City and its residents in a foul mood




California’s environmental laws are not forgiving. Among other things, they’re meant to keep the state’s waterways clean, something we all support. But the compliance always comes at a cost.

Last year, the City of Calabasas required 130 homes with septic tanks to have their systems inspected and, if necessary, to make the sometimes expensive repairs. To be sure, the city faces heavy fines if the home and businesses in its jurisdiction are found polluting the Malibu and Los Angeles watersheds. Most homeowners complied with the inspection order and brought their septic systems up to date, but six did not, and now those half-dozen stubborn property owners are being sued by the city.

Perhaps it’s time for both sides in this ongoing dispute to stop and take a reality check before more anger is expended and more needless money is wasted on legal fees.

While it’s true that former Mayor Barry Groveman’s personal crusade to make the city’s plumbing squeaky clean caught some cash-strapped homeowners by surprise, there are other owners who have flaunted the directives and whose homes have been found rife with building violations. Neither situation has served the city well.

New Mayor James Bozajian and City Councilmember Mary Sue Maurer feel the Calabasas septic tank ordinance is too onerous. They will have newly elected Councilmember Lucy Martin on their side in a growing movement that aims to bring the ordinance back under review.

Bozajian puts the conflict in perspective.

“I don’t want to be any more regulative than we need to be,” he recently told The Acorn. “Public safety is important, but I don’t want to make this a kind of situation where people fear government, which is what happened.”

Calabasas, please step down from the bully pulpit. Homeowners, stop cheating with your dangerous building and septic tank violations and comply with the codes.

It’s time to for both sides to mend the fences.



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