Council Member Rick Mullen—who was Malibu’s mayor at the time of the Woolsey Fire—publicly threw his support behind City Manager Reva Feldman during a Tuesday, Dec. 18 Malibu City Council meeting. According to Mullen, the organizer of the petition (who did not list his or her name publicly) was opportunistically twisting outrage over fire response into an effort to oust the city manager—whom the petition organizer has wanted fired for years.
“[The petition was] initiated by, I believe, a former supporter of mine who is no longer a supporter of mine,” Mullen said. “That supporter admonished me that—before I got sworn in [to city council] two years ago—that I should fire her as soon as I got here.
“The ire [toward] the city manager from that individual is deep and long-lasting, and I don’t pretend to understand the roots of it,” he continued. “I believe she has capitalized on this particular event to try to try to carry out her long-term objective, which is to get our wonderful city manager fired.”
Mullen went on to praise Feldman, mentioning some of her accomplishments as city manager including the city’s high bond rating and award-winning sewer project. He also acknowledged shortcomings in and around the Woolsey Fire, but reiterated that he takes “full responsibility” for failures in the evacuation and communication—as did Feldman and other city representatives.
Mullen also said part of the reason for the petition was the city’s inability to control the narrative following the fire.
“The city has probably been a little less effective than it could have been in contrasting some of the caustic stuff on social media,” Mullen said.
“I have full confidence in the city manager,” he added later.
The petition, which began circulating online in early December, called for Feldman, along with Public Safety Manager Susan Dueñas, to step down from office or be fired. According to the petition, Feldman and Dueñas failed to properly communicate to the public and coordinate with emergency officials during the Woolsey Fire and its immediate aftermath.
As of Tuesday, Dec. 18, the petition had gathered nearly 1,200 signatures. It was not clear how many of those who signed were residents or voters in Malibu—many who left comments on the petition said they were former residents or had “loved ones” living in town.