Late last year, the Davenport Institute had the opportunity to facilitate a public engagement workshop for residents of the City of Calabasas regarding a septic ordinance that has been a controversial issue (to say the least) for several years.

Prior to the workshop in October, Executive Director Pete Peterson met with city employees and residents and in January he presented the resulting report to the City Council.  That process is now bearing fruit:

The Calabasas City Council suspended a septic tank ordinance last week that has been in a state of dispute for the past three years.

Officials will consider doing away with the law completely during their next regular meeting on Jan. 25.

In 2009, the city passed an ordinance requiring property owners who have on-site wastewater treatment systems to obtain operating permits and make sure their septic tanks operate properly.

In response to complaints about the city’s heavy-handed approach toward enforcement, officials opted last year to offer temporary amnesty to residents who refused to comply with the law.

The council also prohibited city staff from participating in septic system inspections and directed them to organize a workshop on a revised ordinance that the city and its residents could agree on.

You can read the rest of the article here.  You can find more coverage in the Topanga Messenger here.