Malibu staff seeks ULI technical-assistance panel to speed post‑fire permits; some residents and council members urge caution

City staff asked the Malibu City Council on July 14 to approve a 90‑day technical assistance panel from Urban Land Institute (ULI) Los Angeles to review local permitting and inspection procedures and recommend ways to accelerate post‑fire rebuilding. The staff presentation said ULI’s two‑day on‑site panel would workshop permitting bottlenecks, then deliver findings and recommendations the city could use to modernize building and planning processes for fire‑impacted homeowners. The proposal would target planning and building standards and procedures that applicants described to staff as “outdated, cumbersome or confusing.” Supporters at the meeting said fast, practical changes are needed to help homeowners rebuild and that outside experts can identify narrowly tailored fixes. City Manager and community development staff emphasized the city would control the panel’s scope, select local stakeholders to participate and limit the engagement to three months. But members of the public and several council members urged caution. Public commenter Darren Graves said ULI is “a well‑polished lobbying group” that advocates development interests and cited ULI publications and state legislation that, he said, indicated a pro‑developer agenda. Multiple council members asked for time to consult local architects, the rebuild task force and the newly consolidated Community Development Department before approving a contract. Council members asked that any TAP work be limited strictly to rebuild‑related permitting and not be allowed to propose broader changes to Malibu’s land‑use priorities or its Local Implementation Program. Council members asked that any TAP workshops be noticed so council members and the public could attend without triggering Brown Act limits, and at least one council member requested that Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy formally review the proposed scope and report back before the city executes an agreement. Staff said the TAP would build on the 2023 Baker Tilly diagnostic and focus on specific, operational permitting fixes (for example, plan‑check steps and information applicants must provide). The proposal also anticipated inviting engineers, coastal specialists and design professionals to address Malibu’s coastal and geotechnical constraints. No contract or fee amount was put to the council for final approval during the July 14 discussion; staff recommended coming back with a contract for council action after the scope and participants are finalized. Several council members said they were open to a TAP while reserving the right to require tighter controls on scope, public notice and deliverables. One council member said she would oppose proceeding immediately because the city recently completed a major departmental consolidation and she wanted the new department leadership to weigh in. The matter was left for further review and follow‑up by staff. The discussion underscored two competing aims in the city’s post‑fire recovery: accelerating permits so homeowners can rebuild quickly, and protecting Malibu’s local planning priorities from outside influence. Staff said it would return with clarified scope, proposed dates and any proposed contract terms after consulting Community Development.