Malibu City Manager Updates - October 09, 2020

Press release from the City of Malibu:

October 9, 2020

UPCOMING

• Monday, October 12, 4:30 PM Virtual City Council Special Meeting
• Monday, October 12, 6:30 PM - Virtual City Council Meeting
• Saturday, October 17, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Household Hazardous Waste / Electronic Waste Collection at City Hall

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. Key updates from the County’s COVID-19 Dashboard as of October 8, 2020 include the following:

• 104 confirmed cases and 3 deaths in the City of Malibu - no change in cases or deaths from October 1
• 277,445 confirmed cases and 6,709 deaths in LA County - an increase of 6,074 cases and 99 deaths from October 1
• 696 current hospitalizations in LA County - a decrease of 50 from October 1

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

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE

On October 6, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) Officer issued a revised revised Health Officer Order to allow for limited in-door operations at nail salons and shopping malls, outdoor operations for cardrooms, wineries and breweries, re-opening of outside playgrounds and the school waiver program for grades TK-2. More information is available about the changes effective this week on the LACDPH's website.

park playgrounds reopened

Playgrounds at Malibu Bluffs Park, Las Flores Creek Park, and Trancas Canyon Park reopened with Covid-19 Guidelines in place on Monday, October 5. The reopening comes after the revised Public Health Order from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on October 2, and more information regarding the Covid-19 requirements can be found at on the Community Services website.

SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

The City Council continues to implement planning regulations to help local businesses impacted by COVID-19 public health orders. On September 14, the Council adopted an ordinance to temporarily waive certain sign regulations to help businesses advertise. Ordinance 471U provides local businesses temporary assistance in promoting their businesses and attracting customers. The ordinance allows business owners and non-residential use operators to install up to two temporary signs. Temporary signs may include portable signs (A-frame or sandwich board type signs), wall signs, window signs and banners for purposes of advertising a business or non-residential use located within the City. The ordinance allows placement of up to one of these temporary signs in the public right-of-way or in a private street or easement. Temporary sign permits may be approved by the Planning Director administratively. To submit your temporary sign permit application (no fee required), email mplanning@malibucity.org.

The City Council previously adopted the Temporary Restaurant Recovery Program allowing local restaurants to temporarily expand their seating areas to adjacent common areas or sidewalks with physical distancing and other public health protocols in place to slow the spread of coronavirus. For more information about this program, visit the project web page.

MALIBU REBUILDS STATISTICS

• Single Family Dwellings planning approvals issued - 259
• Single Family Dwellings building permits issued – 147
• Single Family Dwelling complete- 10

MALIBU REBUILDS – NOVEMBER 8, 2020 DEADLINE

The November 8 deadline to submit a Planning Verification (PV) application to rebuild non-conforming homes and structures without having to bring the structure into compliance or seek variances is fast approaching. PV applications must be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the November 8 deadline. Homeowners are encouraged to submit their PV applications prior to the November 8 deadline or request an extension of the two-year period. It is free to submit an extension request. Extensions may be granted by the Planning Commission when the request demonstrates that due to unusual circumstances, the deadline creates an undue hardship. To submit your PV application or to submit your request for a time extension, contact fire rebuild staff at Ashah@malibucity.org.

On September 29, the City Council initiated a code amendment to extend the deadlines. The staff report is available on the City's website. On November 2, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the amendment and provide a recommendation to the City Council. For more information, please review the Notice of Public Hearing. If the proposed amendment is adopted, it will go into effect after November 8. Extension requests should be submitted before November 8.

MALIBU REBUILDS – REBUILD PLANNING CONSULTATIONS

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, visit the Rebuild Page, where you can view rebuild options and find all related forms and handouts.

MALIBU REBUILDS – BUILDING HEIGHT

New homes under construction will be required to submit a Height Survey Certification at framing inspection in order to verify City-approved heights. Any projects that are built to a height that is higher than allowed by code or by approved plans may be subject to a Stop Work Order, project revisions to remove the excess height or additional permitting to allow the height (if feasible). If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Planning staff at 310-456-2489, ext. 385.

