City Of Malibu: City Manager Updates October 15, 2021

Press release from the City of Malibu:

October 15, 2021

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning in effect for most of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, including Malibu, from Friday, October 15 at 6:00 AM through Saturday, October 16, 8:00 PM  due to gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity. Gusts of 30-45 mph with isolated gusts to 55 mph are expected, with peak periods in the mornings and afternoons. Hot temperatures of 80-90F are expected. See fire conditions and forecasts for the Malibu area on the NWS LA/Oxnard website. The City is coordinating with the LA County Fire and Sheriff’s Departments. The Fire Department will have augmented staffing in place ready for tactical deployment. The Fire Department’s Red Flag phone hotline, (310) 456-5783, has been updated. 

Trancas Canyon Park and Charmlee Wilderness Park will be closed for fire safety on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16 due to a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service. Staff will monitor weather conditions and post any park closures or openings on the City's social media platforms and notification system.

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

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. x390Permits: 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 - 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. 

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.

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 October 12, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) confirmed 17 new deaths and 1,005 new cases of COVID-19. Other key updates from the County’s COVID-19 Dashboard as of October 12, 2021 include the following:

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 30, LFM in the Santa Monica Mountains is at 59%, up from 58% on September 15. LFM can be as high as 200%, and 60% is considered critical and can cause extreme wildfire behavior. 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).

Join the multi-agency virtual wildfire evacuation exercise organized by the City in partnership with the Los Angeles County Fire, Sheriff’s and Public Works Departments, Caltrans and other agencies on Wednesday, October 20 at 6:00 PM as part of Malibu’s wildfire preparedness efforts. Residents, businesses, employees, students and other community members are invited to observe the exercise, based on a scenario of a major wildfire burning through Malibu. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the process, timeline, and roles of the responding agencies during a large-scale evacuation. The exercise will be followed by a Q&A session. The Zoom link will be posted in the Fire Safety webpage.

Join the Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance (CCFSA) for their Fire Safety Expo and Street Party on Sunday, October 17, 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM at Cool Glen Way and Fairside Road in Malibu. Click for a map. Meet your local firefighters, CERT volunteers, Arson Watch, CCFSA members and neighbors. Demonstrations and activities include Fire Engine 271, kids fire hose spray, fire apparatus displays, home fire protection equipment, the new CCSFA emergency radio system. Learn about fire protection zones, the future community fire station, text alerting systems, home hardening programs and more. The first 50 households attending will receive a free set of Corral Canyon emergency radios. CCFSA is a non-profit organization working to educate the community about fire preparedness and safety.

Did you miss Malibu’s annual Community Fire Season Briefing on September 23 as part of 2021 National Preparedness Month? The presentation by LA County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Drew Smith, a Fire Behavior Analyst, covered local Live Fuel Moisture, expected weather patterns, and what that means for wildfire conditions this fall in Malibu. See the presentation. Highlights include the September - December, 2021 forecast for hotter than normal temperatures, delayed and below-average rainfall due to the ongoing drought, and a near-normal level of Santa Ana wind events. All residents, employees, businesses, organizations, students and other Malibu stakeholders are encouraged to review the presentation so they can be prepared for dangerous wildfire conditions this fall. You can see the presentation online or watch video of the event online.

Did you miss the virtual home wildfire hardening seminar the City offered on September 23 as part of National Preparedness Month? You can watch it anytime online. Malibu's Fire Safety Liaison instructed 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 like the Woolsey Fire. If these embers land in receptive fuels or become lodged in something easily ignited on or near a house, like dry wood decking and fencing, dead vegetation, lawn furniture or uncovered attic vents, the home can burn down. The seminar demonstrated the simple and often inexpensive ways residents can harden and protect their home against the threat of flying embers ahead of time. Watch the video.

The City will provide free virtual trainings to help seniors and at-risk adults be prepared for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) on Thursday, October 21, 3:00 PM. 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. The training is open to all, but the backup batteries are available only to Malibu residents. RSVP for the free virtual training online.

