Malibu Council Tries New Tack on Banning Jet Skis

It started out as a simple effort to rid Malibu of jet skis close to the beach. But it went a little too far.

Last month, the City Council passed an ordinance that ostensibly prohibited the launching of motorized vessels from shore. Soon afterward, to its chagrin, the council members discovered that the ban applied to sailing vessels, including single-hulled boats and catamarans, as well as other craft that do not require motors.

So, as an audience of 150 applauded and cheered, the council last week unanimously amended its 2-week-old law to permit “non-motorized” vessels to operate within 300 yards of the beach.

Councilman John Harlow said the error occurred because the council acted on the incorrect advice of county lifeguard officials.

“When the ordinance was originally introduced, it excluded sailboats and catamarans,” he said.

Malibu Mayor Walt Keller said the ban against vessels that do not require motors was “slipped in there.”

Before correcting the error, however, the council had to endure the criticism of more than a dozen residents who were outraged by the June 24 ordinance.

“We’ve been sailing catamarans off the coast since the 1940s,” Joe Jensen said. “I don’t bother anyone.”

Councilwoman Joan House, who cast the only vote against the original measure, agreed. “I really feel people should enjoy all their pleasures in the ocean,” she said. “I moved to the beach to enjoy the beach.”

Although the council repealed the ban against “non-motorized” sail craft, the jet skis and other low-horsepower vessels are still not permitted to be launched from shore, nor operate within 300 yards of the beach. (The new law essentially extends a similar county restriction that applied to Malibu before the city became incorporated last year.)

Keller invited his council colleagues to discuss giving other low-horsepower vessels shore access.

The law prohibiting jet skis near shore, enacted primarily as an anti-noise measure, has apparent widespread support in Malibu. The principal dissenter has been Chris Murphy, owner of Malibu Jet Ski.

Murphy, who has been in business for nine years, said this is the first summer that he has had difficulty. He said that, because of complaints by a neighbor, he has been issued five citations since mid-June for operating a commercial enterprise in a zone where businesses are not allowed.

Murphy said he feels victimized because any complaint about jet skis in Malibu has landed at his door. “As with any sport, there are always a few people who screw it up, and jet skis are no exception,” he said.

Although Murphy’s business has not been shut down, he said he has an Aug. 5 court date, at which he said he will enter a hardship plea so he can stay at his site. Murphy also said he has requested a rezoning that would place his business in compliance with the law.