MALIBU REBUILDS – SALE OF PROPERTY

Please note that the Woolsey Fire fee waiver s are not transferable. If a waiver is obtained, a Certificate of Occupancy will only be issued to the property owner who filed the affidavit establishing primary residence at the time of the Woolsey Fire. All fees that were waived must be paid to the City before a Certificate of Occupancy will be issued to an owner other than the one listed on the fee waiver. Fee waiver applications must be received by December 30, 2020; all required Planning Department applications for the project must be deemed complete by December 30, 2020; and all required building permit must be pulled by June 30, 2021. For more information, visit the City’s Fee Waiver web page.

SCE’S CLEAN ENERGY AND RESILIENCY (CLEAR) REBUILD PROGRAM

SCE is providing enhanced incentives up to $17,500 for energy-efficient new home construction in areas affected by the Woolsey Fire. The CLEAR Program offers enhanced incentives to encourage rebuilding to or above the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24), including clean, energy-efficient, solar and battery storage, and resilient design. If interested, email CLEAR@sce.com or call 1-866-723-2257. More information on fire rebuild resources and rebates is available on the City's website.

NEW BUILDING SAFETY ONLINE PERMITTING SERVICES

Over the counter permits (building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, septic and excavation) can now be submitted through the new Online Building Permit Request Portal. To help facilitate Building Safety reviews, Building Safety has transitioned to electronic plan check submittals, permits, and invoices. Visit the City’s Building and Safety web page to find out how to start an electronic plan check submittal and permit request or email mbuilding@malibucity.org for more information.

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON PREPAREDNESS

The City’s Public Safety staff are in full stride preparing for the upcoming fire season. 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. City staff participated in a virtual exercise with regional response partners on Thursday, August 6 to begin coordinating communication and response actions. The exercise scenario focused on a fire in Topanga that was moving quickly toward Malibu. Some of the strategies that were discussed included directing evacuees west, utilizing Zuma as a temporary safe refuge, and deploying emergency generators to traffic signals if power is lost. Some of the action items from the exercise included working with the agency partners to draft emergency messaging templates that will be consistent across the region, developing a plan for managing a temporary safe refuge area at Zuma Beach, and conducting a public education campaign regarding the newly established evacuation zones. To complement this exercise, City staff will participate in virtual Emergency Operations Center exercises to practice new procedures based on COVID-19 pandemic restraints.

Community preparedness events were conducted throughout September as part of National Preparedness Month. In addition, staff developed a weed whacker fire safety flyer that is available to community groups to distribute and/or post on community bulletin boards. The flyer is available in English and Spanish.

On Saturday, October 3, Public Safety staff team up with members of the CERT Team, Volunteers on Patrol (VOPs) and Arson Watch to continue doing direct outreach in the neighborhoods to make sure everyone has the latest information about evacuation zones and terminology, and a copy of the City’s new Emergency Survival Guide. On Saturday, September 26, eight teams of volunteers fanned out in eastern Malibu and made contact with 144 residents. Public Safety staff intends to continue the outreach until all neighborhoods have been covered.

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON: EVACUATION PLAN

At its regular meeting on February 24, 2020, the City Council adopted the Mass Evacuation Plan as an update to the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. The Mass Evacuation Plan was one of the findings of a working group assembled after the 2018 Woolsey Fire to improve disaster coordination, communication, and evacuation among all of the public agencies that might respond to a disaster in Malibu. The Evacuation Plan, Evacuation Zone Maps, Evacuation terms and a search function to find out what your home’s Zone is, are all available on the City’s Evacuations web page. The Evacuation Plan was recently updated to incorporate the State’s new evacuation terminology, including:

• Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
• Evacuation Warning: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
• Shelter in Place: Go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.
• Evacuation Order(s) Lifted: The formal announcement of lifting evacuations in an area currently under evacuation.
• Hard Closure: Closed to all traffic except fire and law enforcement.
• Soft Closure: Closed to all traffic except Fire, law enforcement and critical incident resources (i.e. Caltrans, city/county roads etc. or those needed to repair or restore infrastructure).
• Resident Only Closure: Soft closure with the additional allowance of residents and local government agencies assisting with response and recovery.

