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Haylynn Conrad Newsletter — August 14, 2026
🌊 The Malibu Current with Councilmember Haylynn Conrad
📅 August 14, 2026
Dear friends,
Some council meetings are all staff reports and vote tallies, but last Monday's meeting was all about the horse, of course.
We opened the week celebrating Malibu's equestrian community for the Year of the Horse, honoring our 2026 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award recipients, and presenting a commendation to Sherman Baylin, and then that same meeting made one of the most consequential PCH safety decisions of the year. Two nights later, the future of 61 acres of City-owned land took center stage at City Hall.
And one more date to circle before you head to the beach this weekend: the first school bell of the year rings Thursday. Here's what I have for you.
🛣️ PCH Safety: Why We Stepped Back from the Roundabout Project
🔹 On Monday, August 10, the Council voted unanimously to end the Quick Build Roundabouts pilot in western Malibu: We directed staff to withdraw from the project, remove it from the Capital Improvement Program, and pursue reimbursement for eligible costs already spent. This project grew out of our urgent work to slow traffic on PCH after we lost four Pepperdine students in October 2023, and it was studied hard: community workshops, multiple commissions, Caltrans, and the Coastal Commission all weighed in.
→ 📊 What the new analysis showed: Staff stress-tested PCH with a wildfire evacuation model built on the Woolsey Fire timeline, covering 5,871 households and nearly 12,000 vehicles. Full clearance took roughly 17 hours with or without the roundabouts, a systemwide difference of about 14 minutes. We also learned the $2 million in Measure M funds could not legally pay for a project we intended from the start to remove after a trial period. Keeping the roundabouts permanently would have meant redesigns, new permits, and at least another year of delay.
→ 🎯 My take: I said it from the dais and I will say it here: I am not against roundabouts. I was against these, in these locations, under these conditions. Slowing traffic on PCH is still one of the reasons I ran for this seat, and stepping away from the wrong tool frees us to keep fighting for the right ones. That work does not stop.
👉 Read the Malibu Times report
🐴 Community Spotlight: Horses, Honors, and a Full House
🔹 Monday night was a celebration before it was a meeting: We honored the riders, trainers, and volunteers who keep Malibu's equestrian tradition alive, marked the Year of the Horse, recognized the 2026 recipients of the Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award, which celebrates people who go above and beyond for our parks, recreation programs, and community well-being, and presented a commendation to Sherman Baylin. What a special night.
→ 💙 Why it stayed with me: Between AYSO Saturdays and the years my own kids have spent around horses, this one felt personal. Trails and barns are part of how Malibu raises its children. Thank you to everyone who gives their time and energy to this town.
🏘️ Rebuilding: SB 1229 Is Shelved, and Malibu's Voice Did That
🔹 Senator Ben Allen has decided not to move SB 1229 forward this year: The bill would have stripped the streamlined rebuilding path from any fire-destroyed property the moment it changed hands, pushing new owners into the full, years-long coastal review process. For survivors who cannot rebuild themselves, whether for financial or medical reasons, that would have shrunk their pool of buyers and cut into the value of what is often a family's largest asset. The Malibu Times ran a thoughtful op-ed this week telling the story of how it was stopped.
→ ⚡ How it happened: Malibu Rebuild Task Force volunteers, with Danny Smith helping coordinate the effort, spent countless hours digging into the statutory language. City staff analyzed the bill independently and worked with the Senator's office, and the Council helped carry the community's concerns to Sacramento. Senator Allen listened. That deserves saying twice: he listened.
→ 🎯 My take: This is what advocacy looks like when it works. Not louder, but better informed. I am grateful to every volunteer who traded summer evenings for statutory language, and I will be watching closely if this bill returns in a future session.
🌳 Community Lands: Two Weeks Left to Weigh In on 61 Acres
🔹 Wednesday's joint session put all five properties on the table: The Public Parks and Property Ad Hoc Committee, which I serve on alongside Councilmember Riggins, met jointly with the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Public Works Commission at City Hall on August 12 to review preliminary design concepts for our five City-owned properties, more than 61 acres in all. Thank you to every resident who has weighed in since this effort began in March 2024.
→ ⏳ What happens now: The survey stays open through Monday, August 31. That is a little over two weeks to tell us what belongs on this land: fields, gathering spaces, community facilities, or something we have not thought of yet. It takes about ten minutes. These decisions will outlive all of us on the dais, so please make sure they include you.
👉 Take the Community Lands survey
📚 Education: The First Bell Rings Thursday
🔹 The 2026-27 school year begins Thursday, August 20: That is the first day of instruction across Santa Monica-Malibu Unified, including our Malibu campuses. Backpacks are coming out of closets all over town this week.
