3 on Council Seek Ouster of Mayor : Politics: They say his one-year term in the honorary post has expired. But Walt Keller’s backers call the move a ‘coup attempt.’ : MALIBU

Just when observers said relations between Malibu’s leaders couldn’t get worse, a majority of City Council members have said they intend to oust Walt Keller as mayor on Tuesday and name someone else to the honorary post.

“This is not something complex,” said Councilwoman Missy Zeitsoff, who placed the matter on the agenda. “According to my calendar, Walt has been mayor for a year, and in the interest of fairness, it is now someone else’s turn.”

Councilmen Mike Caggiano and Larry Wan said they also favor naming a new mayor and mayor pro tem.

Meanwhile, Keller’s supporters angrily denounced the action as a “coup attempt,” and warned that it will only deteriorate the already fragile working relationship between the council’s opposing factions.

“It’s an absolutely stupid thing to do,” Councilwoman Carolyn Van Horn said. “With all the important issues facing us, I can’t believe those three would be so ego-oriented as to be sidetracked by something like this.”

Keller called the proposed change “mean-spirited,” adding that his three colleagues “apparently have decided to oust me because I haven’t been sitting there quietly accepting everything they do.”

The action is the latest in a long list of controversies that has split the council, 3 to 2, on many important matters. The differences stem from the days before cityhood when Keller and Van Horn co-chaired one community group, and the other three members were closely allied with another, often competing, group.

While setting aside their differences for a time to help Malibu achieve cityhood, the two factions have largely gone their separate ways since taking the reins of city government.

Sometimes their failure to communicate with each other has proven to be embarrassing.

For example, two months ago, even though Caggiano was being considered for possible appointment to the California Coastal Commission, Keller endorsed an Agoura Hills councilwoman for the post. The mayor later said he didn’t know Caggiano was interested in the job until the councilwoman--Fran Pavley--mentioned having bumped into him in Sacramento while both were being interviewed.

The council’s often-contentious meetings have been nothing if not entertaining. At one recent session, there was even a dispute over whether to accept the minutes of the previous meeting, prompting a member of the audience to comment: “At least they got through the Pledge of Allegiance.”

Keller was the top vote-getter in the 1990 cityhood election, and was appointed mayor-elect last September. When Malibu became a city five months ago, he became its first mayor. His appointment as mayor-elect, and the fact he was nominated by Wan, was viewed at the time as a conciliatory gesture aimed at healing the rift between the two groups.

Although Zeitsoff’s proposal marks the first challenge to Keller’s position, there has long been confusion over how long his term is to last.

As approved by the council-elect, the title of mayor was to be rotated each year, commencing with municipal elections held in April. At the time, since Malibu was not yet a city and in any case would have no municipal elections in April of this year, Keller understood the appointment to mean he would be mayor until April, 1992.

However, Wan, who was chosen mayor pro tem, said that the intent of his motion was for the term to expire in April, 1991. Malibu became a city on March 28. The month of April passed without the council’s devoting attention to the matter.

Zeitsoff said last week she acted independently to request that the matter be placed on the agenda after discussing it with Caggiano.

“I’m a great observer of the orderly process, and I noted (Keller) has been mayor for almost a year, and the traditional term for mayor is a year, and the year is up,” she said.

Zeitsoff said she notified Wan last Tuesday that she planned to introduce the measure and told him that she wanted to nominate him for mayor.

In an interview, Wan said that under Keller’s leadership, “the council’s image has suffered,” adding, “whether it’s me or somebody else (who becomes mayor), there needs to be some reconstructive surgery.”

Wan said he had not yet made up his mind whether to become mayor, should he be nominated.

Caggiano, like Zeitsoff, insisted that there was nothing unusual about the timing of the proposal, and that no arrangements had been discussed between themselves and Wan over who would be elevated to mayor and mayor pro tem.

“This is not a well-crafted coup,” he said. “It’s just that it has been a year, and it’s the appropriate time for the council to make a transition.”

Caggiano, Zeitsoff and Van Horn all face reelection next April. As the two leading vote-getters, Keller and Wan have terms that expire in 1994.

“They can say what they want, but it’s a revenge thing,” Keller said. “And unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think the people of Malibu will look kindly on these kind of shenanigans come the next election.”

In a bid to ease tensions, City Manager Ray Taylor was said to be arranging a retreat for the council members in the next few weeks, but the latest flare-up appeared to cast doubt on whether it will take place.

“Right now, I don’t see the point of it,” Keller said.