Malibu City Council member Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner is a quirky mix of traditionalist, environmentalist and empiricist who has made waves in local politics over recent years. Inspired by what future generations will inherit from his own, he has directed his efforts into enhancing and preserving the scenic beauty of Malibu’s 26 miles of coastline.
“I got tired of picked up trash in the canyon and on the beach and I looked to a larger resource to help me with cleaning up the beaches and canyon, and that was environmentalism,” he said. “So because of my environmental activism, banning plastic bags, cigarettes, foam packaging, all these things, I got a football rolling.”
Jay carried his environmental vision into his time on City Council, though change did not come automatically.
“There were obstacles to change. People usually are complacent when it comes to change that might alter their patterns,” he said.
Jay appealed to local businesses and realtors to gain support for clean water projects that would attract more positive interest to the territory.
But Jay is leaving his post in politics behind. After dedicating a hefty amount of time to serving the community he loves, this activist is handing the torch over to the next qualified citizen.
Jay is leaving his position after only one term for a variety of reasons. He warns the next council members of the immense time commitment required to do their best with the job, which he held in conjunction to running Zuma Jay’s Surf Shop and being concessionaire for Malibu Pier.
Jay also revealed his frustration with the inefficiently short term granted to Malibu mayor. A 10-month term, he explained, is only long enough to inherit the tasks of the previous mayor. The council member said that this system, regrettably, makes Malibu’s political infrastructure vulnerable to instability as much as it fuels complacency in political action.
Having served a term as mayor himself in 2010, Zuma Jay hopes the younger generation will engage in local politics and be active voters to secure the stability of shared land. While in office, the native surfer took action to clean up Malibu’s ocean water and worked toward improving the sea’s Department of Public Health rating to grade A waters. The city is currently deliberating the building of a wastewater treatment plant in Malibu.
With a business-savvy mindset, Jay noted the benefits of clean waters on real estate and tourism, although his prime motivator is the likes of his grandchildren.
He fears the “short-term Band-Aids” which are currently holding together local political decisions lack a long term direction. Yet the highly vocal Malibu community is what Jay says will preserve this town. “There are 20,000 people with three newspapers circulating. The Malibu community is saturated with information,” he said.
The activist and SIMA environmentalist does, however, fear that Pepperdine students are neither being educated on nor involved enough in the Malibu community. While expressing a distaste for what he considers the detached stance the university takes in regard to its neighbors, Jay said he hopes that students will reach out on their own accord.
“What I’m handing to my daughter, what I’m handing to your generation, may not be something that is in perfect condition but I think it’s valuable for people your age to see that we are aware of these situations that we have created and we are working towards resolving some of these situations so that you, in your future and in your foresight, have the thought: ‘[The generations ahead of me] are doing something; it’s up to my generation to continue on, or improve on [their work]. Heck, the old farts did it. Maybe we should join them.’
“I hope to at least get people going in the right direction, with passion,” Jay said.
Students are undeniably immersed in the university surroundings, yet students should take action toward investing in the community, according to Jay.
Malibu residents can vote in the upcoming Malibu City Council Elections, for which the closing registration date is March 26. Anybody can make a call to the Malibu City Hall at (310) 456-2489 and be one voice for any of the projects to which Jay has drawn attention.
