Politics & Government

City Of Malibu: City Manager Updates January 15, 2021

On December 30, the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer issued a revised Temporary Targeted Safer at Home Health Officer Order to r ...

Press Release Desk's profile picture
Press Release Desk, News Partner
(City of Malibu)

Press release from the City of Malibu:

January 15, 2021

Upcoming

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 January 12, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 288 new deaths and 11,994 new cases of COVID-19. Other key updates from the County’s COVID-19 Dashboard  as of January 12, 2020 include the following:  

Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • 255 confirmed positive cases and 6 deaths in the City of Malibu to date
  • 944,319 confirmed cases and 12,674 deaths in LA County to date
  • 8,098 current hospitalizations in LA County, a decrease of 172 since January 8 

 The City’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated since March 12 to manage the City’s response. Current operational objectives include: 

  • Monitor news for changes to regulations that impact City residents and businesses
  • Post updates on all social media platforms on an as-needed basis
  • Identify City rules and regulations that need adjustment due to the pandemic
  • Respond to community concerns regarding compliance with State and County Public Health Orders
  • Maintain field operations per health guidelines and ramp up virtual operation capabilities
  • In addition, the City continues to provide nearly all regular City services and all staff are working. In order to protect visitors and City staff, visitors are allowed in City Hall by appointment only.

DRIVE-THROUGH COVID-19 TESTING AT CITY HALL JANUARY 20

The City, in partnership with Malibu Medical Group, will offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing at City Hall on Wednesday, January 20. Anyone seeking to be tested must be in line by 2:00 PM to get a test that day. Registration is required prior to your test. Through this partnership the Malibu Medical provides RT-PCR tests, commonly referred to as the nasal swab test, and Rapid Antigen tests to those with symptoms to help identify positive cases more quickly and help slow the spread of COVID-19 through the area. 

Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.

To register, click on this link and complete the HIPPA Compliant form. The cost of specimen collection and laboratory testing will be passed along to your insurance or the CARES Act. Therefore, you will need to supply all demographic information, insurance information and a copy of your insurance card. If you are uninsured, you must provide a driver license number or your Social Security number and sign an attestation verifying your lack of insurance coverage. All PCR results will be sent directly to patients through the laboratory’s patient portal. All Rapid Antigen results will be published through the Malibu Medical Group patient portal.  

COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall

The LA County Department of Public Health will host its second COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall to present the latest information on the vaccines and distribution on Tuesday, January 19, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. The public may submit questions in advance online. Watch the Town Hall live on LADPH social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. For more information visit the LADPH vaccination webpage.

UPDATED LA COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER ORDERS

On December 30, the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer issued a revised Temporary Targeted Safer at Home Health Officer Order to remain in effect for as long as the State's Public Health Officer's Regional Stay at Home Order remains in effect for the Southern California region. On December 17, the County Public Health Officer issued a revised Public Health Isolation Order (for people who tested positive for COVID-19) and a revised Public Health Emergency Quarantine Order (for those who came in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19). More information and guidance on how to comply with these orders is available on the LA County Department Public Health’s website.

STATE ISSUED REGIONAL STAY AT HOME ORDER IN EFFECT

On December 6, the State issued a Regional Stay at Home Order for Southern California went into effect as the region's ICU capacity fell below the threshold established by the State Order. The order prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes in-person operations except for critical infrastructure, and establishes capacity limits for retail and grocery stores. More information is available on the State's website. The order will not be lifted until the region's projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%.

TRAVEL ADVISORIES 

On December 30, Los Angeles County issued a mandatory directive on travel requiring any travelers returning to LA County, or travelers coming to LA County to self-quarantine for 10 days. This is in furtherance of the State’s Travel Advisory, which provides both that Californians stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel. People who arrive into any region of California should self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival. 

COVID-19 VACCINE

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) is working closely with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the CDC on the allocation, distribution, and administration of COVID-19 vaccine throughout the County. Vaccine is being made available to individuals in three phases of prioritization (with sub-phases and tiers) until larger vaccine supplies become available. You can get general information on the vaccine and sign up for alerts and updated on the LACDPH's COVID-19 Vaccine webpage. Here are some additional resources from LACDPH:

MASK ORDINANCE still in effect in malibu

The City's Ordinance No. 473 requiring the use of face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic is still in effect in City limits. The ordinance, adopted by the Council in November, requires the use of a face covering over both the nose and mouth with certain exceptions. Exceptions include when persons in a residential zone, or vehicle, who are six feet away or more from any person who is not part of their household and others considerations based on age, medical requirements, the need to communicate with persons who are hearing impaired, and participation in water-based activities. The ordinance also subjects violations to a fine of $50 per violation but allow an individual to avoid citation if they immediately comply with the ordinance.  

