Malibu council delays ULI technical assistance panel after residents urge more public input

Malibu City Council on July 14 heard a staff recommendation to hire ULI Los Angeles for a 90‑day technical assistance panel (TAP) to review permitting and inspection processes after recent wildfire damage.

A staff presenter described the TAP as a short, expert‑driven workshop: "The midpoint of the initiative would be a 2‑day on‑site panel where we would be essentially workshopping through the different questions that we will be presenting to the ULI panel," the presenter said, adding the city would control stakeholder selection and the scope of the work.

Public commenters and several council members voiced caution. Resident Darren Graves told the council the Urban Land Institute is a national development‑oriented organization and urged skepticism about its role in Malibu: "Inviting them in to advise you on streamlining the Malibu process is inviting them to put their tentacles into the Malibu LIP specific plan," he said.

Council members expressed mixed views. Supporters said outside expertise could help expedite rebuilds; critics warned the proposal might duplicate recent work such as the Baker Tilly report and pull staff from hands‑on rebuilding tasks. One councilmember said much of the city’s permitting change work already traces to prior studies and consolidation of community development functions.

Faced with those concerns, Councilmember Bruce moved to take the ULI item off consent and bring it back as an item of old business to allow greater public comment and to include the incoming community development director’s perspective. The motion passed.

Next steps: staff will return the item to a future council meeting with additional community engagement and clearer limits on scope and deliverables.