Upcoming
- Monday, September 6 - Labor Day. City Hall closed
- Tuesday, September 7, 4:00 PM - Test of Everbridge Disaster Notification System
- Wednesday, September 8, 6:30 PM - Planning Commission Adjourned Regular Meeting - virtual
- Wednesday, September 8, 6:30 PM - Planning Commission Public Hearing on Malibu Inn Motel - virtual
- Thursday, September 9, 10:30 AM - Home Wildfire Hardening Seminar - virtual
- Saturday, September 11, 9:00 AM - Spanish Language Emergency Preparedness Training - Malibu Labor Exchange
- Monday, September 13, 6:30 PM - PSPS Preparedness Training for Seniors and At-Risk Adults - virtual
- Monday, September 13, 6:30 PM - City Council Regular Meeting - virtual
- Monday, September 13, 6:30 PM - City Council Public Hearing on Sea View Hotel - virtual
- Wednesday, September 15, 6:00 PM - Firescaping Workshop - virtual
- Thursday, September 16, 10:00 AM - PSPS Preparedness Training for Seniors and At-Risk Adults - virtual
- Saturday, September 18, all day - Bulky Item Pickup - by appointment
- Saturday, September 18, 11:00 AM - Caffeinated Verse, Open Mic Poetry - virtual
- Saturday, September 18 - time TBA - County Hearing on Malibu School Separation Petition
SAVE THE DATE TO VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENT MALIBU SCHOOLS ON SEPT. 18
The public hearing on the City’s petition to form an independent Malibu Unified School District takes place Saturday, September 18. Community members will have the opportunity to speak and voice their support for the City’s petition directly to the County Committee on School District Organization. The virtual meeting time and log in information will be posted on the City’s website as soon as it is available. Plan to log on to the meeting, speak and have your opinions heard. Written comments or documentation can be submitted in advance by e-mail to: Heredia_Anna@lacoe.edu. For more background information, facts and FAQs, visit the City’s webpage.
(NEW) CITY STATEMENT CONDEMNING ATTACK BY TRANSIENTS ON VISITORS TO MALIBU
The City released a statement condemning the August 29 assault by transients on visitors to Malibu, offering support and well wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the victims, and voicing our gratitude to the Malibu - Lost Hills Sheriff's Deputies who arrested the suspects. The suspects remain in custody. See the statement. Learn more about the City's efforts to address homelessness.
(NEW) CITY COUNCIL DECLARES LOCAL EMERGENCY & updates nuisance code TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY THREAT POSED BY HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS
The City Council voted unanimously on August 23 to declare a local emergency and establish a program for reducing the risk of fires associated with unhoused people engaged in unpermitted and unregulated camping in City limits. The City Council also unanimously approved amending the City’s Nuisance Code to strengthen the City’s ability to address hazards posed by homeless encampments in Malibu during the August 9 Council meeting. See more details.
(NEW) MALIBU REBUILDS - STATISTICS
Staff continues to work with homeowners to rebuild. Here are the current rebuild statistics:
- Single Family Dwellings building permits issued - 203
- Single Family Dwellings complete – 51
- Multifamily building permits issued - 18 units
- Multifamily building units complete- 12 units
CITY HALL OPEN to the public - PUBLIC COUNTER HOURS
With the re-opening of City Hall, the City has resumed public counter hours. Appointments are not necessary, but can be made on the webpage or by phone. The Senior Center is closed out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 Delta surge.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT - Appointments: 310-456-2489, ext. x390
Permits: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM, and 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM for walk-ins and appointments. Other times by appointment only.
Building Plan Check: Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM, for walk-ins and appointments. Other times by appointment only.
Environmental Health: Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM, for walk-ins and appointments. Other times by appointment only.
Geology/Coastal: Monday and Wednesday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, for walk-ins and appointments. Other times by appointment only.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT - Public counter temporarily closed. Call for appointments: 310-456-2489, ext. 391
PLANNING DEPARTMENT - Appointments: 310-456-2489, ext. 485
Public Counter: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM for walk-ins. Other times by appointment only.
Biology Counter: Tuesdays, 9:00 AM -11:00 AM. Other times by appointment only.