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON: EVACUATION ZONES

As part of the City’s Mass Evacuation Plan, the City partnered with the Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff’s Departments to establish official Evacuation Zones. The Zones follow Malibu’s historic fire corridors. In the event of a large fire, officials may use the Evacuation Zones to quickly identify the timing, order, and routes of evacuation for specific areas to be more effective and avoid traffic bottlenecks.

On September 14, the City mailed postcards to residents with information on their assigned Evacuation Zone. Residents are encouraged to become familiar with their Zone and evacuation routes and memorize their Evacuation Zone number. The Zones are available to view on the City’s website at: MalibuCity.org/Evac. Residents may also search by their address to learn the Zone in which their home is located on the City's website at: MalibuCity.org/ZoneSearch

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON: WILDFIRE AND FIRE SAFETY WEB PAGE

To help prepare for peak wildfire season, community members are encouraged to visit the City’s Wildfire and Fire Safety page, for ongoing information and resources. Topics featured on the webpage include:

• 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
• Live Fuel Moisture
• House Fire Safety
• Weed Whacker Safety

For more information about any of these topics, contact Fire Safety Liaison Jerry Vandermeulen at 310-456-2489, ext. 387 or JVandermeulen@malibucity.org, or FireSafety@malibucity.org.

2020 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. As of October 8, 2020, the LFM has reached a critical level of 59%, which is down from 64% two weeks ago. A live fuel moisture reading of 60% or less is considered critical. 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. The full Los Angeles County Live Fuel Moisture summary and the current Santa Monica Mountains Live Fuel Moisture are both available online.

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON: SIGN UP FOR ALERTS AND DISASTER NOTIFICATIONS

If you are not already signed up to receive alerts and disaster notifications, now is the time to get that done. Make sure all members of your family, business, or organization are signed up for emergency, weather and traffic alerts by text and email from the City. To sign up, visit the E-notify web page and scroll down to Alert Center. When there is an imminent threat to any part of our community or evacuations, the City issues Disaster Notifications (similar to reverse 9-1-1) to the specific area that is being threatened. Last year, the City acquired a database of all cell phone numbers with accounts with a 90265 address. If you wish create an account or edit an exiting account in the City’s Disaster Notification System, you can you can visit the Disaster Notifications sign up portal, create a profile, and change your contact information. If the threat is widespread, the City can issue a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) which goes to all cell phones within the City with no subscriptions necessary, so it reaches visitors as well as residents. For more information about all of the City’s different types of alerts, go to the City’s web page.

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON: OBTAIN A DOLPHIN DECAL FOR RESIDENT ONLY ROAD CLOSURES

Malibu’s Dolphin Decal vehicle identification program was established to assist emergency personnel in identifying residents and other individuals who need to access their homes and businesses during some types of emergencies. In the event of a Resident Only road closure, the Dolphin Decal may expedite passage into the restricted area. When approaching a roadblock, all motorists will be checked for proof of residency or business in the Malibu area or to ensure they have a Dolphin Decal on their vehicle. This decal is used to assist in identification only and gives no special rights or privileges to the holder. Decals are non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no expiration date on the decals. To register for a Dolphin Decal, or for more information, visit the Dolphin Decal Program Page or call City Hall at 310-456-2489.

2020 WILDFIRE SEASON: EMERGENCY SURVIVAL GUIDE

The Malibu Emergency Survival Guide is now available. The Guide is based on the Los Angeles County Survival Guide but customized for Malibu. This comprehensive guide includes information about creating an emergency plan, emergency food and supplies, what to do when disaster strikes, basic first aid, important phone numbers and hazards specific to Malibu. The City encourages neighborhood and community groups to make an appointment to pick up the booklets in bulk to distribute in your neighborhood. To make an appointment to pick up the guide for your neighborhood/community group, contact Sarah Kaplan, Public Safety Specialist, at skaplan@malibucity.org or 310-456-2489, ext. 368.

BIG ROCK DRIVE MOBILE GENERATOR (LA COUNTY WATERWORKS)

LA County Waterworks is working to install a temporary generator at Big Rock Drive and Cool Oak Way. The temporary generator will be used during power outages to maintain water pressure in the Big Rock neighborhood. The work includes installation of K-rail, trenching, installing conduit and electrical components to tie in the proposed generator to the County’s existing pump station facility. The work is expected to be complete by October 9.

