City Council announces new interim Planning Director Maureen Tamuri

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Maureen Tamuri (left, at podium) addresses the Malibu City Council after being named the city's new interim Planning Director. Photo by Samantha Bravo:TMT.

Council approves Chili Cook-Off event and Malibu AYSO fees to use field for the 2024-25 soccer season

The Malibu City Council welcomed back the community on Monday after a month hiatus. To start off the meeting, City Manager Steve McClary provided an update on the Nobu incident on July 4.

“Nobu was cited by the city for the unpermitted event that was held on July 4. The citations included fines for the violations and administrative penalties that resulted from staff time spent on the matter,” McClary said. “Staff is preparing an item for the Aug. 26 agenda that will lay out the options for the council regarding potential revocation or modification of the existing CUP (Conditional used permit) for Nobu.” 

McClary said staff has reached out to Nobu management to move forward on the restaurant’s pending application to modify its CUP.

McClary also announced the Topanga Lagoon restoration project and meetings. For more information visitmalibucity.org.

McClary also provided an update on citations and traffic citations and said the city has issued 2,035 citations, twice as many as they did last July. 

“You can see that they’re out there writing tickets at one, two, three, four o’clock in the morning,” McClary said.

McClary said Caltrans will continue its workshops with an in-person meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at City Hall at 6 p.m. and a virtual workshop on Thursday, September 12, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Soderlund provided a report on enforcement and said the beach team issued 287 citations for alcohol on the beach, 303 traffic citations, 1,325 parking citations, and towed 184 vehicles for the end of July. For more details, visit malibucity.org. 

The council motioned to have Maureen Tamuri serve as the interim Planning Director. 

“I’ll bring you the best of what I’ve learned and I’ll pledge my professionalism best, so thank you for your support,” Tamuri said.

The council motioned to reorganize the agenda format for regular City Council meetings.

The motion included the meetings to begin earlier at 5:30 p.m. rather than 6:30 p.m.

• Consent Calendar: moved up earlier in the meeting to allow for both council and staff to complete these administrative items earlier and not be delayed by other actions. In addition, the suggested “Guide to the City Council Proceedings” section describes how the public can still comment on the whole of the Consent Calendar and then a councilmember can pull an item. This is the standard practice that California cities follow.

• Presentations: hear presentation items immediately after the Consent Calendar to allow for those participants to have their items done first and not be delayed.

• Written and Oral Communications: the order of the communications sections will be adjusted to the following order: Commission/Committee/City Manager Updates, Public Comment concerning matters not on the agenda (not before 6:30 p.m.), and City Council Subcommittee Reports/Mayor and Councilmember Reports.

The council received a report on the Malibu Pacific Coast Highway Safety Projects. 

Public Works Director Rob DeBoux gave a brief infrastructure update, the pedestrian undercrossing at Malibu Seafood, PCH crosswalk improvements at Big Rock Drive, PCH/Las Flores Canyon and Rambla Pacifico and PCH Median Improvments at Paradise Cove and Zuma Beach.

The city also encourages the community to join the next Master Plan meeting for the redesign of PCH. For more infovisit the calendar and news briefs.

The council approved the American Youth Soccer Organization Fee Waiver and the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Event Fee Waiver to waive facility use fees and staffing costs associated with the Chili Cook-Off event. 

DeBoux gave an update on the Civic Center Water Treatment Facility Phase 2 and the Wastewater Allocation Modification.

The last item addressed was to authorize the mayor to send letter of support regarding Los Angeles County Governance Reform Package proposed by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn. The council motioned to approve the letter with modifications. 

The next City Council meeting is on Monday, Aug. 26.