the current

Month: March 2020

  • LA County Health Department Orders All Beaches and Trails Closed Effective Immediately

    LA County Health Department Orders All Beaches and Trails Closed Effective Immediately

    The LA County Health Department ordered all county beaches, beach bike paths, trails, and beach access points until April 19th. The strict safety precautions were necessary after visitors flocked to area beaches and trails last weekend. Photos of crowds flocking to coastal destinations went viral on social media.
    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will be hiring extra personnel to enforce the closures along with L.A. County Lifeguard, Department of Beaches and Harbor Code Enforcement staff.
    Per Lost Hills Station Acting Captain Chuck Becerra, hard enforcement on all parking closures along PCH, and on all beach and trail closures begins tomorrow.
    Earlier today, City of Malibu Public Works began setting up NO PARKING signs along PCH. Lost Hills Station personnel will be going through the area systematically starting  door knocking and providing resource information to RV owners. Those non-compliant will be cited and towed.
    A list of enforcement areas on PCH is listed here.
    This is part of our on-going coverage of the Covid-19 crisis.
     
  • LA County Health Department Orders All Beaches and Trails Closed Effective Immediately

    LA County Health Department Orders All Beaches and Trails Closed Effective Immediately

    The LA County Health Department ordered all county beaches, beach bike paths, trails, and beach access points until April 19th. The strict safety precautions were necessary after visitors flocked to area beaches and trails last weekend. Photos of crowds flocking to coastal destinations went viral on social media. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will be hiring extra personnel to enforce the closures along with L.A. County Lifeguard, Department of Beaches and Harbor Code Enforcement staff. Per Lost Hills Station Acting Captain Chuck Becerra, hard enforcement on all parking closures along PCH, and on all beach and trail closures begins tomorrow. Earlier today, City of Malibu Public Works began setting up NO PARKING signs along PCH. Lost Hills Station personnel will be going through the area systematically starting  door knocking and providing resource information to RV owners. Those non-compliant will be cited and towed. A list of enforcement areas on PCH is listed here. This is part of our on-going coverage of the Covid-19 crisis. 

  • Additional Protective Measures in the Fight Against Covid-19: Public Works No Parking Signs Placed Along PCH

    Additional Protective Measures in the Fight Against Covid-19: Public Works No Parking Signs Placed Along PCH

    City of Malibu Public Works is setting up NO PARKING signs along PCH at popular beach spots. Lost Hills deputies is assisting Public Works for safety and security.
     
    The NO PARKING signs are additional safety precautions to limit crowds and lessen beach traffic to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
     
    Southside of PCH along PCH along Zuma Beach
    Southside of PCH at the beach parking near Corral Canyon
    Southside of PCH at Las Tunas Beach parking lot
    Northside of PCH near Winding Way
    Southside of PCH between Latigo Shore Drive and Dan Blocker Beach Parking lot.
  • Coronavirus: Crowds Congregate at Malibu Hotspots Over the Weekend Prompting Fear of Mass Exposure – Lawmakers Respond

    Coronavirus: Crowds Congregate at Malibu Hotspots Over the Weekend Prompting Fear of Mass Exposure – Lawmakers Respond

    Barely 48 hours after Governor Newsome announced new state mandates to combat the spread of the Coved-19 virus, it seems the “Safer at Home” protective measure set forth by lawmakers has not quite set in the minds of many who blatantly ignored the safeguards.

    Much like the scenes from Florida spring break, tens of thousands flocked to southland beaches. Malibu tourist destinations were loaded up like summer was in full swing. Malibu Seafood was slammed serving to go orders, patrons lined up with barely inches to spare between each other, prompting deputies from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station to issue a warning to the owners if they did not enforce the 6 foot rule between patrons, they would be reported to the heath department. On Monday, 3/23 they decided to close indefinitely.

    Photos of the Malibu Pier, traffic jams on PCH, and Bikers at Neptune’s Net blasted all over social media, including The Local Malibu platforms, went viral prompting local and global news stations, including Fuji Japan to use photos on our social media to cover the story potential mass exposure of Covid-19 in our area. Outraged community members inundated lawmakers to shut down area parks and beaches for fear of further exposure to the virus.

     

    Senator Henry Stern addressed his concerns on social media upon seeing the disturbing images of crowds gathering in the area violating “Safer at Home” protective measures and hinting at the potential closures of recreational outdoor spaces..