(NEW) MALIBU REBUILDS - WOOLSEY FIRE DEBRIS REMOVAL COSTS
The City was recently notified that some Malibu residents who lost their homes in the Woolsey Fire have received letters from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works regarding payment for fire debris removal services provided by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Following the Woolsey Fire, Los Angeles County took the lead on a government-sponsored fire debris removal program, and property owners who opted into the program had fire debris removed by Cal OES in compliance with state and federal guidelines. The program was designed to have no out-of-pocket cost to the participating property owner. Property owners who were allocated insurance proceeds specifically for fire debris removal, and property owners who had no specific fire debris removal insurance allocated but have insurance proceeds left over after fire-related rebuilding or repairs are complete, must remit those proceeds to Los Angeles County Public Works. Residents who have questions about the letters they received can contact the County’s consultant at 626-532-1103 or via email at: WoolseyFireInsurance@pw.lacounty.gov.
MALIBU REBUILDS - PLANNING CONSULTATIONS AND REBUILD RESOURCES
The Fire Rebuild team is available Monday through Friday at City Hall for complimentary one-on-one consultations about any fire rebuild project. Contact Aakash Shah at ashah@malibucity.org to set an appointment for phone or online meeting. For ideas about how to get started with your project, as well as numerous handouts, forms and resources, visit the Rebuild webpage.
(new) COVID-19 RESPONSE UPDATE
City staff continues to monitor and respond to the pandemic by participating in regular briefings and conference calls with partner agencies and issuing alerts and notifications regarding changes to the situation. On August 31, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) confirmed 38 new deaths and 2,277 new cases of COVID-19. Other key updates from the County’s COVID-19 Dashboard as of August 31, 2021 include the following:
- 608 confirmed positive cases and 9 deaths in the City of Malibu to date
- 1,409,545 confirmed cases and 25,322 deaths in LA County to date
- 1,699 current hospitalizations in LA County, a decrease of 55 since August 17
DUE TO INCREASED SPREAD OF COVID-19, FACEMASKS REQUIRED IN INDOOR PUBLIC PLACES IN LA COUNTY, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) announced that, due to increased COVID-19 transmission and the even more contagious Delta variant that is spreading fast in Southern California, facemasks are required while indoors in public settings and businesses in the County, regardless of vaccination status, starting July 18. Further clarification was provided with an updated Health Officer Order, effective July 23. For more information, see the Updated Health Officer Order.
(NEW) LIVE FUEL MOISTURE & FIRE CONDITIONS UPDATE - lfm 57%
The City tracks Live Fuel Moisture (LFM) as an important part of determining current fire conditions for our community. LFM is the percentage of water content to dry matter in live vegetation. As of September 1, LFM in the Santa Monica Mountains remains at 57%, unchanged from two weeks ago and down from 62% on August 1. LFM can be as high as 200%, and 60% is considered critical and can cause extreme wildfire behavior. Fuels are currently as dry as they typically are in September. The Los Angeles County Fire Department Forestry Division conducts sampling approximately every two weeks and posts the results on their website. For current and forecast fire weather conditions and warnings for the Malibu area, visit the National Weather Service, Los Angeles/Oxnard website (type "Malibu" or "90265" in the search box).
(NEW) CITY OF MALIBU HOSTS ANNUAL MULTI-AGENCY EXERCISE
As part of the City's wildfire season preparations, the City hosted the annual tabletop exercise based on a wildfire disaster scenario with the City’s response partner agencies, including LA County Sheriff's, Fire and Public Works Departments, CalTrans, CHP, City of Santa Monica, State Parks, Malibu CERT and many others. Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held remotely over video conference. The annual multi-agency exercise is an integral part of the City’s fire season preparation to coordinate communication and response actions with our response partners. This year’s scenario mirrored the current fire conditions including drought, live fuel moisture and firefighting resource availability.
National Preparedness Month events in September
September is National Preparedness Month, and the Public Safety Office will be hosting events all month to encourage community members to prepare for wildfires, earthquakes and other disasters. All events and participation instructions will be promoted individually on the City website, social media, Nextdoor and e-notifications.
