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Malibu council adds water‑tank review to Palisades fire‑rebuild ad hoc
Summary
The Malibu City Council voted to add review of water‑storage tanks and draft hydrants to the Palisades Fire Rebuild ad hoc committee after residents urged faster action to enable fire‑safe, post‑Woolsey rebuilding. Council and staff said the key remaining step is fire‑department sign‑off.
The Malibu City Council voted on May 8, 2025, to add water‑storage tank and draft‑hydrant matters to the Palisades Fire Rebuild ad hoc committee, after residents urged the city to remove obstacles to post‑fire rebuilding.
Residents and rebuild advocates told the council that pools and on‑site storage can serve as auxiliary water sources during wildfires and that lack of clarity from the fire department is delaying reconstruction. Don Schmidt of the eastern Malibu task force said the ad hoc is needed "for the fire disaster recovery, for sewers, for water tanks, for anything." Other speakers, including homeowners who lost houses in the Woolsey fire, echoed the urgency and urged coordination with the rebuild center.
Staff said the question before the council was procedural — whether the existing Palisades ad hoc should have its duties expanded to include water‑storage issues — not a policy decision on specific tank designs. Principal Planner Tyler Eaton told the council that state and county rules and a governor’s executive order have already created exceptions for some rebuild infrastructure, but the Los Angeles County Fire Department must still approve whatever draft hydrant approach is used.
Council members debated whether to create a new ad hoc or fold the work into the existing Palisades committee. Several members said it made sense to add the items to the existing ad hoc and to try to expedite coordination with the fire department. One council member said the city had received a letter suggesting the county fire department might report back by late May.
The council voted by voice to include the water‑tank and draft‑hydrant work under the Palisades Fire Rebuild ad hoc; there were no recorded dissenting votes. Staff said the ad hoc would attempt to interface with the fire department and with the rebuild center, and that any technical approvals or code conflicts would still depend on fire‑department determinations.
At the meeting’s close, staff committed to try to have updated information available at the next council meeting and to schedule the matter on the ad hoc’s workplan so residents and rebuild applicants can track progress.