    State and county Officials responded immediately with Sheriff Alex Villanueva ordering all LA County beach parking lots closed first thing Monday morning as directed by the County. The Local Malibu met with Lost Hills Station Acting Captain Chuck Becerra early Monday morning as Becerra was giving the orders to his deputies to close the lots immediately until further notice. Becerra also informed The Local Malibu there will be “Full enforcements on essential businesses not following State and County guidelines during the Covid-19 health crisis. That includes non-essential businesses open, or appearing to be open when mandated to be closed.”

    Deputies carrying out orders from Sheriff Villanueva closing beach parking lots along the coast including the Malibu Pier.

    Supervisor Kathy Barger announced the closure of all State parks and trails at a press conference Monday. Mountains Recreation Conservancy Authority was the first to announce closures of their properties over the weekend after their parks and trails were inundated with visitors not abiding by county mandates and the 6 ft rule.

    Sheriff Villanueva in an interview with Fox 11 news yesterday said he’s adding 1,300 deputies to patrol, doubling the current amount. Additionally, in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in jail, he has released 10% of the inmate population from county jails, 1,700 nonviolent offenders with misdemeanor sentences that were up within 30 days.

    “We’re gonna keep violent felony suspects who are a threat to the community in the jail no matter what,” Villanueva said. “Anybody who has an idea that somehow we’re not going to be hard on crooks out there on the streets, they’re tragically mistaken, there’s twice as many deputies on the street now so the odds of you getting caught are a lot higher.”

    Villanueva also criticized how local politicians have handled the messaging behind the numerous stay-at-home orders. “This is about taking care of people, not elected officials or politicians,” Villanueva said.

    The Sheriff also pointed out in the interview out that press conferences routinely involve politicians thanking each other, with minimal important information. “When I see the same faces and they’re saying a lot but there’s no substance, you eventually become background noise and people just tune you out,” Villanueva said.

    The Sheriff is also the Director of Emergency Operations and the number one person in charge during a crisis, including the Covid-19 crisis. All FEMA requests go through him, and all National Guard requests go through him.

    As of Monday, neither Villanueva, nor any law enforcement official had been included in any of the LA county press conferences, and he believes the public stopped listening to the politicians, with evidence being how many people violated the stay at home order over the weekend.

    “When we’re communicating the shelter in place or the safer at home, there’s a lot of anguish, however, the people who have to enforce it are public safety, and we were totally out of the process, we were not involved,” Villanueva told Fox 11. 

    “Then after the fact, the same people delivering the message were complaining  about why people weren’t listening to the message, perhaps because they should have used authority figures the community recognizes that would be the enforcers of it to deliver the message with far greater impact.”

    As a result, Villanueva sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors, essentially telling them he’s taking control of the public  messaging effective immediately.

    As for photos posted to social media showing military vehicles in our area, Villanueva told Fox 11 the National Guard, although activated in California by the White House, has not responded here, and he would only ask them to under dire circumstances.

    “If we start losing major portions of our sworn personnel (due to Covid-19 exposure), that impacts our ability to man jails or our patrol obligations, and were running out of people to do that, if we’re in that position typically our counterparts in LAPD they’ll be in the same boat, then we can use the National Guard to start assigning them to security operations,” Villanueva said.

    Stay tuned for real-time updates on the Covid-19 crisis on our social media. Twitter: @thelocalmalibu  Facebook: Facebook.com/thelocalmalibu

     

  • Coronavirus Update: “Safer at Home” Protective Measures Take Effect in L.A. County

    Coronavirus Update: “Safer at Home” Protective Measures Take Effect in L.A. County

    The “Safer at Home” protective measures set forth by the County yesterday to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus  went into effect immediately and include the closure of non-essential retail businesses. Shortly after, Governor Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order that went into effect at midnight.

    The  L.A. County emergency order states:

    • Residents should remain at home.
    • Do not gather in enclosed spaces with more than 10 people.
    • Close all non-critical businesses (that can’t operate remotely) until further notice.

    In order to be in compliance with the protection order, follow the highest level of restriction in the jurisdiction you reside in. Violations of either the city or county order can be enforced as a misdemeanor and punishable by fines and imprisonment.

    “I want to be clear about this,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti during the announcement, “that the only time you should leave your home is for essential activities and needs — to get food, care for a relative or a friend or child, get necessary health care”.

