The Malibu City Council on Monday extended local emergency declarations for two major wildfires while approving a costly private security contract extension to protect fire-damaged neighborhoods from criminal activity.
The council unanimously approved extending emergency declarations for both the Palisades Fire, which began Jan. 7, and the Franklin Fire that started Dec. 9, 2024. The extensions allow the city to continue seeking federal disaster reimbursements and maintain emergency response operations.
The Palisades Fire devastated eastern Malibu neighborhoods along Pacific Coast Highway, while the Franklin Fire caused extensive hillside damage in Malibu Canyon, creating ongoing mudslide risks. Both fires left more than 700 properties damaged or destroyed in Malibu alone.
"The neighborhood remains very vulnerable, and contractors working in the area have reported stolen tools, copper wiring, and construction equipment," according to city staff report.
The council also approved a 90-day extension of its contract with Covered 6 LLC for private security patrols, increasing the total cost to $1,060,800. Four security patrols currently operate 24 hours daily in fire-impacted areas after the California National Guard demobilized in May.
Since beginning operations, the private security company has responded to more than 400 property check requests and investigated 20 suspicious persons in the first week alone, according to city report.
The council also addressed a contentious proposal by Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath to establish a county-wide rebuilding authority for all jurisdictions impacted by the January 2025 wildfires. The authority would have broad powers including land banking, bulk purchasing of construction materials, and coordinating public-private reconstruction efforts.
Council members expressed support for investigating the proposal but insisted on protecting Malibu's rural character. Stewart warned that the county's approach appeared problematic for Malibu.
"If you read the report and I've had the benefit of skimming it... this is a presentation about urban rebuilding not rural rebuilding," Stewart said. He emphasized the need for caveats: "We want to be a rural setting with our rural rules... and keeps our city the way we intended to be not for future development but to keep development down to what we consider to be rural development."
Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Silverstein noted the potential benefits of the county's larger scale for lobbying efforts. "She's talking about having the county negotiate with suppliers to buy materials and possibly services using scale that we don't have," Silverstein said.
Silverstein also emphasized that the proposal was investigative in nature: "The request here is not... to implement any of these things the request is to create is to direct the staff of the county to study whether it makes sense and to come back with a formal proposal."
Riggins praised Supervisor Horvath's support for Malibu: "Supervisor Horvath has been an incredible ally to us... she is just brilliant and considerate and thoughtful and she is a powerhouse and she listens to what people's concerns are."
The council voted to authorize a letter supporting the county's investigation while including caveats about maintaining Malibu's "unique and rural nature" and ensuring any authority would supplement, not replace, local rebuilding efforts.
Debris removal continues throughout the city, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers still processing over 6,000 properties that opted into the government debris removal program. Private debris removal operations have resulted in incidents of illegal dumping on public property.
The council postponed consideration of zoning amendments designed to stimulate economic recovery for local businesses affected by the Palisades Fire, continuing that item to the July 14 meeting.
The emergency declarations must be reviewed every 60 days under state law until the council determines conditions no longer warrant emergency status. Both fires' ongoing impacts on public safety, infrastructure, and the rebuilding process continue to justify the emergency designations, according to city staff.
