Malibu's Rebuild Ruse Exposed

Exposed in the current City Hall controversy involving the short tenure of the reputable resident rebuilding ambassador, Abe Roy, and an intractable councilperson, Marianne Riggins, is the grave question of the future of Malibu’s municipal governance.

Indeed, if you care about the value and enjoyment of your home and take pleasure and pride living in the iconic seacoast village of Malibu, as I do, you have to be concerned about how Roy’s recommendations were received and the blow-back he endured as a volunteer trying to fast track the city’s rebuilding process.

That included a clumsy attempt by councilperson Marianne Riggins, aided by Doug Stewart and a few others at City Hall representing not resident but special interests. They surreptitiously attempted to hinder Roy, and then further insult him by giving him a concocted sendoff replete with hypocritical comments at a farcical council meeting. In response he has called for the resignation of Riggins.

A reputable builder in his own right who in good will and faith had volunteered in the wake of the Palisades Fire, that spared his home but not his neighbors, to advocate for burnout victims and try to find ways to expedite the city’s convoluted, exigent construction approval process,

But no surprise to city’s if weary old guard residents, he ran afoul of entrenched bureaucrats and fat cat consultants for whom the rebuild process has been a generously municipal monied trough in which they have had their noses since. the Woolsey Fire seven years ago and replenished by the Palisades Fire.

We are talking millions here in padded salaries and consultant fees, and multi millions in commissions for realtors who like vultures hover over residents who grow frustrated of the protracted rebuild process and contemplate selling their properties.

Roy contends various efforts by him to make simple changes in the rebuild requirements to fast track the process, though cheered by rebuild applicant, and lauded by Councilperson Haylynn Conrad among others, the reaction by select staff and consultants were at best mixed.

He noted that though they might have welcomed the recommendations in words, many quietly connived to thwart them, particularly the consultants who seemingly brandishing their credentials in a haze of amiability and expense account lunches, holding sway over the neophyte council with its limited construction expertise.

Be it out of vanity, being lazy or just frankly not being particularly qualified or smart, some present and many past councilpersons have clearly allowed themselves to be manipulated over time by a bloated bureaucracy and avaricious consultants.

Also said to be influenced is the amiable but maladroit Yolanda Bundy, the director of the city’s Community Development Department, who is said to be an exemplar of the administrative axiom of A people tending to hire A people, while B people tend to hire C people, resulting in a C level Malibu. As for the acting city manager, Candace Bond, as a former ambassador design and development are obviously not her strong points.

Roy further related that his inquiries into the process and recommendations were also met with some personal and anonymous affronts, a factor in prompting his resignation. I could attest to his experience, also in Malibu having been the target of some nasty offenses following the writing of these commentaries. Reality bites.

Whether the Good Samaritan Roy can be wooed to return to his quixotic quest and Malibu City Hall be reformed to keep its promises to aid resident fire victims is questionable. The roots of municipal rot are deep.