→ 🚸 One ask from me: Expect school zones, buses, and crosswalks to be busy again, all layered on top of active work zones along PCH. Please build in extra time and slow down near our campuses. Nothing on your calendar Thursday morning is more important than a kid in a crosswalk. To our teachers and staff: welcome back, and thank you.
👉 See the SMMUSD district calendar
🚧 Economic Development: Cones Ahead, Shops Open
🔹 Caltrans fire-recovery work continues along PCH: Lane configurations and reduced speeds are still shifting week to week, and fines can double in work zones. Check conditions before you drive, give the crews room, and give yourself grace on the clock.
🔹 While the cones are up, our local businesses need us: A construction summer is a hard summer for the shops, restaurants, and small operators along the highway. If you have a choice this weekend, make it a local one. Our Business Support hub also collects resources for owners navigating recovery, permits, and assistance programs. Supporting these businesses is not charity, it is how Malibu keeps its character.
👉 Check live conditions on QuickMap
👉 Explore City business resources
🚓 Public Safety: The Volunteers on Patrol Want You
🔹 Malibu's VOPs are recruiting: A few weeks ago I shared their new City-funded patrol vehicle. This week The Malibu Times profiled the team itself: 22 active volunteers plus four trainees under team leader Mark Russo, who logged roughly 3,200 patrol hours in just the first half of this year. Members commit to at least 16 patrol hours a month after a six-month training academy, and they come from every walk of life: students, retirees, doctors, film professionals, retired law enforcement.
→ 💡 Why this matters: With 17 million visitors a year and a long emergency season, our deputies cannot be everywhere. These volunteers multiply what the Lost Hills Station can do for us. If you have ever wanted a hands-on way to serve Malibu, this is a real one.
👉 Meet the Volunteers on Patrol
🗳️ Community Engagement: The November Ballot Takes Shape
🔹 The nomination window for the two Council seats has closed: After weeks of encouragement in this newsletter, the filing period wrapped up this week. Once the City Clerk certifies the final candidate list for the November 3 election, I will share it here. To everyone who filed: thank you for stepping forward. Running is itself an act of service to this town.
🇺🇸 Looking Ahead: Waves of Flags Marks 25 Years Since 9/11
🔹 Pepperdine's Waves of Flags returns for the 25th anniversary of September 11: Each year, nearly 3,000 flags rise across Alumni Park, one for every life lost in the 2001 attacks, visible from PCH since students first organized the display in 2008. Volunteers are needed to install the flags on Saturday, September 5, from 10 AM to 2 PM, and to retire the display on Friday, September 18. Individuals, families, businesses, and community groups are all welcome. Few sights in Malibu say more with fewer words.
🏛️ Get Involved: Malibu's Commissions
🔹 Want to plug into one of Malibus commissions? Planning, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Public Works, Arts, and the Harry Barovsky Memorial Youth Commission all meet monthly at City Hall, and every one welcomes public comment. So much of our local policy actually starts in these rooms, and if serving on one has ever crossed your mind, the application is open year-round.
👉 Browse upcoming commission meetings and agendas
👉 Apply to serve on a commission or committee
📅 Dates to Know
🔹 Monday, August 17, 6:30 PM: Regular Planning Commission Meeting, Malibu City Hall.
🔹 Thursday, August 20: First day of instruction for the SMMUSD 2026-27 school year. Slow down in school zones.
🔹 Friday, August 21: Final day to see Carving Canvas at the Malibu City Gallery at City Hall. Free admission.
🔹 Monday, August 24, 5:30 PM: Regular City Council Meeting, Malibu City Hall (hybrid).
🔹 Monday, August 31: Last day to complete the Community Lands survey.
🔹 Saturday, September 5, 10 AM to 2 PM: Waves of Flags installation, Alumni Park, Pepperdine University.
🔹 Ongoing: Westward Beach Road and the Point Dume Beach parking lot remain closed. The beach is still open on foot from the Zuma side. PCH work zones continue; expect delays.
👉 Browse the full Malibu city calendar
🐝 One Last Thought
This week really showed multiple examples of how our town gets things done. A road project ended not with confusion but with data, honestly weighed. A state bill was set aside because volunteers did their homework and a senator was willing to hear it. And 61 acres of our shared future are still sitting open in a ten-minute survey, waiting for your opinion.
None of that happens without people deciding to participate. So here is my ask: take the survey, drive gently past the new backpacks on Thursday, and if something in your corner of Malibu needs attention, write me at hconrad@malibucity.org. Your notes set my agenda more than you know.
Have a golden weekend, Malibu.