(NEW) PSPS TRAINING FOR SENIORS AND AT-RISK ADULTS, SEPTEMBER 13 & 16
The City will provide free virtual trainings for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) for seniors and at-risk adults on Monday, September 13, 6:30 PM, and Thursday, September 16, 10:00 AM. A free backup battery is available to participating Malibu residents, who complete the training, a quiz and provide a copy of their photo ID (limit one per household, while supplies last). The training is open to all, but the backup battery is available only to Malibu residents. Residents can RSVP for the free virtual training online.
Home Wildfire Hardening Seminar september 9 & 23
The Fire Safety Liaison will teach residents about the dangers of flying embers that can rain down on a home and property during a wildfire, a leading cause of homes igniting and burning down during wildfires Thursday, September 9, 10:30 AM and Thursday, September 23, 3:30 PM. If these embers land in receptive fuels or become lodged in something easily ignited on or near a house, the home may be in jeopardy of burning. There are often simple and inexpensive ways to harden a home against flying embers, and taking action ahead of time can substantially reduce the ember threat. Residents can RSVP for the free virtual training online.
TEST OF EVERBRIDGE DISASTER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, SEPTEMBER 7, 4:00 PM
As part of the City’s National Preparedness Month activities, the City will send a test message to all residents on Tuesday, September 7 at 4:00 PM. Residents do not have to register to participate or take any special action prior to the system test. If you do not receive the test message or would like to update your Everbridge information please contact the Public Safety office at PublicSafety@MalibuCity.org. Residents who wish to add additional phone numbers, emails and home addresses to the Everbridge system can visit the webpage and create a profile.
Free Spanish Language Emergency Preparedness Training, September 11
The City is partnering with the Malibu Foundation and the Malibu Labor Exchange to provide free Spanish language emergency preparedness training on Saturday, September 11 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Malibu Labor Exchange, adjacent to the Malibu Library. Ensuring that non-English speaking people who live or work in Malibu have access to the City’s emergency information and emergency preparedness efforts is an important part of the City’s whole-community approach to emergency planning, and is required under California law. Trainings will include Emergency Alerting Systems, Fire Extinguisher Use, Assembling an Emergency Go-Kit, and Bleeding Control and Heat Illnesses. Attendees will receive a free emergency hand-cranked radio and a first aid kit. Register in advance.
Annual Community Fire Season Briefing, September 23
All residents, employees, business and organization leaders, students and other Malibu community members are urged to attend the annual Community Fire Season Briefing being held virtually on Thursday September 23 at 6:00 PM. LA County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Drew Smith, a Fire Behavior Analyst, will give a presentation on local Live Fuel Moisture, expected weather patterns, and what that means for fire conditions in Malibu. The meeting can be viewed live or later on-demand, and questions can be submitted in advance or during the briefing. Meeting details will be posted on the City website in advance.
PUBLIC SAFETY EXPO, OCTOBER 2
Preparedness Month ends with the City's annual Public Safety Expo on Saturday, October 2, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. At the Expo, you can attend trainings, including Crisis First Aid, see presentations, ask questions, find volunteer opportunities, learn about emergency preparedness services and products and more. Participating organizations include public safety and emergency response partner agencies, volunteer organizations and emergency services and products vendors. RSVP for classes online.
WILDFIRE SEASON PREPAREDNESS - SCHEDULE YOUR HOME WILDFIRE HARDENING ASSESSMENT
As part of Malibu’s ongoing efforts toward community-wide wildfire preparedness, the City continues to offer its no-cost Home Ignition Zone Assessment Program with Fire Safety Liaison Chris Brossard. Chris will visit your home and give you a checklist of simple, often inexpensive steps you can take to harden your home against flying embers, a major cause of homes igniting during wind-driven wildfires like the Woolsey Fire. To schedule an appointment or for help with wildfire preparedness, email Firesafety@malibucity.org or call 310-456-2489, ext. 387 or visit the Fire Safety webpage.
