County Supervisor Announces Plans for Proposed SMC Satellite Campus in the Civic Center Complex

• Event Becomes Update on Brokering of Deal that Meets Sheriff’s Needs

BY BILL KOENEKER

The Malibu Chamber of Commerce’s “State of the City” function last week produced some breaking news, when Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky announced that a tentative deal has been reached for the county-owned former sheriff’s substation space in Malibu, long coveted for the future home of a satellite campus of Santa Monica College.
“We will lease the property, not sell it, and the college will have its classrooms and the sheriff will have use in an emergency during floods or fires of an emergency operations incident command center,” said Yaroslavsky.
“We want to make room for the college and figure out what the sheriff needs. I met with [Sheriff Lee] Baca and will meet with the college president.”
The supervisor, who is seeking reelection in June, recalled Baca wanted the entire building for an EOC training center. “That is not necessary here. We have our EOC in East Los Angeles,” the supervisor said.
Yaroslavsky said a classroom would be set aside and would be designed to be convertible or reversible into an EOC.
“They will slide a wall open for that. Baca loved the idea. I love the idea. The college has signed off. I have signed off on the concept. The devil is in the details and it is subject to approval of the Board of Supervisors. I don’t think that will be a problem. And subject to the board of the college district,” the third district supervisor said.
Yaroslavsky said that although the proposal is still tentative, he wanted to announce it while he was in Malibu. “That is kind of a new development,” he said.
Aware of the upcoming city council elections, Yaroslvasky said he hopes the incoming city council would honor the work that has already been done on creating a satellite campus.
Malibu voters have already approved a bond measure that earmarks $25 million for such a project.
The supervisor praised outgoing Mayor Sharon Barovsky and Councilmember Andy Stern, describing them as “class acts” who serve for what they can do for the community. “That is the sad thing about term limits, when people are at the top of their game,” he said.
Yaroslavsky also discussed the state of the county and how its budget has been impacted by the economy. “The county is stressed fiscally, but once the economy comes back,” the supervisor said that the outlook will improve.
He said county spending has been within its means, but state mandated programs, which the state formally paid for and now has withdrawn funding, has had the most impact on the county’s budget.
Afterward, Barovsky delivered her state of the city address. The mayor said it was not just the current city council that should be praised for projects now coming to fruition.
“It is easy to list accomplish that much without the help of previous councils,” she said.
The mayor praised those council members and said much of what was happening now would never have gotten off the ground.
She also noted the acquisition and development of new parks would never have happened without the municipal staff.
“Malibu is lot like Hollywood. It is about, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ In the sprit of Hollywood, I will tell you what we have done,” she said.
The mayor spoke about Legacy Park, which is the linchpin accomplishment. Other self-plaudits include the development of Las Flores Park, the completion of the Cross Creek Road improvements, the acquisition of Bluffs Park, the completed draft of the Environmental Impact Report for the Rambla Pacifico slide improvements, the creation of Trancas Park, and the upcoming remodeling of the public library.