    The following is a list of businesses allowed to operate during “Safer at Home” order in effect until April 17th:

    • Grocery stores, certified farmers markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of canned food, dry goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, pet supply, water, fresh meats, fish and poultry, and any other household consumer products (such as cleaning or personal care products). This includes stores that sell groceries and sell other non-grocery products, and products necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of residences;
    • Food cultivation, including farming, livestock and fishing;
    • Businesses that provide food, shelter and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals;
    • Newspapers, television, radio, magazine, podcast and other media services;
    • Gas stations, and auto-supply, auto-repair, car dealerships and related facilities;
    • Banks, credit unions and related financial institutions;
    • Hardware stores, nurseries; building supplies;
    • Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, custodial/janitorial workers, handyman services, funeral home workers and morticians, moving services, HVAC installers, carpenters, vegetation services, tree maintenance, landscapers, gardeners, property managers, private security personnel and other service providers who provide services to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operation to properties and other essential businesses;
    • Businesses providing mailing and shipping services, including post office boxes;
    • Educational institutions (including public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities) for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing essential functions, provided that social distancing of six feet per person is maintaining to the greatest extent possible;
    • Laundromats, dry cleaners, laundry service providers, personal grooming services;
    • Restaurants and other food facilities that prepare and serve food, but only for delivery, drive-thru or carryout;
    • Businesses that supply office or computer products needed by people who work from home;
    • Businesses that supply other essential businesses with the support or supplies necessary to operate;
    • Businesses that ship, truck, provide logistical support or deliver groceries, food, goods or services directly to residences, essential businesses, healthcare operations, essential infrastructure;
    • Airlines, taxis and other private transportation providers offering transportation services necessary for activities of daily living and other purposes expressly authorized in this order;
    • Businesses that provide parts and service for essential infrastructure;
    • Home-based care for seniors, adults, disabled persons or children;
    • Residential facilities and shelters for seniors, adults, disabled persons and children;
    • Professional services, such as legal or accounting services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities, and the permitting, inspection, construction, transfer and recording of ownership, of housing and anything incidental thereto;
    • Military/defense contractors/federally funded research and development centers. For purposes of this order, essential personnel may leave their residence to provide any service or perform any work deemed essential for national security including, but not limited to defense, intelligence and aerospace development and manufacturing for the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and NASA and other federal government, and or United States government departments and agencies. Essential personnel include prime, subprime and supplier contractor employees, at both the prime contract level and any supplier levels at any tier, working on federal United States government contracts such as contracts rated under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System and contracts for national intelligence and national security requirements;
    • Child-care facilities providing services that enable employees exempted in this order to work as permitted. To the extent possible, child-care facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions: (1) Child care must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer (“stable” means the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day); (2) Children shall not change from one group to another; (3) If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group shall be in a separate room. Groups shall not mix with each other; (4) Child-care providers shall remain solely with one group of children.
    • Hotels, motels, shared rental units and similar facilities.

    In addition, Mayor Garcetti issued a moratorium on evictions, with Sheriff Alex Villanueva supporting the moratorium assuring the public his deputies will not enforce eviction orders during the Covid-19 crisis.

    Sheriff Villanueva explains the “Safer-at-Home” implementation here;

    On March 18th, Mayor Garcetti announced a plan to bring 7000 homeless people indoors.

    The White House just announced this morning that IRS payment deadline has been extended to July 15th.

    The following is the order issued by L.A. County:

     

    To prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, follow the guidelines set forth by the L.A. County Department of Health.

    Additional local information will be available on Malibu Disaster Communications.

  • Coronavirus: LA County Expected to Mandate Non-Essential Retail Businesses to Close

    Coronavirus: LA County Expected to Mandate Non-Essential Retail Businesses to Close

    The Coronavirus pandemic has led to changes in the way local businesses are operating. L.A. County is expected to announce mandatory closure of non-essential retail businesses to close within the next 24 hours.

    The closure is meant to take aggressive measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 as news cases are increasing at a rapid pace.

    The threat of a national lockdown looms with confirmation the mandated quarantine could hit Malibu soon as City officials hinted yesterday a decision to order residents to shelter-at-home may come in the next 48 hours, updated today to 24 hours.

    San Luis Obispo county ordered residents on lockdown yesterday starting today at 5 p.m., through April 17th, to be reviewed by officials every two weeks. Only essential businesses such as grocery stores, banks, gas stations etc. to be operating during the shutdown. Everyone else must work at home. LA County is expected to follow later today mandating non-essential retail businesses to shutter for the next month possibly re-evaluating as new information is available.

