New Mayor, 2 New Councilmembers At City Hall

The spectre of one tenth of Malibu’s houses burned down … loomed heavily over Malibu city council chambers last night … as a new mayor and city council were sworn in.

There was more than an hour of ceremonial proclamations and small gifts lavished by people outside Malibu on the two departing city council members … Laura Rosenthal and Lou LaMonte.

But the topic of the fire weighed heavily over the new officeholders … Mikke Pierson and Karen

Farrer.

NEWSCART PIERSON

I have a fairly large list of things I want to accomplish while I am on a city Council, but the Woolsey fire has put much of that on hold, at least temporarily.”

NEWSCART FARRER

Again I will advocate for what we need at the city, and I would like to do everything I can for each of you to help you get back to where you were.

Incoming mayor Jefferson Wagner took office with a specific list of goals for the next weeks.

NEWSCART WAGNER

My biggest concern for the next year will be (repatriating) you people with your homes that were lost. I think the first processes the cleanup, the details of that which I will bring forward at the next council meeting, and that is the process for getting your properties cleaned legitimately, getting the hazardous materials off of those properties getting your tiny homes getting your Konnexes, getting your trailers back on that property if that’s what you desire.

The one surprise of the night.

The city council … in a unanimous vote … picked newcomer Karen Farrer as mayor pro tem.

Seniority rotation would have seen that seat go to Skylar Peak … but he is termed out in 2 years and supported Farrer.