MALIBU REBUILDS STATISTICS

Staff continues to work with homeowners to rebuild. Here are the current rebuild statistics:

  • Single Family Dwellings planning approvals issued - 283
  • Single Family Dwellings building permits issued - 166
  • Single Family Dwellings complete - 19

MALIBU REBUILDS - FEE WAIVER PROGRAM 

At this time, the first two deadlines to obtain a fee waiver have passed: 1) fee waiver applications were due by December 30, 2020; and 2) all required Planning Department applications for fire rebuild projects were required to be deemed complete by December 30, 2020. Going forward, to qualify for a fee waiver relating to building permits residents must obtain all required building permits by June 30, 2021. Please note that on January 11, 2021, the Council directed staff to come back with an item to evaluate the fiscal impact of extending the fee waiver program. This item will be discussed on February 8, 2021, as part of the mid-year budget hearing.  

Please note that the Woolsey Fire fee waivers are non-transferable should the property change ownership. If a waiver is obtained, a Certificate of Occupancy will only be issued to the property owner who filed the affidavit establishing primary residency at the time of the Woolsey Fire. All fees associated with post-approval revisions to the project’s Planning Department approval or building permit issuance will not be waived and will be charged in accordance the City’s Adopted Fee Schedule prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. For more information, visit the City’s Fee Waiver webpage. 

MALIBU REBUILDS - NOVEMBER 8, 2020 DEADLINE EXTENDED

On December 14, 2020, Council voted to extend the deadline to apply to rebuild non-conforming homes and structures destroyed in the Woolsey Fire without having to bring the structure into compliance or seek variances. The new deadline is November 8, 2021. In addition, the deadline to obtain building permits has been extended to November 8, 2023. The staff report is available on the City's website. To submit your rebuild application, contact Aakash Shah at ashah@malibucity.org or at 310-456-2489, ext. 385.

MALIBU REBUILDS - PLANNING CONSULTATIONS AND REBUILD RESOURCES

The Fire Rebuild team is available 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 Page. 

WILDFIRE SEASON PREPAREDNESS

The City’s Public Safety staff are prepared and ready to respond in the event of a wildfire that is threatening Malibu. Although fires can happen any time during the year, the most damaging fires occur in the fall and early winter when hot, dry, powerful Santa Ana winds are blowing, and fuel moistures are low. With each Red Flag Warning, the City’s EOC Team is placed on standby and all city employees are advised to be prepared for a full response. In addition, Public Safety staff participate in daily conference calls with County Fire and the National Weather Service to ensure that the City’s situational awareness is up to speed. Wildfire preparedness resources are listed below:

WILDFIRE SEASON: WILDFIRE AND FIRE SAFETY WEBPAGE

To help prepare for peak wildfire season, community members are encouraged to visit the City’s Wildfire Preparedness & Fire Safety webpage for information and resources, including, Home Ignition Zone Assessments, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, How to Create a Defensible Home, How to Build an Action Plan, Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch, Weed Whacker Safety and more. For more information or assistance, or to request a Home Ignition Zone Assessment, contact Fire Safety Liaison Jerry Vandermeulen at 310-456-2489, ext. 387 or FireSafety@malibucity.org. 

WILDFIRE SEASON: CURRENT LIVE FUEL MOISTURE

Tracking live fuel moisture (LFM) is an important part of maintaining situational awareness and determining critical fire danger and/or Red Flag Conditions. The LFM in the Santa Monica Mountains is at a critical level of 60%. LFM is defined as the percentage of water content to dry matter content in live vegetation. LFM can be as high as 200% and critical levels (60% or less) are usually reached by mid-October in a “normal” year. The Los Angeles County Fire Department Forestry Division conducts sampling approximately every two weeks and posts the results on their website.

