Some fire-affected Malibu businesses received much-needed grants, but at least one didn’t
When the Palisades Fire hit Malibu hard in early January, local boutique Pistol & Lucy was directly affected. While most of the La Costa neighborhood surrounding the clothing and gift store burned, luckily Pistol & Lucy and all the other little shops in the old La Costa strip mall on Pacific Coast Highway at Rambla Pacifico survived the flames. Still, the La Costa Post Office, Pistol & Lucy, and Blue Malibu, another boutique next door, were forced to close. PCH was completely shut down for weeks after the fire. Then another blow came in February when a mudslide buried the intersection where the locally run shop has served loyal Malibu customers and visitors for 15 years.
The tiny boutique, owned by 30-year Malibu resident Alexandria Skouras, was forced to close for five months while PCH was mostly off-limits to the general public. During that long period with absolutely no business, Skouras continued paying rent. Although her landlord offered a little rent relief, her beloved business was on the brink. “I felt powerless, just powerless,” Skouras said. “It’s a frustrating feeling. You’re paying rent and no income is coming in.”
While Skouras was eventually able to reopen after PCH did so before Memorial Day, her business is still struggling. Initially with limited hours due to the unpredictable traffic on the reopened highway, Skouras remained the solo employee. The proprietor hires part-timers when she can afford it. This summer season, which typically accounts for the bulk of her sales with tourist traffic, has been difficult without the usual throngs of tourists coming into town, although she said her loyal clientele “has been in to support. I get one or two people a day, nothing like it used to be.”
A few months ago, when the city of Malibu announced microgrants for fire-affected businesses, Skouras applied to help keep her business afloat. When the grants were recently announced, the shop owner was shocked that Pistol & Lucy did not receive anything. Skouras is now trying to get a direct answer as to why her business, locally owned and directly impacted, did not receive any relief funds from the city. She’s also questioning exactly how those funds were distributed and why some businesses located on the other side of town that may have been impacted by lack of business, but not forced to close as she was, received funds. Skouras is asking for a clear understanding of the selection criteria and decision-making process.
The city states: “The need exceeded the amount of funding allocated, which demonstrates the impact on small businesses in our community, and we’re committed to continuing our local business support through both regional partnerships and direct assistance. Additional consideration was given to small businesses with more than two employees.”
The city received a total of 157 applications requesting $2,816,762 in funding. The Malibu Administration and Finance Subcommittee was only able to award 46 grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000 through the City’s Small Business Micro Stabilization Grant Program, totaling $300,000. A list of businesses that were awarded grants can be found on the City of Malibu website at malibucity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/7523?fileID=80961
The largest grants, totaling $15,000 each, went to restaurants OLLO, The Sunset, and Howdy’s, followed by Geoffrey’s and Malibu Seafood, which each received $12,500.
Skouras received an email stating: “We truly understand the significant impact on small businesses in our community, and we remain deeply committed to supporting businesses through both regional partnerships and direct assistance. It was clear that every applicant was deserving, and it saddens us that we couldn’t extend help to everyone at this time.”
Skouras acknowledges that all Malibu businesses were affected, but said some Eastern Malibu sites like her business were affected more than others due to a complete closure of PCH for five months and that she’s still impacted. “I’m still in disbelief. I would like an explanation. Was there a problem with my application?” she questioned. A city staffer said her application was not faulty, but that there just wasn’t enough funding to go around.
Skouras insists that if she had received financial help and her neighboring business next door did not, she would have shared the relief money. “If I had received the money and my neighbor Roxy at Blue Malibu didn’t, I would have given her half,” she said.
The MalibuRebuild.org website states: “The City is working closely with partner agencies such as Los Angeles County Supervisor Horvath, Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), United States Small Business Administration and other local partners to bring additional resources to Malibu. We encourage you to explore additional funding opportunities, such as the Malibu-Topanga Business Interruption Fund and others listed on our website at MalibuRebuilds.org/Small-Business-Resources. Please sign up to receive business-specific updates.”