    Grocery stores continue to re-stock daily, placing limits on essential and high demand items. Officials maintain supply chains have enough food and continue to produce and distribute throughout the global health crisis. Local restaurants and food delivery services will be allowed to continue business under the new take-out guidelines.

    LASD Lost Hills station is on full deployment with every available officer out in field for the duration of the shelter-in-place orders.

    Our sister site Malibu Disaster Communications provides and in-depth list of local restaurants and grocery stores still servicing the community. The site also will be home to all essential information needed to navigate this global health and economic crisis, including a live twitter news feed.

     

  • Coronavirus: Malibu City Officials Follow LA City and State Mandating Enforcement of Social Distancing Protocol Affecting Majority of Local Businesses

    Coronavirus: Malibu City Officials Follow LA City and State Mandating Enforcement of Social Distancing Protocol Affecting Majority of Local Businesses

    Malibu City Council ordered the following “protective measures” in place effective immediately, and until further notice, during the Coronavirus pandemic.

    March 16, 2020 4:29 PM

    UPDATE 3/16, 4PM – Malibu & LA County order closure of venues prohibition of public gatherings.

    UPDATE 3/16, 4:00 PM – City of Malibu and LA County order closure of bars, restaurants, venues, prohibiting public gatherings. Seniors & vulnerable groups stay home. City Hall closed.

    UPDATE 3/16/2020, 4:00 PM – City of Malibu and LA County issued new protective measures to prevent the spread of the virus. All non-essential City services have been suspended. Seniors and at-risk groups asked to stay home. 

    Today, the Malibu City Council held an emergency meeting and took emergency action to close all bars, nightclubs, restaurants, entertainment venues and gyms; and place a moratorium on evictions to protect renters. 

    In order to ensure that residents can still get essential food, medical supplies and other essential supplies, exceptions were able for restaurant takeout and delivery service, gas stations, supermarkets and health care providers. 

    As part of the City’s emergency protective measures, all non-essential city services, programs and events are suspended or cancelled, and City Hall is closed to the public. The City Council and staff continue to work and are available to assist the community.

    LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER ORDER

    The Los Angeles County Public Health Officer ordered:

    • A prohibition on all indoor and outdoor, private and public gatherings where at least 50 people are expected to be in attendance at the same time. 

    • All restaurants to limit their services to only preparing and offering food that is provided to customers via delivery service, via pick-up for takeout dining, and via drive-thru and all bar 

    • All bars (that don’t serve food), gyms, and movie theaters to be closed.

    More information on the Los Angeles County Public Officer’s recent orders go to: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/

    CITY OF LOS ANGELES 

    On March 15, Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti announced an emergency action to close bars, nightclubs, restaurants — with the exception of takeout and delivery — entertainment venues and gyms; and a moratorium on evictions. 

    GOVERNOR CALLS FOR SENIORS AND AT-RISK GROUPS TO STAY HOME

    On March 15, CA Governor Newsom provided an update on the state’s testing and hospital capabilities, and called for seniors and those with chronic conditions to home isolate, and urged bars in the state to close. For more information go to: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/covid19.

    CDC CALLS FOR CANCELLATION OF ALL GATHERINGS OVER 50 PEOPLE NATIONWIDE

    The CDC recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States. Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out following guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing. When feasible, events should be made virtual. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html.

    CA STATE PARKS FACILITIES CLOSED AS OF TODAY. PARKS OPEN.

    Currently, all of State Park tours and programming are suspended and all museums and visitor centers are closed as of 3/16/2020. All outdoor State Park spaces remain open and accessible to the public. State Parks is not accepting special event permits, and has canceled any event with more than 250 participants, and canceled events with less than 249 participants if the promoter cannot assure social distancing plans. For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/.

    ALL LA COUNTY FACILITIES CLOSED

    All Los Angeles County facilities are closed to the public starting today until further notice. This includes Department of Animal Control’s (DACC) seven animal care centers. DACC officers will continue to respond to emergency calls for service including dangerous dogs, sick or injured animals, police assistance, removal of dead animals, and animal cruelty investigations. People who find or lose a pet should download https://shadowapp.com to reunite lost pets with their families. For more information, visit https://lacounty.gov/.