NEW SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT PROGRAM EFFECTIVE JANUARY 15, 2021

Effective January 15, 2021, the short-term rental of residential property can only be conducted in accordance with a valid Short-Term Rental (STR) Permit as established by Ordinance No. 468. Advertising or operating residential property as a short-term rental without a permit as of January 15, 2021 will be considered a violation of Ordinance No. 468 and Malibu Municipal Code Chapter 17.55 (Property owners may apply for a permit at any time, but may not operate without a permit). The short-term rental of property or the advertisement, offer, or facilitation, of such rental without a valid short-term rental permit shall be subject to a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per day or violation, or twice the advertised short-term rental’s daily rental rate per day or violation, whichever is higher. The STR Permit Application is available on the City's website. To date, the City has received approximately 100 applications that are currently being reviewed. Property owners are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible as it may take some time to review the application. Applications received now are not guaranteed to be processed by January 15. For questions or assistance filling out your application, contact STRSupport@malibucity.org or call the City’s short-term rental support line at 310-456-2489, ext. 381. 

SHORT-TERM RENTALS - HOSTED ORDINANCE

On November 23, 2020, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 472 (Hosted STR Ordinance) to establish provisions to regulate short-term rental of property citywide which include, but are not limited to, requiring the presence of an onsite host during short-term rentals, primary residency requirements and multifamily restrictions. The Hosted STR Ordinance regulations cannot go into effect until the associated Local Coastal Program Amendment is certified by the California Coastal Commission (CCC). On January 13, the CCC provided the City with comments on the LCP amendment. City staff is working to respond to the CCC’s comments. For more information, visit the City’s STR webpage.

WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITY URGENCY ORDINANCE 

On Wednesday, December 9, the City Council held a Special Meeting and adopted an Urgency Ordinance, as amended, to regulate the permitting of wireless facilities in public rights-of-way and adopted a resolution to establish design and development standards and standard permit conditions for wireless facilities in public rights-of-way. For more information on the background of the Urgency Ordinance view the agenda and staff report online.

WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITY ORDINANCE UPDATE 

The City is currently in the process of updating its Wireless Communication Facility Ordinance. On December 16, the City held a virtual public workshop to solicit comments from the community on a draft ordinance and desired outcomes. In addition, the City will be releasing an online survey to obtain additional input from members of the public. The City published a Notice of Planning Commission Public Hearing for January 19, 2021. However, in order to incorporate public comments into the draft ordinance, staff is recommending the hearing be delayed to February 1. This meeting is the first of a series of public meetings to review the proposed ordinance update which will include a Planning Commission Meeting and City Council Meeting. More information is available on the project webpage including a project timeline for the development of the proposed ordinance update. 

RFP for wcf APPLICATION REVIEW services

On September 29, 2020, Council directed that the City issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Wireless Communication Facilities (WCF) Application Review Services. The RFP was issued for 30 days and the City received four proposals. Staff conducted interviews, evaluated the proposals, and associated fees. The award of contract item was considered by the City Council on January 11, 2021. The agenda, staff report along with the RFP and responses are available on the City's website. The Council directed staff to come back with an amended scope of work to  include post-approval compliance including conducting final inspections, RFP emissions and noise testing, enforcement of unpermitted facilities, and mapping existing wireless facilities. The revised agreements will be considered by the Council on January 25. The staff report will be available prior to the meeting on the website.  

report of wcf APPLICATIONs under REVIEW available on the website

In order to keep members of the public informed of Wireless Communication Facility (WCF) applications under review by the Planning Department, a Pending WCF Applications report is available on the City’s website. The report will be updated as the status of an application changes as well as when a public comment period begins for an application. To receive notifications of an updated report or WCF, email psalazar@malibucity.org.  In an effort to better inform members of the public regarding opportunities to provide public comment on pending WCF applications, the public notice has been revised to clarify the public comment period, explain the status of the application pending review and how to inspect records, and provide more information regarding the location of the pending WCF application. 

OVERSIZE VEHICLE ORDINANCE

In December 2017, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 427, the Oversize Vehicle Ordinance, which implemented parking restrictions for commercial oversize vehicles and trailers, and noncommercial oversize vehicles and trailers citywide. In order to implement the Ordinance, a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) is required. On January 19, 2021, the Planning Commission will consider two CDPs to install regulatory signage at the City boundaries. The staff report is available on the City's website. Subsequent to issuance of the staff report, on January 15, 2021, the California Coastal Commission commented on the proposed CDP applications. A copy of that letter is available online.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND THE DARK SKY ORDINANCE

Seasonal lighting is allowed between November 15 and January 15 only. To protect Malibu’s dark skies, outside of the seasonal lighting dates, string lights are only allowed in occupied dining and entertainment areas, and may not be used as landscape lights. For more information on the regulations, visit the Dark Skies Ordinance webpage.

