🌊 The Malibu Current with Councilmember Haylynn Conrad

📅 March 30, 2026

Hello Malibu neighbors,

Last Friday, I had the chance to stand alongside local leaders and celebrate Malibu Village Books, a small business that has weathered fires, closures, and uncertainty and kept its doors open through all of it. Every village needs a bookstore, and Malibu Village Books proves it. That kind of resilience is what Malibu is made of. And this week, there's plenty more to prove it: a family received their rebuild permit, hundreds gathered for Chumash Day at the Bluffs, Duke's is back serving sunsets on PCH, and the After-Action Review on our fire response is moving into its next phase. There's a lot happening, and two important deadlines hit tomorrow, so let's get into it.

⏰ Two Deadlines Tomorrow: Tuesday, March 31

🔹 Nonprofit Grant Applications close at 5:30 PM. The 2026–2027 General Fund Grant Program supports Malibu nonprofits working in areas like environmental protection, youth programming, arts, public safety, and senior services. This year's application has been streamlined into a single online form, making it easier to apply. The Administration and Finance Subcommittee reviews applications in May, with final awards during budget adoption in June. If you know a local nonprofit that should apply, please share this before the deadline passes.

👉 Apply for 2026–2027 General Fund Grants

👉 Learn more about the Grant Program

🔹 Youth Commission Applications close at 11:59 PM. The Harry Barovsky Memorial Youth Commission is accepting applications from students in grades 7 through 12 (for the 2026–2027 school year) who live or attend school in Malibu. As a mom who has watched her own kids grow up in this community, I believe young people deserve a seat at the table when decisions are being made about their city. This commission gives them one. If you know a student who cares about Malibu, encourage them to apply today.

👉 Apply for the Youth Commission

💼 Economic Development & Small Business

🔹 Celebrating Malibu Village Books: I was proud to join local leaders on Friday to recognize Malibu Village Books, a small business that has become so much more than a bookstore. Through fires, closures, and real challenges, they have stayed resilient and continued creating a space for connection, creativity, and conversation in our community. Supporting local businesses is one of the most direct ways we build a stronger Malibu. If you haven't visited, I hope you will.

🔹 Duke's Malibu is back. After more than a year of closure following the Palisades Fire and a devastating mudslide, Duke's reopened its doors on March 13. The beachfront landmark even hosted a pre-opening dinner to honor the first responders who staged in its parking lot during the fire. Duke's is currently open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 7 PM, with expanded hours coming soon as the team ramps back up. This year marks the restaurant's 30th anniversary on PCH. If that doesn't capture the spirit of Malibu recovery, I don't know what does.

🔹 Artists wanted: Storm Drain Public Art Campaign. The Malibu Arts Commission is looking for an artist to create original artwork on four storm drain catch basins throughout the city. This is part of the "Keep It Clean" campaign, connecting streets, stormwater, and the ocean through public art. It is a creative way to remind all of us that what flows into our storm drains reaches our beaches. Applications are due by Friday, April 17.

→ 🏄‍♀️ Why this excites me: Art and environmental awareness in one project? That is the kind of thinking I want to see more of in Malibu.

👉 Learn about the Storm Drain Art Campaign

🏗️ Rebuilding & Recovery

🔹 A family received their rebuild permit. Every permit issued brings us one step closer to a fully restored Malibu. Last week, a local family received approval to rebuild their home, a milestone that reflects the resilience and collective determination of this community. If you are in the process of rebuilding, the City's Rebuild Center is open and the Community Development Director is available every Friday for appointments.

👉 Visit MalibuRebuilds.org

🔹 Rebuild Community Meeting recap (March 24). The City hosted a community meeting with rebuild families on Tuesday at City Hall. These sessions are an important touchpoint for families navigating the process, and I encourage anyone who is rebuilding to attend future meetings.

🔹 Design Professionals Meeting: Tuesday, April 14. The next meeting for architects, engineers, and builders working on Malibu rebuilds is scheduled for April 14 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at City Hall. If you are a design professional involved in fire recovery work, this one is for you.

👉 View rebuild news and upcoming events

🌿 Environment & Infrastructure

🔹 Beach debris is unacceptable, and I will not stop pushing on it. I posted about this because it needs to be said plainly: there is too much debris and trash on our beaches. Malibu welcomes more than 17 million visitors a year. Our coastline is one of the most beautiful in the world, and keeping it clean is not optional. I will do everything I can to hold the right agencies accountable and make sure our beaches get the care they deserve.

🔹 Live PCH traffic cameras are now online. This is a quiet but meaningful upgrade. A series of CCTV cameras along Pacific Coast Highway are now operational, giving traffic operators live visibility into conditions on our roads. The cameras help identify crashes, congestion, and hazards faster, and support real-time signal adjustments through the Smart Corridor system. This is part of the PCH Signal Synchronization Project, which was named the 2025 Project of the Year in Transportation by the American Public Works Association.

