The City of Malibu is committed to transparency, public participation, and open government. Meetings of the City Council, commissions, committees, and boards are conducted in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, California's open meeting law, which ensures that the public has the opportunity to observe and participate in the decision-making process.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend meetings, provide comments on agenda items, and share concerns or suggestions regarding matters within the City's jurisdiction.

Types of Public Meetings

City Council Meetings

The City Council is Malibu's governing body and is responsible for establishing policies, adopting ordinances and resolutions, approving the City's budget, and making decisions affecting the community.

Regular City Council meeting agendas are generally posted 10-days in advance, and may be amended up to 72-hours in advance.

The Agenda Planning Calendar below details upcoming City Council meeting dates and tentative agenda items for each meeting. The Agenda Planning Calendar is updated regularly.  Please note, this is only a forecasting document, all items are subject to change.  

Long Range Planner

Commission, Committee, and Board Meetings

The City also maintains various commissions, committees, and boards that provide recommendations and advice to the City Council on specific subjects. These meetings are open to the public and include opportunities for public participation.

Viewing Meeting Materials

Meeting materials for City Council, commissions, committees, and boards can be found in the agenda center.  You can sign up to receive notifications when agendas and meeting materials are published for City Council, commission, committee, and board meetings. Click here to sign up for e-Notify.

Meeting materials are available for public inspection at City Hall during regular business hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Copies of meeting materials may be purchased for $0.10 per page. For additional information, contact City Hall at (310) 456-2489.

Meeting Procedures

The Mayor serves as the presiding officer of City Council meetings and is responsible for maintaining order and decorum during the meeting. The Mayor ensures that meetings are conducted fairly, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable laws and City policies.

Meetings generally follow the published agenda. Staff presentations, public comment, Council discussion, and Council action occur as each agenda item is considered.

Councilmembers may ask questions of staff, applicants, appellants, consultants, or 

members of the public after public testimony has concluded. Councilmembers do not engage in dialogue with members of the public during public comment periods.

Public Participation Rights

Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, members of the public have the right to:

• Attend public meetings
• Observe the proceedings
• Address the City Council or other legislative body on agenda items
• Provide general public comment on matters within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City.
• Submit written comments for consideration
• Access meeting agendas and related public meeting materials

The City is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for participation, both in person and remotely.

Participating in a public meeting

In-Person Participation

Members of the public wishing to speak in person must complete and submit a Speaker Slip to the Recording Secretary before the item is called by the Mayor.

When each agenda item is announced, the Mayor will make a final call for Speaker Slips before opening public comment on that item.

Remote Participation

Members of the public may participate remotely through the City's Zoom Webinar platform.

To speak remotely, participants must be present in the webinar during the agenda item on which they wish to comment and use the "Raise Hand" feature when the Mayor opens public comment.

Participants joining by telephone may raise their hand by pressing *9 and unmute when recognized by pressing *6.

Meeting-specific access information, including webinar links, telephone numbers, and meeting identification numbers, is provided on each posted agenda.

Public Comment

The public may comment on:

• Agenda items before or during the City's consideration of the item.
• Matters not listed on the agenda that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City during General Public Comment.

Although the City Council generally cannot take action on matters that are not listed on the agenda, Councilmembers may ask questions, direct staff to follow up, or request that an item be considered at a future meeting, as permitted by law.

Unless otherwise specified, speakers are generally allotted three (3) minutes per speaker. Time limits may be adjusted based on the number of speakers and the type of agenda item being considered.

Public Hearings

Public hearings provide an opportunity for the City Council to receive testimony and evidence regarding specific matters requiring a formal hearing process, including certain land use applications and appeals.

Additional procedures, deadlines, and presentation times may apply to public hearings. Information regarding hearing procedures and submission deadlines is included on the applicable agenda and staff report.

Meeting Materials

Members of the public may submit written comments and audiovisual materials for consideration by the City Council. Submission deadlines vary depending on the type of meeting or hearing.

Specific deadlines and instructions for submitting materials are included on each meeting agenda.

Meeting Accommodations

To contact City Hall using a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), please call (800) 735-2929, and a California Relay Service operator will assist you. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy at (310) 456-2489, ext. 229. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28 CFR 35.102-35.104, Title II].

If you require language assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Department at least 48 hours before the meeting. While the City does not provide translation services, staff will make reasonable efforts to assist and accommodate language access requests.

Viewing City Meetings

City Council meetings are available for viewing through multiple platforms, including:

• Live webcast on the City's website.
• The City's YouTube channel.
•  Zoom Webinar.

Meeting access information is provided on the agenda for each meeting.

For upcoming meeting dates, agendas, staff reports, and additional participation information, please visit the City's Public Meetings Calendar and Agenda Center.