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Malibu council signals change to meeting format: earlier start, remote sign-ups and stricter appeal deadlines
Summary
Staff proposed multiple reforms to reduce late-night meetings. The council signaled support for a 4:30 p.m. regular start (instead of staff's 2 p.m. option), keeping general public comment no earlier than 6:30 p.m., requiring webinar sign-ups for remote speakers, and setting advance deadlines for land-use appeals and related materials.
Malibu — After a lengthy discussion, the City Council on Aug. 25 directed staff to draft ordinance and procedure changes to adjust meeting times and hybrid participation rules intended to shorten late-night sessions and improve public access.
Staff presented options that included a 2 p.m. start, webinar-based registration for remote speakers, limits on audiovisual materials for general public comment, and special meetings for appeals. The council rejected the 2 p.m. start as impractical for working residents and instead signaled consensus for a 4:30 p.m. start time for regular Monday meetings.
Councilmembers agreed that general public comment should not be heard before 6:30 p.m. and asked staff to implement webinar registration (advance sign-up) for remote speakers to reduce disruptive incidents and improve planning. For land-use appeals the council asked that staff reports be published 30 days before hearings and that applicant/appellant submissions (including PowerPoints) be due 10 business days before the hearing; public audiovisual materials for appeals should be submitted three business days prior.
Staff noted pending state legislation (SB 707) could alter remote-participation requirements and said they will return with a final rules package for council adoption, including implementation timing and staff-resource needs.
Next steps: staff will draft rule and agenda changes for council adoption, test webinar registration, and review AV deadlines and staff capacity for implementation.
