The Palisades Fire destroyed over 700 homes in Malibu. As of the end of September, only two fire rebuild permits have been issued. The city’s inability to expedite the permitting process is trapping fire victims who applied for permits in an expensive, time-consuming loop of undue expenses and bureaucratic obstacles. It forces other fire victims to remain on the sidelines, afraid to even begin the process.

Mayor Riggins has blocked and challenged productive change in multiple ways since the fires. From celebrating a 40% rebuild ratio after the Woolsey Fire, to touting that “appropriate expedited processes” are already in place and smugly telling residents to “just hand in their application,” to arbitrarily allowing or denying resident participation in fire rebuild workshops, to openly opposing the idea of installing a rebuild ambassador, and now covertly working behind the scenes to have him removed—Riggins is widely perceived as a major factor slowing down the rebuild process and inhibiting change. Under her leadership, a much-needed new city manager was first announced, then rejected, tarnishing Malibu’s reputation among strong, talented city managers. More than 700 fire victims are suffering as a result.

If Mayor Riggins remains in office as the Mayor of Malibu and as a City Council Member, she will continue to support and protect the existing slow, inefficient, and deliberately counterproductive permitting processes, rather than facilitating the reform and expedience that Malibu so desperately needs.

Mayor Riggins must resign now to open her council seat to a knowledgeable, pro-fire-rebuild representative who can streamline Malibu’s permitting process for fire victims—today and in the future.

P.S.:

A text conversation with Riggins after a resident heard of the planned release of the Malibu Rebuild Ambassador Abe Roy:

Hi Marianne, I glanced at the agenda for Monday and saw 

“Presentation of Commendation to Abe Roy in Recognition of his Service as Fire Rebuild
Ambassador”

Which is nice. He certainly deserves a “commendation”. 

Then again a fellow resident said it could mean that Abe is supposed to be released from his role.

Can you confirm that is not the case? A few people are on edge and I would like to help them have a relaxed weekend. :-)

To which Riggins responded:

We are going to move away from having one person as an ambassador and focus on Zone Captains and outreach to homeowners directly.  Abe has done a great job and we will continue to work with him, but not in an individual ambassador capacity.

Resident replied:

😳

That makes absolutely no sense!

So, the plan was to sneak this in without being explicit but, calling it a "commendation" and thus avoiding public comment on it and just creating facts?

And doing so without having a dialogue about it the task force, with the residents and first foremost Abe himself?

The zone captains are great at collecting and sharing information and working WITH ABE but can't have subject matter, eye to eye subject matter conversations with staff.

This is not acceptable in effect and even more so in style.

I am appalled, to be honest.

Riggins’ response:

I am sorry you feel that way, we are committed to working with homeowners and getting information to individuals so they can put their rebuild plans in motion. The most important thing is to get people the information they need to rebuild. Everyone needs to come to the city to ask questions about their individual property and they need to hear first hand what to do to rebuild.

Riggins wrote this despite that a decision to remove the rebuild ambassador depended on a PUBLIC council discussion and vote, and in light of knowing that an evaluation of the ambassador’s results was to precede such discussion.

While all other council members at least expressed their gratitude for the resident’s input (as some had not even been aware of the new agenda item) and in conformity with the brown act stated that removing the Rebuild Ambassador would be determined in a council discussion, Riggins acted as if this was a done deal.

Please sign the petition now to help make conduct like this a thing of the past and support the resignation of Malibu’s Mayor Riggins.