→ 💡 What this means for you: If you want to check traffic before heading out, the live feed is now available on the Caltrans website. Faster detection of incidents means faster emergency response, and that matters on a highway where we have lost 61 lives.

👉 Watch the live PCH traffic feed

🔹 Earth Month is coming: mark your April calendar. The City has a full lineup of environmental events this next month, and I am excited about every one of them. Highlights include a Pollinator Plant Giveaway at Legacy Park on April 19, the Pepperdine Earth Day Fair on April 21, a Malibu Library Speaker Series featuring author and climate advocate Bill McKibben on April 22 at Pepperdine, a HHW/E-Waste collection and document shredding event at City Hall on April 18, and a Pollinator Garden installation at Malibu Bluffs Park on April 26. Malibu is home to one of the largest Areas of Special Biological Significance on the California coast, and Earth Month is a chance to celebrate why that matters.

👉 View the full Earth Month event lineup

🏛️ Fire Preparedness & Public Safety

🔹 After-Action Review: next stop, Public Safety Commission. The independent report on Malibu's emergency response to the Franklin and Palisades Fires was reviewed by Council last Monday, March 23. This Wednesday, April 1, the Public Safety Commission will take up the report at their regular 5:00 PM meeting at City Hall. I encourage residents to read the full report and continue engaging as the recommendations move forward. Transparency is not a one-meeting event. Some recommendations are already being implemented, others will require policy discussion and budget consideration, and I will keep pushing to make sure none of them get set aside.

👉 Read the After-Action Review (PDF)

👉 View the AAR Q&A sheet (PDF)

🤝 Community Recap

🔹 25th Annual Chumash Day Powwow (March 28–29). What a weekend at Malibu Bluffs Park. The 25th Annual Chumash Day, Native American Powwow, and Intertribal Gathering brought families, tribal dances, artisan vendors, food trucks, and live mural painting together for two full days. The name "Malibu" comes from the Chumash word "Humaliwo," and I love that this gathering has grown into one of our community's most meaningful traditions over a quarter century. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen and to every family who came out to celebrate.

🔹 Malibu City Gallery: "Heading Home" on display now. The exhibition by Gay Summer Rick opened on March 22 and runs through May 1 at the Malibu City Gallery at City Hall. It is worth a visit.

📅 Dates to Know

🔹 Tuesday, March 31, 5:30 PM: Deadline for General Fund Grant applications (nonprofits)

🔹 Tuesday, March 31, 11:59 PM: Deadline for Youth Commission applications (grades 7–12)

🔹 Wednesday, April 1, 5:00 PM: Public Safety Commission reviews After-Action Review, City Hall

🔹 Monday, April 13: Next Regular City Council Meeting

🔹 Tuesday, April 14, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM: Design Professionals Rebuild Meeting, City Hall

🔹 Friday, April 17: Deadline for Arts Commission Storm Drain Public Art applications

🔹 Saturday, April 18, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM: HHW/E-Waste Collection & Document Shredding, City Hall

🔹 Sunday, April 19, 10:30 AM–1:00 PM: Pollinator Plant Giveaway, Legacy Park

🔹 Tuesday, April 21, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM: Pepperdine Earth Day Fair

🔹 Wednesday, April 22, 5:00 PM: Malibu Library Speaker Series with Bill McKibben, Pepperdine

🔹 Sunday, April 26, 1:00–4:00 PM: Pollinator Garden Installation, Malibu Bluffs Park

🔹 March 23–May 1: "Heading Home" exhibition at Malibu City Gallery, City Hall

🐝 One Last Thought

A rebuilt home. A bookstore that refused to close. An iconic restaurant back on its feet. An independent fire report made public for every resident to read. A 25-year-old tradition honoring the people who first called this land home. And next month, a full calendar of events celebrating the coastline and ecosystems that make this place irreplaceable.

None of this happens without people who care enough to keep showing up, and Malibu, you keep showing up.

As a mom who has spent 17 years raising her kids in this community, on AYSO fields, in the ocean, and in our local schools, I can tell you: the resilience here is not a talking point. It is something I see every single week. I am proud to be part of it, and I am proud to represent you.

If something in this newsletter raised a question or sparked a thought, I want to hear from you. Reply to this email, or email me at hconrad@malibucity.org. And if you know someone who should be reading this, please share it so they can subscribe.

Together, we're building a community and better future that works for everyone. Thank you for staying connected!

Haylynn Conrad
Councilmember, City of Malibu
hconrad@malibucity.org