Council names Trevor Rusin interim city attorney
The Malibu City Council named Assistant City Attorney Trevor Rusin the interim city attorney at the June 27 regular City Council meeting. Trevor has served as the assistant city attorney for Malibu since 2016 and worked for the city for over a decade.
The appointment, effective immediately, was made after Interim City Attorney John Cotti announced that he was resigning from Best Best and Krieger, LLP (BBK), the law firm that has provided Malibu’s city attorney services since 2018, to take a legal position with a construction firm. He has served as the interim city attorney since former City Attorney Christi Hogin retired in 2020.
The City Council thanked Cotti for his service to the city and congratulated Rusin on his appointment.
Fire conditions update: Live Fuel Moisture Levels
As part of continuous wildfire preparedness, the city tracks Live Fuel Moisture (LFM) in the Malibu area as an important part of determining current fire conditions for our community. LFM is the percentage of water content to dry matter in live vegetation.
The June 23, LFM is at 74 percent, down from 78 percent from the previous sampling. The historical average for this time of year is about 90 percent. LFM can be as high as 200 percent, and 60 percent and below is considered critical.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department Forestry Division conducts sampling approximately every two weeks and posts the results on their website (fire.lacounty.gov/fire-weather-danger/). This shows the effect of drought and higher temperatures on fuel and how our local fuels are susceptible to sustaining a wildfire.
Notice of Interest available for disaster recovery housing program
In response to unmet recovery needs related to the Woolsey fire, the city was awarded approximately $15 million in federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to serve as gap funding to finance eligible multi-family housing projects.
The City of Malibu has published a Notice Inviting Interest (go to malibucity.org/DocumentCenter) in the CDBG-DR Affordable Multi-Family Housing Program and is requesting that eligible developers (those interested in federal CDBG-DR funding available to cover funding gaps needed to finance new construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation for affordable multi-family housing projects in Malibu) submit a Notice of Interest form (included as Attachment 1 to the Notice Inviting Interest).
Submit the form by email to the City Clerk at CityClerk@MalibuCity.org at or before 5 p.m. on Monday, July 18, after which time they will be reviewed by city staff in consultation with Housing and Community Development.
Malibu middle, high school plans to be discussed at council meeting
The Malibu Middle and High School (MMHS) Specific Plan Project is scheduled to be discussed during the July 11 City Council meeting.
On May 31, the Planning Commission considered the (MMHS) Specific Plan, EIR, and code amendments and made its recommendation to the City Council. The Planning Commission’s comments will be presented to the City Council. The Specific Plan establishes the development standards and plans for the redevelopment of the MMHS Campus to be implemented in four phases over the next 10 to 15 years.
The School District’s proposal is currently under review by the city. If the City Council approves the Specific Plan, it will be forwarded to the California Coastal Commission for final certification of the Specific Plan. Please note that any Coastal Development Permits and other entitlements for the MMHS redevelopment will be considered by the Planning Commission at a later date. For more information, visit the project webpage at malibucity.org/397/Malibu-Middle-High-School-Improvements.
Park’s multipurpose field closed until Aug. 15 for renovations
The multipurpose field at Malibu Bluffs Park will be closed for its bi-annual rest and renovation Tuesday, July 5, through Monday, Aug. 15. The rest and renovation play an important part in keeping the field in safe and playable condition throughout the year. Other facilities at Malibu Bluffs Park will remain open.
Malibu Rebuilds statistics updated
Staff continues to work with homeowners to rebuild. Here are the current Woolsey Fire rebuild statistics. See continuously updated statistics on the Rebuild Portal at malibupermits.ci.malibu.ca.us/WoolseyRebuildStats.aspx?returnId=901.
- Single Family Dwellings building permits issued – 233
- Single Family Dwellings complete – 82
- Multifamily building permits issued – 18 units
- Multifamily building units complete- 12 units
Fire Rebuild team available for one-on-one appointments
The Fire Rebuild team is available Monday through Friday at City Hall for complimentary one-on-one consultations about any fire rebuild project. Contact Aakash Shah at ashah@malibucity.org to set an appointment for a meeting by phone or online. For ideas about how to get started with your project, as well as numerous handouts, forms and resources, visit the Rebuild webpage at malibucity.org/901/Malibu-Rebuilds.
Dark Sky Ordinance Amendment public hearing rescheduled to Aug. 8
The Malibu City Council virtual public hearing to consider an amendment to the City’s Dark Sky Ordinance scheduled on June 27 has been tentatively rescheduled to Aug. 8. The amendment would allow a light trespass limit for commercially and institutionally zoned properties onto the public right-of-way. The council will also consider the recommendations of the Planning Commission. The Dark Sky Ordinance is meant to reduce light pollution to protect Malibu’s wildlife, habitats and quality of life. The staff report, viewing, and commenting instructions will be posted in advance of the meeting on the Virtual Meeting webpage at https://www.malibucity.org/VirtualMeeting. Members of the public are encouraged to submit comments by email to the City Council before the meeting begins.
Compliance Deadlines Extended – On Jan. 10, the City Council extended the deadlines for commercial, residential, and institutional zoning districts to comply with Dark Sky Ordinance to Oct. 15, 2022. The extension was in response to concerns about non-compliance and community feedback requesting more time and information about the requirements. The compliance period for gas stations remains Oct. 15, 2019. Learn more on the Dark Sky webpage.