(NEW) SHORT-TERM RENTALS - HOSTED ORDINANCE
The California Coastal Commission (CCC) will consider CCC staff’s one year processing extension request for the City’s proposed City's Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendment for its Hosted Short Term Rental (STR) Ordinance on Wednesday, September 8, 9:00 AM. Members of the public are encouraged to view the meeting, sign up to speak, or to provide written comment. Watch the September 8 CCC Meeting. The meeting agenda and public comment instructions are posted. Provide written comments to the CCC staff and Commissioners – Look for Item 11.b and select “submit comments or send an email to: SouthCentralCoastal@coastal.ca.gov. For more information, visit the City’s STR webpage.
(NEW) PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING ON MALIBU INN MOTEL PROJECT SEPTEMBER 8
The Planning Commission will hold a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, September 8 at 6:30 PM to consider the Malibu Inn Motel project environmental document and project entitlements. The item was continued to the September 8 Planning Commission meeting to gather additional information for the Commission to make its decision. The staff report is available online. Please note that previous messaging regarding this project stated that the project required hearings before the City Council and California Coastal Commission prior to the approval becoming effective. Based on the required entitlements, the project only requires a hearing before Planning Commission because no code amendments are required. The project is subject to a local appeal period and is within the Appeal Jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission; therefore the project could be appealed to the City Council and/or California Coastal Commission. If the project is not appealed, the Planning Commission's decision will be final. For more information about the project, visit the webpage.
(NEW) PROPOSED PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN TRANCAS CANYON ROAD SEPTEMBER 13
The City Council directed staff on August 23 to prepare an ordinance to restrict overnight parking along the west side of Trancas Canyon Road from PCH to Tapia Drive, a location where vehicles are observed to be parking for extended periods of time. The ordinance will be presented to the City Council at its September 13 meeting. The staff report, viewing and commenting instructions will be available on the website prior to the meeting.
(NEW) CITYWIDE PROHIBITION OF PESTICIDES ADVANCES
On June 28, the City Council adopted modifications made by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) on the City's Local Coastal Program amendment to prohibit pesticides citywide. The prohibition is part of the City's efforts to protect wildlife, habitats, people and pets from toxic poisons. The amendment will become effective once the CCC’s Executive Director reports the City’s action to the CCC at its September 8 meeting. The staff report is available on the CCC’s webpage. For more information, visit the City’s webpage.
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING ON SEA VIEW HOTEL PROJECT, SEPTEMBER 13
On August 9, the City Council held a public hearing to consider the Sea View Hotel project environmental document, code amendments and project entitlements as well as the Planning Commission's recommendation for the project. After its deliberations, the Council directed staff to come back on August 19 with an amended resolution and Development Agreement. On August 19, the City Council continued the public hearing to September 13 to allow for additional time to review the proposed modifications to the Development Agreement and to allow for additional public comment. Viewing and commenting instructions will be posted in advance on the website. For more information about the project, visit the project webpage.
SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR JAKE KUREDJIAN CITIZENSHIP AWARD by september 10
Submit your nominations for the City’s 2021 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award now through September 10. The annual award recognizes an individual or group that has made significant contributions to enhance recreation resources for the Malibu community. Submit nominations and find more information, including a list of past award recipients, on the webpage.
(NEW) ANNUAL BULKY ITEM PICKUP, SEPTEMBER 18
The City of Malibu is partnering with Waste Management to host a free bulky item pickup on Saturday, September 18, 2021. Waste Management customers may call Waste Management’s service center at (800) 675-1171, no later than 12:00 PM on Friday, September 17 to schedule a bulky item pickup then place bulky items at curbside adjacent to trash, recycling, and green waste carts before 6:00 AM on Saturday, September 18. Universal Waste Systems customers may call 800-631-7016 for bulky item disposal options. For more information, visit the webpage.
ORGANIC RECYCLING COMING TO MALIBU
The City of Malibu is launching a new mandatory organic waste recycling program to help Malibu businesses and residents reduce their carbon footprint and the impacts of climate change. The program also meets mandatory requirements established under California Senate Bill 1383. Businesses are required to sign up for service starting October 1, 2021 and residents will begin services automatically on January 1, 2022. To learn more about what to expect as a business and resident, visit the webpage.