The City continues to offer its no-cost Home Ignition Zone Assessment Program for homeowners. The Fire Liaisons 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. 

On September 18, the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Committee on School District Organization concluded the preliminary public hearing on the City’s petition to form an independent Malibu Unified School District and voted 8 to 2 to move the City’s petition forward into the regular petition process. The County Committee will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, November 10, 6:00 PM, followed by a public hearing to review the feasibility report and vote on the City’s petition. Details and the meeting link will be posted on the webpage prior to the meeting. This will allow the City to demonstrate that its petition will substantially meet all nine of the criteria for school district organization established by the California Department of Education. For more background information, facts and FAQs, visit the City’s webpage.

The November 8, 2021 deadline to submit a Planning Verification (PV) application to rebuild nonconforming homes and structures without having to bring the structure into compliance or seek variances is fast approaching. Homeowners are encouraged to submit their PV applications prior to the November 8 deadline or request an extension. Extensions may be granted by the Planning Commission when the request demonstrates that due to unusual circumstances, the deadline creates an undue hardship. See the PV checklist. To submit your PV application or to submit your request for a time extension, contact the Rebuild Team at 310-456-2489, ext. 385 or email Ashah@malibucity.org.  

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, November 1 to consider amending the compliance deadlines of the Dark Sky Ordinance. On September 27, 2021, staff provided the City Council with a status update on the City's Dark Sky Ordinance. Although City staff started working with gas station owners on compliance with the Dark Sky Ordinance in 2019, commercial enforcement and outreach has been delayed to due the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the compliance deadlines have passed, staff recommended the Council process an amendment to the Dark Sky Ordinance to extend the compliance deadlines to bring existing outdoor lighting for commercial, residential and institutional zoning districts into compliance. The City Council directed staff to proceed with public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council to amend the Ordinance. See the notice for more details on the hearing.  For more information about the ordinance, visit the webpage. 

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Malibu Inn Motel project on Monday, November 1. On September 8, the Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider the Malibu Inn Motel project environmental document and project entitlements, and the item was continued to November 1. The Commission requested a supplemental report from staff clarifying the project’s required and proposed floor area ratio. The staff report will be available on the website prior to the meeting. Based on the required entitlements and because no code amendments are required, the project only requires a hearing before Planning Commission. The project is subject to a local appeal period and is within the Appeal Jurisdiction of the 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. 

Malibu residents can drop off used paint, motor oil, household chemicals, batteries, electronics and other materials to be safely and properly disposed of for free at the City's regular Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste collection event on Saturday, October 16, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at City Hall in the upper parking lot. The accepted materials are listed on the website. 

Registration for the Winter session of the Malibu Seawolves Swim Team opens on Saturday, October 25, 8:00 AM. Workout groups are available for Ages 5-17 who complete a pre-requisite swim test. To register and for more information, visit the webpage.  

Malibu Poet Laureate Ann Buxie will conduct a poetry writing workshop on Saturday, October 16, at 11:00 AM. The virtual workshop will be held through Zoom and requires an RSVP from attendees. To RSVP or for more information, visit the poetry web page or call 310-456-2489, ext. 350.

Dr. Jessie Christiansen, an astrophysicist working at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology, will present "Truth is Stranger Than Science Fiction" on Tuesday, November 2 at 7:00 PM. The Malibu Library Speaker Series will be held virtually on the City's YouTube channel. RSVPs are not required. For more information, visit the Malibu Library Speaker Series webpage or call 310-456-2489, ext. 350.

The next Full Moon Hike at Charmlee Wilderness Park takes place on Wednesday, October 20, 5:30 PM. Hikers will learn about Malibu's rich nocturnal wildlife, landscape and lunar phases. The hike is free and open to all ages 14 and up. Pre-registration is required. To register or for more information visit the webpage. 

There is one permitted event permitted October 15 through 21, 2021. 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).

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. 

For questions or comments, contact the City Manager at SMcClary@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.