NOVEMBER 3, 2020 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION

The filing period for write-in candidates began on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, and runs through Tuesday, October 20, 2020. Please contact the City Clerk for details at hglaser@malibucity.org or by calling 310-456-2489, ext. 228.

Register to vote or make sure your registration is up to date by October 19, 2020, on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's website to automatically be sent a Vote by Mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 election. Vote by Mail ballots began mailing on Monday, October 5, 2020.

Vote Center locations are available online. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk will mail a postcard to all registered voters the week of October 12, 2020, listing the four closest Vote Centers. Three Vote Centers are located in Malibu:

Malibu Elementary School (listed as Juan Cabrillo Elementary School)

30237 Morning View Drive

Multi-purpose Room

October 30 - November 2: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

November 3: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Christian Science Church

28635 Pacific Coast Highway

Sunday School Building

October 30 - November 2: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

November 3: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Webster Elementary School

3602 Winter Canyon Road (this portion of Civic Center Way is only accessible from Malibu Canyon Road)

Multi-purpose Room

October 24 - November 2: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

November 3: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Governor Newsom signs AB 1788

On September 29, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1788 by Assemblymember Richard Bloom prohibiting the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides which are known to poison mountain lions and other wildlife. At its Regular meeting on March 25, 2019, the Malibu City Council unanimously voted to support AB1788 and has sent several letters of support to the legislative committees reviewing this bill.

PLanning department update

After five years as the City’s Planning Director and a total of 14 years working for the City, Bonnie Blue announced plans to relocate to her home state of Florida to be closer to her family. Bonnie will be stepping down from her current role on October 20, 2020 following the October 19, 2020 Planning Commission Meeting. Assistant Planning Director Richard Mollica has been named the Acting Planning Director for the City of Malibu effective October 21, 2020 to ensure continuity of planning services while the City continues its search for a permanent Planning Director. Richard has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning, has a certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners and has worked for the City for over 15 years in various roles within the Planning Department.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

On September 14, the City Council held a public hearing regarding short-term rental (STR) regulations including the Enforcement Ordinance and the Hosted Ordinance:

• Enforcement Ordinance - On September 29, the City Council held a second reading and adopted Ordinance No. 468 to provide enforcement tools to regulate STRs. The effective date of the ordinance is January 15, 2021. Information on the new STR permitting program and regulations will be announced soon.
• Hosted Ordinance – On October 26, the "Hosted" STR ordinance will be considered by the City Council on October 26. The public hearing notice is available on the City's website. For more information on the proposed Hosted STR Ordinance and a description of the changes requested, visit the City’s Short-Term Rental web page at the City's Short-Term Rental web page at malibucity.org/STR.

For more information and the history of the City’s consideration of STR regulations, visit the STR webpage at malibucity.org/STR.

SURFACE PARKING LOT USE ZONING/LCP AMENDMENT

On September 21, the Planning Commission held a virtual hearing and made recommendations on the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and Local Coastal Program (LCP) to allow stand-alone surface parking lots as a conditionally permitted use. Currently, parking lots are allowed in conjunction with another use but not as a stand-alone use. The staff report is available on the City’s website. The City Council will hold a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for November 9, to consider the amendments. If approved by City Council, the LCP amendment would have to be certified by the California Coastal Commission before the regulations could go into effect.

PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN – CORRAL BEACH AND ZUMA BEACH AREAS

On September 14, the City Council held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance 469 to implement parking restriction in the Corral Beach and Zuma Beach areas. In order to implement the Ordinance, a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) will need to be processed for each area. On October 19, the Planning Commission will hold virtual hearings on the CDPs. For more information, view the Notice of Planning Commission Public Hearing. The staff report will be available online prior to the meet atmalibucity.org/agendacenter.

PASSPORT SERVICES

In order to keep City staff and the community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City is not accepting passport appointments at this time. The U.S. Department of State has a phased plan for reopening services and, as of September 28, is offering routine service (10-12 week turnaround) and expedite service (4-6 week turnaround, $60 extra) at currently operational Passport Acceptance Facilities. Visit the U.S. Department of State website for travel advisories in place.

