Two city department heads announce resignations
Public Works Director Yugal Lall and Parks and Recreation Director Paul Adams announced last week that they will be stepping down from their posts next month. Lall has accepted a position as the head of public works for the city of Moorpark and Adams has a taken a job as parks and recreation director for the city of South Gate. Both men said they took the new jobs because they are a shorter commute from their homes.
City Manager Katie Lichtig said the process for finding people to replace the department heads has already begun.
Lall was hired as public works director in 2003. Adams began work with the city of Malibu in 1996 as a recreation supervisor. He was elevated to parks and recreation director in 2000.
Chili Cook-Off fundraising hits final stretch
City Manager Katie Lichtig reviewed the city’s progress toward raising the $25 million for which the Malibu Bay Co. said it will sell the Chili Cook-Off property, the 20-acre property stretching along Pacific Coast Highway from Webb Way to Cross Creek Road.
Lichtig said the city has so far accumulated $12.5 million through Santa Monica College Measure M bond money, a $2.5 million grant from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and $8.5 million from a city financing plan that will be repaid through rent money it receives from the three structures on the property.
The city has also received recommendations for approval from four other government agencies totaling $8 million, but needs final approval from those agencies’ voting boards.
Additionally the city has made some other funding requests and is pursuing local donations toward the cause.
Malibu also learned recently that it will be buying the Chili Cook-Off site at a bargain price if it can come up with the money by the Dec. 31 deadline. An appraisal released last week said the property is worth $35 million.
Bone search in Malibu
Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office officials were in the Malibu canyons during the weekend looking for bones after several were found in April. Capt. Ed Winter said another bone was found in the search, but it has not been determined if it is human.