Malibu council workshop identifies staffing, infrastructure and communications as top priorities after fires

Jerry Cresciato, who facilitated the June 26, 2025 strategic‑planning workshop for the Malibu City Council, told council members the session should look forward from the city’s recent fire response and outline a multi‑year roadmap for rebuilding and resilience.

Nut graf: Council members and staff used a traditional SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) framework to surface priorities for Malibu’s recovery and long‑term planning. The group emphasized the need to move from reactive response to proactive planning while a brief window of state and federal funding is available.

Most important outcomes and concerns

- Staffing and workload: Council members and senior staff repeatedly described the organization as “understaffed and overcommitted.” Council member Steve said the city budget for 2024–25 included fuller staffing levels to address that gap, but participants warned that hiring alone will not solve retention without clearer priorities and project continuity.

- Infrastructure vulnerability: Public commenter Ryan Embry and several council members raised water‑system concerns. Embry noted an aging 30‑inch water main that fractured in 1999 and left the city without water for three days;…