    SPANISH LANGUAGE EMERGENCY INFORMATION

    The City of Malibu will publish emergency information about the Coronavirus on the City website: www.MalibuCity.org/Coronavirus. Residents and businesses are asked to share emergency information with their Spanish-only speaking staff and contractors.

    La ciudad de Malibú publicará todas las alertas de emergencia sobre el coronavirus en el sitio web de la ciudad: www.MalibuCity.org/Coronavirus.

    OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

    — Senior Center Closed – City staff is available to assist seniors. Call 310-456-2489.

    — Malibu Dial-a-Ride program continues to operate. Dial-A-Ride vehicles are regularly disinfected.

    — All LA County Libraries, including Malibu Community Library, are closed. Online services available – www.LACountylibrary.org

    — All SMMUSD schools and programs are closed – www.SMMUSD.org

    CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

    The City of Malibu continues to monitor the status of the Coronavirus and implement measures to protect public health and safety and is doing everything possible to support vulnerable community members. There are currently no known cases of Coronavirus in Malibu. The City continues to follow the recommendations of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH), California Office of Emergency Services (CALOES) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and is taking steps to reduce the likelihood of community spread.

    Residents are encouraged to be prepared with three weeks of food, medication, and toiletries on hand for your family and pets in case you need to stay home. Residents should also connect with neighbors, particularly seniors or those with underlying health conditions, to see if they need help in any way. These individuals are at higher risk and Governor Newsom is calling for all seniors and individuals with chronic conditions to home-isolate.

  • Coronavirus: Possible Exposure at SMMUSD Schools, Superintendent Drati Maintains Malibu Not On the List

    Coronavirus: Possible Exposure at SMMUSD Schools, Superintendent Drati Maintains Malibu Not On the List

    SMMUSD Superintendent Ben Drati sent out the following email on March 12th, 2020 regarding possible exposure to Coronavirus:

    Dear parents, guardians and staff,

    District leadership spent several hours today in our Emergency Operations Center, which closed for the evening at 6:30 pm. We continue to be in communication remotely, as needed. We will reconvene tomorrow.

    During our session today, we discussed the concerns of possible exposure that was shared with you in our earlier email. Upon further discussion, we agreed that additional information would be appropriate to be shared with our staff and families regarding the exposures mentioned.

    We want to inform you that we are aware of several situations where people MAY have been exposed to Coronavirus. These potential exposures are related to Franklin Elementary, John Muir Elementary and Santa Monica High School. We can assure our communities that we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19.

    In an abundance of caution, the decision was made to call dismissal for Friday and Monday, while we gather more information on these possible exposures and the status in the broader community. The health and safety of our students and staff are our top priorities.

    Campus cleaning is in progress. As you are aware, teachers and staff will be working to provide students with continuity of education that we will share with parents in the next few days. We appreciate the effort of our teachers and support staff to prepare the necessary materials and programming to accomplish this.

    In the meantime, we hope your secondary students will be studying materials they have, or for younger students, enjoying reading and educational related materials at home or online.

    We will be back in communication with you by Friday evening with more information regarding continuity of education.

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Ben Drati, Superintendent

    ______________________

  • Coronavirus: LASD Lost Hills Station Issues Public Safety Announcement

    Coronavirus: LASD Lost Hills Station Issues Public Safety Announcement

    Today, a Public Safety Announcement was issued today by the current Unit Commander of Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Acting Captain,  Lt. Chuck Becerra:

    “Like much of the state, the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff Station is adapting to the challenges caused by COVID-19.   To this end, please know we have NOT curtailed our deployment and will continue to respond to ALL Law Enforcement related activities in our area of operation.   This crisis is fluid and evolving, and the Sheriff’s department is adapting in real time and working in a unified effort to maintain the field staffing levels.  The Sheriff has made clear your cities’ and county areas are a priority and I will carry on his mission.

    We have begun the process of preparing this station for worst case scenario by equipping our staff with protective gear and keeping them informed.  Our staff has been fully briefed on the COVID-19 issues and will take all due precautions when dealing with the public.  We will continue to respond to priority and/or emergent calls, and will assess the deployment posture on a day to day basis.

    Thank you.”

