Council Candidate: John SIbert

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: John Sibert

Birthdate: 4/29/1937

Years in Malibu: 27, with a 6 year stint in Alaska

Family members: Wife, Blanca; Three children, Jolie, John, IV, and Mia with 6 Grandchildren

What is your education and work history?
I have a PhD in Chemistry and have been a professor and administrator at Yale, Caltech and the CSU system. I have also started and run the $100 million Alaska Science and Technology Foundation. I managed a major Corporate research laboratory and was Managing Partner of a technology-based financial organization. I continue to consult with state and Federal organizations as well as early-stage technology companies.  

Why are you qualified to be on the City Council?
I have served four years on City Council. I believe I bring a reasoned and civil approach toward dealing with the myriad issues which Malibu governance requires. I leave it to the voters to decide if I have served them well and am qualified to serve them for another four years.

Who are you voting for in this election?
I'm supporting Joan House and of course, my own candidacy. I have not yet decided on the third seat.  

What is your favorite book? Movie? Why?
My favorite book is The Heart of Darkness and most everything else Conrad wrote. As for my favorite movie, it is a tossup between the absolute classic, Casablanca, and the best movie John Wayne ever made, The Quiet Man.

Why do you live in Malibu?
Probably for the same reasons the vast majority moved here: Its environment; natural resources; incredible beauty and small town character; and its residents who care about their city and their neighbors. 

Who was Malibu's best City Council member? Why do you choose that person?
We have had many outstanding people who served us well. I would not want to choose one over the other. In the end, nothing gets done without a majority vote, so I don't think one person deserves all the credit or the blame.

Do you think the agencies involved in lobbying for sewers have any connection to the developers that will profit from them in our community?
Actually, the outside agencies have been the developers' worst nightmare. For example, the Regional Water Board demanded that the Lumber Yard put in a state-of-the-art on site wastewater system that cost the developer over $3 million. In light of the strict regulations of agencies like the Coastal Commission and the State Water Board (which the developers constantly complain about), it would be a reach to accuse them of being in cahoots with the land owners.

How will you help Malibu retain its beautiful rural charm?
By adhering to the General Plan's guidelines and our very strict zoning laws, Malibu can preserve its rural character.  

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?
I'm always bothered by measuring a candidate by their longevity in the community. A candidate should be judged on his or her commitment to and understanding of the City. An institutional memory helps, but so does a history of involvement in and contribution to the City.

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? 
Tapia was built long before we became a city. Malibu was involved in cutting its water disposal from 12 months a year to 3 months (only during the rainy season.) I would like to see Tapia discontinue any discharge into Malibu Creek. Given the critical water issues facing Southern California, water reuse will become more and more important. How that can be accomplished will require additional studies, which are already underway, and will include Environmental Impact Reports.

Do you support a livable wage for City Council Members, such as $2,000 per month or more, plus benefits?
First, the salary is set by the state. For a city the size of Malibu, $2,000 would not be permitted. Our present $500 a month is consistent with the State law. But even if it weren't, I feel that public service mean just that.  Otherwise, it's a job not a volunteer service.

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 don't see a problem. It will be the voters who make the final decision.  Actually, in the case of two other candidates who ran for a third term, there were no complaints. One lost his bid for a third term, one won his bid. The voters made their decision.

How do you feel about the Malibu Bay Co. Development Agreement (Measure M) that voters rejected in 2003?
At least on one level, Measure M would have given us 3 years to buy the Chili Cook-off site and would have imposed no restrictions.  Having said that, I believe Measure M was too complicated and the voters decided to take their chances with developing one site at a time.  I respect that decision.

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 have spent a lot of time talking to all sides on this issue. I am very sympathetic to the issue of sustaining community-serving businesses.  However, I am also nervous when government starts to dictate to the marketplace. We will be seeing this issue coming before the Council on March 26th, and it would be inappropriate for me to take a position prior to the public hearing.

How do you propose working with other council members with whom you might disagree on contentious issues?
Those who know me know I believe strongly in mutual respect. I remember the days when the City Council was almost dysfunctional because it couldn't get along. I hope those days are over. I'll make my arguments, I'll listen to other arguments, in the end, I'll respect the will of the majority on Council and move on.

How would you change city government (larger, smaller, different emphasis)?
I agree with Thoreau that "government is best which governs least." The Council should regularly evaluate (at least during the budget cycle each year) the effectiveness and cost of our government. We tend to want to regulate everything, even those things which we can't enforce. That tends to make people either angry or law-breakers. Our City government should aim to be lean, smart, and concentrate on why it exists which is to guarantee the health and safety of its community.

Do you support the acquisition of land for additional parks and recreation facilities? If so, how would you finance this?
Yes. But our small budget does not permit expensive acquisitions and acquisition also requires a commitment to ongoing operation and maintenance expenses. While the Chili Cook-off/Legacy Park parcel is paid for from the rents generated on that property, it does require continuing maintenance. I would support asking the residents to pass a recreation bond issue. Ultimately, it is up to the residents to decide if they want to pay for additional acquisitions. 

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?
Preparedness for fires and other disasters is a critical part of our emergency planning. We need to continually reinforce the message that brush clearance and tree pruning are essential. We also need to provide clear evacuation routes, and I support signage in addition to the emergency procedures information sent to all citizens. I also supported the emergency alert radio system that the City is installing which will automatically broadcast a loud alarm and information in the case of emergencies. Our narrow canyon roads and poor water infrastructure make the Fire Department's job difficult, and the performance was good in some areas and less so in others for that reason. I would hope that the Volunteer Fire brigade in Corral will make a difference, but I am concerned about their safety. Good training and practice may mitigate that concern.