The Malibu Times • February 17, 2022

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The Malibu Times The Malibu Times NEWS PA PER • MAGAZ I NE • O NL I NE

NEW S PAPER • MAGAZINE •ONLINE Malibu’s Award-Winning Community Paper Since 1946

VOL. LXXV • NO. XLIIV

Report outlines how city can adapt to the climate crisis

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY

Father Daughter Dance brings smiles to hundreds of attendees

Foundation recommends community brigades, solar power, water storage, and services for disadvantaged

City Council votes 3-2 against installing top vote-getter Silverstein By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times

By JIMY TALLAL Special to The Malibu Times

A new report released last week from the Malibu Foundation, titled “Our Climate Crisis: A Guide for Communities in the Wildland Urban Interface,” outlines how Malibu and other local communities surrounding the Santa Monica Mountains can adapt to the climate crisis. Shea Cunningham and Dean Kubani authored the report, but numerous local experts and key stakeholders were consulted. In a press release, the nonprofit said it recognized the local area was still having difficulty recovering from the 2018 Woolsey Fire and saw “an urgent need to bring key stakeholders together to focus on how to proactively be more climate-resilient.” “It’s essentially a guide to assist our communities in achieving what many are calling the great CONTINUED ON PAGE A8

Pepperdine University offers free legal services to locals affected by disasters Program assists residents facing challenges with FEMA, landlords, insurance, and other issues By JIMY TALLAL Special to The Malibu Times

SOPHIA HAMILTON The Disaster Relief Clinic at Pepperdine Caruso Law School is continuing its work this semester of providing pro bono legal services for people affected by the Woolsey Fire and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other natural disasters in the U.S. Pepperdine’s free service handles a broad array of disaster-related legal issues, including: Landlordtenant relationships, insurance matters, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) CONTINUED ON PAGE A5

Paul Grisanti to serve second term as Mayor of Malibu

Attendees at the 25th Annual Father Daughter Valentine’s Dance on Saturday, Feb. 12 enjoy the lights and company at Malibu Presbyterian Church. Photo by Devon Meyers/TMT

A conversation with Bruce Silverstein Silverstein never sensed any tension with then-City Manager Feldman

By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times

When Bruce Lee Silverstein entered the city council in 2020, he felt welcomed by the people who elected him; however, unwelcomed by those who were opposed to him. “It was a very hostile environment actually at the beginning, but I understand that’s part of politics these days,” Silverstein said. “All of the people that you’re working for, you’re lucky if a little bit more than a majority of them like what you’re doing; that’s the way things have come in this country; and I never thought about that before, because as a lawyer for 35 years, for the most part, my clients were always very happy with my work.” After the Woolsey Fire in 2018, Silverstein became involved with the community and supported various causes before running on City

Council in 2020. Silverstein said he never had any intention or desire to run for a political position. “I’ve really learned a lot in the year that I’ve been on council. I’ve never been a student of politics—It just happened. It’s a whole different world that I’m accustomed to. So every day is a learning experience,” Silverstein said. “It would be very difficult to pick one thing that I’ve learned over anything else, other than what I just said; it’s that you can’t please everyone. So you just have to do what you believe is right and recognize that there’s going to be a lot of people, not only those that’ll be pleased with what you did, but there’s going to be a lot of people that are very angry with what you did, and you just have to accept that.” Silverstein graduated Cum Laude from Villanova Law School,

where he graduated among the top 10 students in the Class of 1986 and was a member and Editor of the Law Review, earned membership in the Order of the Coif, and was identified as one of the top 500 lawyers in the United States by Law Dragon in 2009. Silverstein said Mikkee Pierson, who was the mayor at the time, said something which he had never thought of before. “When his term was over, he made a comment, which was very insightful, he [Pierson] said, this is the first job he’d ever had, where there’s no way you can please everyone—he’s right,” Silverstein said. “If you try to please all of the constituents in the city, you’re not doing a good job because you have to be doing what’s right, and not necessarily just what some people want.” With over 30 years of knowledge

CONTINUED ON PAGE A8

BRUCE SILVERSTEIN and experience in law, Silverstein said he brings rigorous analysis to the council, but explains others may not be accustomed to his way of decision making. “A lot of things that, in my view, have historically been done on a more touchy-feely basis, and because of that, a lot of people get a little bristled at, ‘why are we getting this detailed and looking at things this way? It doesn’t feel right,’ but CONTINUED ON PAGE A8

Committee invites nominations for Dolphin Awards Opportunity opens to honor those who go above and beyond in the community By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times

While the city of Malibu is known worldwide for its understated beachy glamour, its residents recognize the city’s greatest asset — the community. Through Malibu’s many tragedies, emergencies

and even during prosaic times community members will step up to help one another — many often under the radar. For three decades, the Malibu Dolphin Foundation (MDF) has sought to recognize these heroes and unsung people who make Malibu a better place. As the MDF

mission statement cites, Dolphin Award winners are recognized for supporting community projects that enhance Malibu’s quality of life, address the city’s critical challenges and provide for the unmet needs of fellow citizens. The MDF was formed nearly 35 years ago by Arnold and Karen

Council members Grisanti, Karen Farrer, Mikke Pierson voted for Steve Uhring; however, Uhring declined. Uhring was the only council member who voted for Bruce Silverstein to serve as mayor. Silverstein accepted to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. Prior to the meeting, participants were having a difficult time signing up for the public comment addressing the incoming mayor of Malibu. Council addressed the issue, and the public was able to speak on the election. Silverstein and Uhring said the public should have an opportunity to speak. Mayor Paul Grisanti asked City Attorney John Cotti if they were taking on a Brown Act risk. “The Brown Act requires all items of business be conducted with the opportunity for the public to comment prior to action being taken; I think historically, there has never been any controversy with the selection of mayor and vice mayor; I don’t know if tonight will be any different, that’s why there’s typically no public comment,” Cotti said. “The public has a right to comment on who their next mayor is, but the counter to that is that it’s a ceremonial position, and it has no more power as mayor than does the mayor pro tem or any other council member, I think the best practice is to allow public comment, it is a matter of council preference.” Cotti said the historical practice

York, then publishers of The Malibu Times. The couple was discussing community concerns one day with fellow residents Ann Fulton and Harvey Baskin. “We were talking about how to recognize those people who were very important to developing comCONTINUED ON PAGE A8

INSIDE this week

Artists gather for a good cause Local art gallery supports trauma survivors PAGE B1 Opinion . . . . . . . . . A2

News Briefs . . . . . . . A3 Real Estate . . . . . . . . A6 Malibu Life . . . . . . . B1 Calendar . . . . . . . . . B3 Legal Notices . . . . . . B4 Business Svs. & Dir. . . B5 Classifieds . . . . . . . . B6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . B8


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