I had the pleasure of attending and participating in The Malibu Times’ Dolphin Awards Sunday and was overwhelmed by the many stories of inspired citizens working to fight the Woolsey Fire and its aftermath. Literally hundreds of people were honored for their various roles in saving their neighborhoods, feeding each other and the emergency responders, keeping the community informed, rebuilding our infrastructure, organizing and administering relief efforts, and so much more.
Representatives of city, county and the state were present, and all want to be part of the Woolsey recovery story. I was assured privately that, “We are this close (fingers almost touching) to announcing an official solution” to the Water District 29 and fire department issues. It was truly heartening to see the level of focus on solutions to all our issues.
The fire department representatives working at city hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays are aware of what is coming and will do everything possible, and some things that are not “officially” possible yet. The fire department does not want to be the stumbling block that will prevent a fire rebuild permit from being granted.Â
We are very fortunate to live in a community of talented, intelligent citizens, who are very interested in devoting their time, talent and treasure to making Malibu whole again. Everyone in that room gets up every morning, looks in the mirror and asks, “What can I do today to help put my Malibu back together?”Â
There are many different personal versions of Malibu and we need all those different versions to make up the rich tapestry we enjoy as we each live our own Malibu life. The diversity of lifestyles that makes Malibu special can accommodate us for a lifetime. I’ve lived here for the past 40 years: single, married with children and extended family all under one roof, and as part of an empty nester couple. As I have moved through life and the needs of our family have changed, we have been able to find several different versions of Malibu that are appropriate to our current needs. Restoring and/or preserving those options for future generations is what makes the community special.Â
The Woolsey Fire heavily impacted the neighborhoods of Malibu most conveniently located near one of our elementary schools, the junior high and high school. The city is committed to helping rebuild those neighborhoods by getting out of the way as much as possible and quickly processing the necessary permits. The city has hired six new staffers to expeditiously handle these rebuilds. If your home was destroyed or damaged in the Woolsey Fire, now is the time to get your permits. Every meeting of the city council and the planning commission starts with a report on the applications received and processed. Please be part of the good news.Â
If you are running into any obstacles, from any governmental agency, give me a call at 310.505.5006.