MALIBU LIVING SHORELINE PROJECT BEGINS

The Malibu Living Shoreline Project started mid-December at its first site at Zuma Beach near Zuma Lagoon. The Malibu Living Shoreline Project will restore approximately three acres of sandy beach and dune habitat at Zuma Beach and Point Dume Beach, providing a cost effective and low-impact solution to increase the resiliency of the beach shorelines. The project is led by The Bay Foundation in partnership with the City of Malibu, Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, and California State Coastal Conservancy. To learn more about the project, visit https://www.malibucity.org/cva. 

DIGITAL WINTER RECREATION GUIDE AND CITY NEWSLETTER

The redesigned Digital Winter Recreation Guide and City Newsletter is now available online. The guide features several changes, including a more modern look and streamlined layout that will be more reader-friendly and easier to navigate. The guide covers January through March 2021 and includes information regarding the Virtual Student Art Exhibit, recreation programs, facilities, and the Permanent Skate Park project. The guide is available on the City's Parks webpage. 

VIRTUAL POETRY PROGRAM JANUARY 16

On Saturday, January 16, 11:00 AM, Malibu Poet Laureate Dr. John Struloeff will host a free virtual poetry writing workshop to help attendees develop their poetry writing skills. RSVPs are required through the City’s website.

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION TO REVIEW PERMANENT SKATE PARK SITE AMENITIES 

The Parks and Recreation Commission will review potential site amenities for the Permanent Skate Park at the Special meeting on Thursday, January 21 at 5:30 PM. The Commission began reviewing site amenities such as seating, tables, shade, and landscaping at the December 15 Regular Meeting. Once potential site amenities are determined, the Public Works Commission and Planning Commission will review the project before final approval by the City Council. You can watch the Commission meeting or read the staff report when available by visiting the Agenda Center webpage. 

COMMUNITY POOL CLOSED JANUARY 18

The Community Pool will be closed Monday, January 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The pool will reopen on Tuesday, January 19, with regular hours and programming.

VIRTUAL RECREATION CENTER

The Community Services Department’s Virtual Recreation Center (VRC) allows residents to enjoy recreation programs from home during the pandemic. The VRC features a wide variety of programs, activities, and classes designed to help residents of any age stay active and entertained. Programs are updated frequently, so make sure to visit the Virtual Recreation Center on a regular basis. 

CIVIC CENTER WAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

This project will improve the horizontal and vertical sight distance, create additional space for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclist and transit to travel along Civic Center Way between Malibu Canyon Road and Webb Way. Due to unforeseen conditions and various weather concerns, phase 1 of the project including the Civic Center Way closure has been extended. The City and the project contractor remain confident the project will be completed by March 2021 as described in the original notification. However, the phase 1 closure (Civic Center Way between Vista Pacifica and the private driveway of 23901 Civic Center Way) has been extended until the first week in February. At that time, they will be opening the phase 1 closure and proceeding to implement the phase 2 closure (both directions between the entry to Malibu Cyn Village Condos to Webb Way). The phase 2 closure is expected to be completed by the end of February (weather permitting). The temporary closures will allow access for emergency vehicles. Work hours will be Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM with some work scheduled on Saturdays. Access to adjacent side streets or private driveways will be preserved. Work will stop during Red Flag warnings. Additional information is on the City’s website.

MCCLURE TUNNEL IMPROVEMENTS AND SAFETY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

Caltrans began work in the first week of January 2021 on a project to upgrade the tunnel lighting system in the McClure Tunnel and install a queue warning system on the Santa Monica Fwy (I-10) and State Route 1 (PCH) in Santa Monica.  The project is anticipated to be completed in Spring 2021. The work zone spans one-mile from Lincoln Blvd on I-10 to the Broadway Pedestrian Overcrossing on PCH. Overnight full closures (7:00 PM to 6:00 AM) of the McClure Tunnel and nearby ramps will occur during construction. Motorists should plan to use alternate routes. 

CIVIC CENTER WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY PHASE 2 

On October 12, City Council approved an agreement with 30 Three Sixty Public Finance, Inc. to perform Assessment Engineering Services for this project. The City has scheduled a Community Meeting on January 26. Additional information on the project is available on the City website.  

GUARDRAIL REPLACEMENT PROJECT

The project to replace guardrails damaged by the Woolsey Fire at various locations within the City is expected to be complete by February. 

Bluffs Park Workout Station

The demolition phase of the new outdoor Workout Station at Malibu Bluffs Park  is complete. However, due to equipment fabrication delays, the project completion date has been delayed until March 2021.     

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 RFeldman@MalibuCity.org. 

See Past City Manager Updates 

This press release was produced by the City of Malibu. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

More from Malibu