FREE VIRTUAL FIRESCAPING WORKSHOP, SEPTEMBER 15
The City is partnering with Los Angeles County Water Works District 29 and West Basin Municipal Water District to host a free, virtual firescaping workshop on Wednesday, September 15 at 6:00 PM. Participants will learn landscaping and property maintenance best practices that can help protect their properties from wildfires and improve resilience while reducing water use and benefiting the environment. The workshop is specifically geared toward the Santa Monica Mountains. Register online.
(NEW) RECREATION PROGRAMS BEGIN SEPTEMBER 13
The Community Services Department will offer several adult and youth recreation programs at Malibu Bluffs Park beginning September 13. Programs will include Line Dancing, Chess, Cartooning, Flag Football, Skateboarding, Lil’ Hip Hop, and Soccer. For more information or to register, visit the registration webpage or call 310-456-2489, ext. 239.
(NEW) LABOR DAY HOLIDAY OPEARTING HOURS FOR CITY PARKS AND FACILITIES
City parks, the Michael Landon Community Center at Bluffs Park, and the Temporary Skate Park are open for regular operating hours 8:00 AM to sunset throughout the Labor Day weekend. The following City facilities are closed:
- Monday, September 6: City Hall and the Malibu Community Pool
- Tuesday, September 7: Malibu Community Pool (SM-MUSD Holiday)
(NEW) MALIBU COMMUNITY swimming POOL CLOSed september 9 - 11
The Malibu Community Swimming Pool will be closed Thursday, September 9, through Saturday, September 11, due to a SM-MUSD Water Polo Tournament. Regular operating hours will resume on Sunday, September 12. Additional information and aquatics program schedules are posted on the Aquatics webpage.
(NEW) Westward Beach
County Beaches and Harbors continues to work on the damaged roadway. Their contractor is still placing boulders and rebuilding the roadway for temporary access. This work is anticipated to be completed in September. After the temporary roadway is completed, Beaches and Harbors will focus on the permanent roadway work to rebuild the street for two-way traffic. This work will be scheduled after the completion of the temporary roadway.
(NEW) extra street Maintenance over holiday weekend
The Public Works Department will have two additional maintenance crews working over the holiday weekend Saturday through Monday, addressing trash and any maintenance issues that may arise.
(NEW) Construction update on Malibu Park Drainage
Construction continues on drainage in Malibu along Morning View Drive. The contractor will also begin working at the other locations in the Malibu Park area. Work will include temporary lane closures with traffic control.
(NEW) CONSTRUCTION UPDATE ON ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE
The contractor has mobilized and started the necessary pavement repairs on Broad Beach Road, Birdview Avenue, Webb Way, Rambla Pacifico (lower) and Malibu Road. They have also started the installation of the new speed humps on Birdview Avenue. Work will continue on the other streets during the next few weeks. Estimated completion for the project is October 2021.
(NEW) PROJECT BIDS
Request for Qualifications/Proposals for Storm Drain Master Plan Engineering Services was released on August 17 with proposals due on September 16. An additional Request for Qualifications/Proposals for Construction Management Services for the PCH Signal System Improvements and the PCH Median Improvements Project was released August 17 with proposals due October 1. The Civic Center Stormwater Diversion Structure Project is out for bidding. Bids are due on September 7. All information for RFPs and RFQs is posted in the City's Bids webpage.
OVERNIGHT LANE CLOSURES ON PCH FOR CALTRANS PAVEMENT PRESERVATION
Caltrans plans to have overnight closures of one lane in each direction of PCH from Malibu Lagoon Bridge to Corral Canyon Road for a pavement preservation project starting Monday, August 23, Monday through Friday 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Residents should expect traffic delays.
(NEW) SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS ISSUED FOR UPCOMING WEEK
There are three events currently permitted for this upcoming week including the Annual Chili Cook-Off. The Coastal Development Permit approving the Chili Cook-off is available online. The City posts a weekly report of approved event permits on the website. To sign up to receive an email or text message when an updated Event Permit Report is posted, visit the e-notifications page (scroll down to the "Special Event Permit Report" category).
E-Notifications
The City maintains a robust e-notification system so the community can stay informed about all the City’s activities. Sign up to receive messages by text or email on the City’s e-notifications page.
Further Questions
For questions or comments, contact the City Manager at SMcClary@MalibuCity.org.
See Past City Manager Updates