  • Malibu City Officials Response to the Coronavirus: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

    Malibu City Officials Response to the Coronavirus: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

    By Paul Taublieb

    The erstwhile city of Malibu just released a statement which begins with “(our) number one priority is ensuring the public safety of the community.”  Now, of course, this was in reference to the Coronavirus and the need to put this statement out had to do with rumors, pure rumors, that someone in the Malibu community has tested positive to the disease.   I have no information or insight into whether this is true or not.

    But I can say it’s the kind of mealy-mouthed double speak we’ve come to expect from the City.  See, they put out this statement but the only additional information they share is they can’t share any other information as that’s the responsibility LA County Department of Public Health to dispense information.  So maybe they do know something, and maybe they don’t.  But if, in fact, the “number one priority” is public safety, I think that needs to rephrased “After following rules not of our making, and even if it puts locals in danger, then we’ll say the number one priority is safety but it’s really rule number two, with the real number one following some guidelines which don’t actually put the safety of local citizens first.”

    They also cite privacy laws for not sharing more info, but I think that also misses the point.  I don’t believe anyone, certainly not me, is asking for anyone’s name, but it sure does seem that if the “number one priority” is the safety of the community, the presence of someone in the community with a potentially deadly virus would be of interest.

    Maybe my cynicism is rooted in another odd thing about this supposedly “number one priority.”  I mean, while much city business goes on, from a skatepark to speakers series and so on, note this one thing: we still do not have an approved, in-place evacuation plan.  That’s right. After years of study before the Woolsey Fire, and now a year and half after the Fire, if there is a calamity and there needs to be an evacuation from Malibu, right now, today, they do not have a plan in place and ready to be executed to orderly evacuate the city.  If north and the canyons were to close and we had to flee south, right now, there is no plan to direct additional lane of traffic south, the single most critical choke-point when fire was coming over the hill and cars wre lined up in a parade that an LA County Fire Chief told me, “Except for the grace of God and some luck, we would have had a highway of death and if anyone tells you anything different they don’t know what they’re talking about.”  This is an evacuation described to me, by the way, by both council member Skylar Peak and our City Manager as a “great success” since “nobody died.”

    To err on the side of safety as the “number one” priority of the City, I tend to believe an LA Fire Chief.

    Our safety is in the hands of a leaders on the Council who are made up of two groups:

    1. Those who were in power at the time and involved and were not prepared to deal with the crisis, and believe the City and City Manager did a great job (Skylar, Rick Mullen with Jay Wagner indisposed from fighting the fire and now a lone voice trying to fix things); I would add Mullen told me that of course, if there’s a crisis or fire and a mandatory evacuation is announced you should leave, but in terms of reality, he doesn’t really believe that because he had his son stay and fight, and Skylar’s position is if you stay behind, you’re safety is not only not their number one priority, it’s not their priority at all as it’s your problem for staying and not theirs.
    2. Two new people, Mikke Pierson and Karen Farrer who oversaw the conflicted post-event report (officially not an “investigation”) which still nevertheless incriminated the leadership of the city and then, wonderfully, nevertheless rubber stamped a raise and contract extension for the City Manager, who gave herself an award for the great job she thought she did while the City literally burned and the brave citizens who fought and saved homes were abandoned and left to the own devices.

    Incidentally, wonder what the citizens thought of the City Manager’s performance?  Well, we do know.  The council put out a request for written and spoken comment.  Of the 17 responses sent in and officially recorded by the city of people willing to sign their name and take a public position, 16 of the 17 were negative (or a tidy 94.12%) and of the nine people who spoke publicly in front of the council, 6 were negative (or 66.67%).  Small samples for sure, but the only ones we have – and certainly nothing ambiguous about the results.  But how did the city council, our representatives respond to this data, along with the negative report by the Citys own review firm, not to mention two other independent reviews which also cast strong negative reviews the City’s performance?   Their conclusion – continue her contract and give her a raise, and nary a word of chastisement.  So in other words, don’t believe your lyin’ eyes as to what you saw and experienced during Woolsey, but take solace in the fact your representatives (save Jefferson) were happy to ignore every independent metric of review. 

    And also please be aware that as of today this same leadership has no new plan in place to support people who stay behind after the next calamity with food, water and supplies – and we all know no one is leaving next time – and also no clear plan for policies for who will be let in after an evacuation is announced and blockade set up.   And nothing has changed in the fundamental structure of a City Manager who is not directly accountable to the citizens but has the most power of anyone in the city.

    Safety really the number one priority?  Really?  The more things change the more they stay the same.

    Feeling better now?