Malibu’s City Hopes Dealt Setback by Assembly

In a setback for supporters of Malibu cityhood, the Assembly Thursday night rejected a bill that would have blocked Los Angeles County from beginning a controversial sewer project before residents vote on incorporation.

The Assembly vote on the bill was 34 to 30--seven short of the 41 votes required for approval. However, Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara), who is carrying the measure, indicated that he would seek to revive his proposal before the legislative session ends next Wednesday. Hart’s district includes Malibu.

Two weeks ago, the state Local Agency Formation Commission approved Malibu’s cityhood petition. Residents could vote on cityhood as early as next March.

The sewer issue has been at the center of the dispute over whether Malibu should become a city. Los Angeles County, which opposed Hart’s bill, has fought for two decades to build a regional sewer system in Malibu, contending that area septic tanks are inadequate to protect public health.

However, some residents maintain that the county is using concern for public health as a way to foster growth. To push for passage of the bill, cityhood supporters hired veteran capital lobbyist Joe A. Gonzalves, who spent several hours Thursday night urging legislators to support the bill.

Assemblyman Dominic L. Cortese (D-San Jose), who handled the measure on the Assembly floor, said that the measure “allows the citizens of Malibu to decide their own fate . . . to solve their sewer problems in the way they think best.”

But Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) objected to the measure as a special-interest bill. “This is the rich persons exemption from proper sewage disposal,” Peace declared.

Times Staff Writer Noel K. Wilson contributed to this story.