and I followed
with an onslaught of public
criticism (both constructive
and negative) designed to
generate a public discussion
and reform.
Following the Woolsey
Fire, I conceived, created,
organized, and led the
Lawyer Project of Operation
Recovery; we were
able to help hundreds of
Malibu residents obtain
superior legal representation
at unprecedentedly
discounted prices (all contingent
on a recovery). I
devoted hundreds of hours
to the Lawyer Project,
and I did so without any
compensation of any sort
— and with a promise
that I would not accept
compensation if offered
to me. When Malibu City
Council was considering
the city’s budget following
the Woolsey Fire, the city
manager initially projected
$2.6 million in revenue
from fees for rebuilding
permits for homes
destroyed in the Woolsey
Fire. Through Operation
Recovery, I spearheaded an
initiative to prevail upon
City Council to waive
those fees — which the
city manager and some
members of City Council
initially opposed (and now
pat themselves on the back
for approving).
I also fought City Hall on
various environmental matters,
including two matters
I appealed to the Coastal
Commission to prevent
destruction of environmentally
sensitive habitat.
I also advocated various
reforms, including pressing
City Council to exert
greater authority over the
city manager and city staff.
Because of my public activism,
many Malibu residents
— including current and
former members of City
Council and city commissions
— urged me to run for
City Council. Ultimately,
and with more than a bit
of trepidation, I agreed to
throw my hat into the ring. I
did so out of a sense of civic
obligation and not because
of any personal desire.
The current members of
City Council were elected
before the Woolsey Fire
“woke” us to the reality that
they are ceremonial leaders,
whose main qualification
is that they are the friends
of many voters. Making
matters worse, the city
manager, city attorney and
almost all of Malibu’s city
staff are non-residents, who
lack the personal perspective
of the residents of our
small community. That is
why the City Council rarely
acts contrary to a “staff
recommendation” that often
conflicts with the wishes of
the community. That is why
many residents are dissatisfied
with City Hall.
Today, Malibu’s unique
environment, natural
beauty, and calming
serenity are under assault
by commercial developers,
transient visitors
and a growing homeless
population. Crime, traffic,
and littered streets and
beaches are on the rise.
The omnipresent threat of
wildfire, earthquakes and
other disasters looms large.
And the double-punch of
the Woolsey Fire and CO-
VID-19 pandemic have left
the city’s bloated budget
battered and bruised. The
ceremonial members of
City Council simply are
not up to the task of dealing
with these issues.
Before becoming a community
activist for Malibu,
I practiced law for more
than 30 years and was
once identified as one of
the top 500 lawyers in the
country. I have substantial
experience drafting
laws, construing laws, and
resolving complex disputes
that require novel solutions
to seemingly insurmountable
problems — the same
type of work required of
members of City Council.
Remarkably, City Council
has not had a member who
is a lawyer for more than a
decade.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
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