CLEAN POWER ALLIANCE DEFAULT CHANGE TO 100% GREEN POWER OCTOBER 2020

In October 2019, City Council voted to adopt Clean Power Alliance’s (CPA) 100% Green Power as the default rate for CPA customers in the City to reduce the impacts of climate change and air pollution. Starting in October 2020, Malibu’s CPA customers will receive 100% renewable power generated by solar, wind and other renewable and carbon-free resources. Malibu’s CPA customers can choose a different rate option with lower cost and lower renewable content at any time and should have received postcards notifying them of the default change. Additional postcards will be sent to the community in November 2020 to remind customers of this change. To change your rate option or see how your bill compares with SCE, visit the website or call CPA at 888-585-3788.

Household Hazardous Waste AND Electronic WASTE Collection

Staff continues to organize environmental events with COVID-19 safety precautions. On Saturday, October 17, the City will be conducting a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and E-Waste Event at City Hall. If residents wish to dispose of e-waste and HHW before these scheduled events, there are LA County HHW/E-Waste Collection Events and Permanent Collection Centers and S.A.F.E. Centers (Solvents/Automotive/Flammables/Electronics) around LA County available.

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

The Environmental Sustainability Department’s Virtual Environmental Center allows residents to enjoy virtual activities from home and learn about the City’s environmental projects. Virtual activities include Smart Gardening webinars, California Friendly Landscaping and Turf Removal webinars and recycling tips.

SELF-REGENERATING WATER SOFTENER BAN

The City has adopted a ban on the use of salt-based regenerative water softeners for properties connected to the Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility to reduce the salts in the groundwater. Installation of new salt and potassium chloride-based self –regenerating water softeners existing self-regenerating water softeners at properties connected to the Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility must be removed by October 28, 2020.

VIRTUAL ART GALLERY

The City of Malibu Cultural Arts Commission is currently hosting the virtual art gallery for “The Birds and the Bees, a Celebration of Spring in Malibu.” The gallery features work from more than 60 local artists, highlighting the beautiful and unique characteristics of our City, including native wildlife, flowers, plants and landscapes. Visit the Virtual Art Gallery. For more information, visit the Malibu Arts and Culture website.

POETRY STONE HONORING FORMER POET LAUREATE ELLEN REICH

The Cultural Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission recently approved the installation of a poetry stone at Legacy Park to honor the City's second Poet Laureate Ellen Reich. Mrs. Reich held the position for one year, before passing away in May 2020. Her teachings and commitment to Malibu made a lasting impression on the community. She taught Creative Writing and Poetry for the Emeritus College at the Malibu Senior Center for many years before becoming Poet Laureate. Earlier this year, Mrs. Reich selected the stone for the project, which will include an inscription of her poem, "Interruption of Bird." The poetry stone was installed on October 8, and the City plans to coordinate a virtual recognition event later this fall. Details about the event and the Poet Laureate program are available on the City's website.

VIRTUAL RECREATION CENTER

The Community Services Department’s Virtual Recreation Center 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.

NEW Temporary Skate PArk operating hours

Beginning Monday, October 12, skate reservation times at the Temporary Skate Park will be adjusted to reflect sunset times. Reservation will be available Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Operating hours will continue to be adjusted through the fall and winter, as sunset occurs earlier in the evening. Skaters can reserve one two-hour skate session through our online reservation system every other day, up to one week in advance.

PERMANENT SKATE PARK DESIGN SURVEY

The Permanent Skate Park Design Survey is now available online. The survey allows local skaters and interested parties to provide feedback regarding the preliminary design for the Permanent Skate Park Project. The survey is available until October 23, 2020, and you can take the survey by visiting the Skate Park web page.

OCTOBER AFTER-SCHOOL CAMPS

Registration for October After-School Camps for youth grades K-12 is currently open. October camps include Surf Camp, Cross Country, soccer, and various sports camps. You can view all of the City’s available camps and register by visiting MalibuCity.org/register.

COMMUNITY POOL

The Community Swimming Pool is open with limited programming and COVID-19 safety guidelines. Swimmers may view available dates/times or register for the SeaWolves Swim Program, Masters Swim, and Lap Swim online. Please note: Due to limited pool space, Lap Swim is only available by making a reservation through the online reservation system. No walk-ups are allowed.

CIVIC CENTER WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY PHASE 2

On October 12, the City Council will consider awarding a contract for assessment engineering services for the formation of an assessment district for the Civic Center Water Treatment Facility Phase 2. The City hosted a virtual community meeting on September 17 to provide an update on the project. Additional information on the project is available on the City's website. The City will conduct a follow up community meeting in December 2020.

GUARDRAIL REPLACEMENT PROJECT

The Guardrail Replacement Project consists of replacement of guardrails damaged by the Woolsey Fire at various locations within the City. The only remaining work for this project includes final grading/earthwork around the already repaired guardrails. The project is anticipated to be completed by late Fall 2020. Damaged guardrails located next to retaining walls will be replaced as part of the City’s forthcoming Latigo Retaining Wall Project to minimize associated damage to the adjacent walls.

CLIFFSIDE UTILITY UNDERGROUNDING DISTRICT

The City received a letter from the property owners on Cliffside Drive requesting the City’s assistance with forming an assessment district to underground the overhead utilities on Cliffside Drive east of Fernhill Drive. During the July 13 City Council meeting, staff was directed to proceed with the project and work with the property owners to start the process of forming the underground assessment district. The City received two proposals for the formation of the undergrounding district and is currently reviewing the proposals.

ROUTINE STREET MAINTENANCE

City maintenance crews continue to monitor and maintain all City streets and canyon roads. This includes but is not limited to signs, striping, litter removal, pothole repairs, storm drain maintenance and various other repair work. Additionally, crews continue to assist Caltrans with litter and debris removal along Pacific Coast Highway. They also monitor temporary parking restrictions as requested during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FEMA PRELIMINARY FLOOD MAPS APPEAL

The City is in the process of appealing the revised FEMA Preliminary Flood Maps. These revised maps change the flood zone and flood depth along the City’s coastline. The proposed changes could have an impact to all existing properties and any new development along the beach. Since December 2019, the City’s consultant (Moffat & Nichol) conducted several conference calls with FEMA regarding the City’s proposed methodology to determine the base flood elevations along the coastline. They also performed a new land survey and then re-calculated the depth of flooding along the coastline. The majority of the sections analyzed showed a lower base flood elevation. Last week, the City’s consultant submitted the revised calculations to FEMA for their review. The City is expecting FEMA’s review process to take until November 2020. More information is available on the City’s website. FEMA informed the City that they will suspend processing any Flood Map revisions starting August 14, 2020. All applications for Flood Map revisions received prior to August 14, 2020 will be processed and completed. The City verified with FEMA that they have received its Flood Map revisions. FEMA is currently reviewing the City’s Flood Map revisions and will not suspend this process.

CIVIC CENTER WAY IMPROVEMENTS 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. From September 21 to December 2020 (weather permitting) a portion of Civic Center Way between Vista Pacifica and the private driveway of 23901 Civic Center Way will be temporary closed. The temporary closure will include access for emergency vehicles to utilize the street during emergency situations. Work hours will be Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM with some work scheduled on Saturdays. The temporary closure will not prevent access to any adjacent side streets or private driveways. Additionally, the Contractor will not be working during red flag warnings. Additional information is available on the City’s website.

DUME DRIVE AND FERNHILL DRIVE SPEED HUMPS PROJECT

This project includes the installation of speed humps on Dume Drive and Fernhill Drive from Grayfox Street to Cliffside Drive. Construction bids are due on October 8, 2020. Staff will review the bids and bring an item to City Council to award a contract for construction.

Storm Drain Trash Screens

The project is located at various storm drains throughout the city and consists of design, fabrication and anchoring new pipe screens to existing catch basin structures, and other incidental work. The pipe screens prevent trash and debris from entering the storm drain system during dry weather and moderate storm flows by keeping the trash and debris inside the catch basin. On October 12, City Council Meeting will consider awarding the construction contract for this project.

Bluffs Park Workout Station

The project is located at the Malibu Bluffs Park and consists of removal of the existing zip-line play structure and poured-in-place rubber surface, installation of a new workout station, including a new poured-in-place rubber surface similar to the existing surface, and installation of signage included with the workout station equipment. On October 12, City Council Meeting will consider awarding the construction contract for this project.

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.