PLANNING DEPARTMENT PROCESSES UPDATED TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR RESIDENTS 

The City of Malibu has introduced several new modifications to the Planning Department’s project application process to improve the customer experience for homeowners and building professionals. Most project submittals can now be made online through a new portal at www.MalibuCity.org/PlanningSubmittalPortal, rather than submitting in-person at City Hall or by email.

“The City of Malibu is consistently working to improve customer service and make our processes more efficient and transparent in order to better serve residents who are rebuilding, building, renovating or repairing their homes,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “We hear you Malibu, and we hope that these improvements will save you time and make for a better experience.” 

The modifications add to several recent improvements that the City has made in the planning and permitting processes this year to improve customer service, in addition to adding more staff positions.

The new online submittal portal allows users to initiate a new planning application and submit all plans and documents electronically, rather than by email or in-person. All revisions to previously approved applications will be initiated through the same portal. This replaces the time-consuming appointment-based system for submitting applications. 

The new improvements include a dedicated administrator who will handle all project submittals to ensure consistency and continuity in the process. The online process will enhance communication by providing automatic responses with information about the next steps to take. 

Only event permits and appeals are still required to be submitted in-person at City Hall. In-person or virtual appointments are no longer required for every application. 

In addition to using the online portal, applicants may submit minor planning applications during Public Counter hours and pay fees at the same time. The City has created a new Planning Submittal Guide, available online, to provide a step-by-step guide to help applicants through the online submittal process. The guide lists which types of permits can be processed through the online portal. 

OTHER RECENT IMPROVEMENTS TO PLANNING PROCESSES

The online portal is one of several recent improvements made by the Planning Department to increase efficiency.  The Planning Department also recently began to provide application submittal requirements and fees on behalf of other City Departments and provide a completed Submittal Checklist to save applicants time and reduce their number of visits to City Hall. 

To this end, the Planning Department, Environmental Sustainability Department and Public Works Department collaborated to create standard submittal requirements and fees for different types of planning applications. That was meant to eliminate the need for applicants to consult with each City Department during Public Counter hours to determine if review was required by each Department and to obtain a list of submittal document requirements and fees. 

The Planning Department has also implemented a new protocol to streamline the routing of revised project plans and documents to City Departments, meant to minimize the number of reviews conducted by each Department and save applicants fees and time.

In addition, the tenant improvements Plan Check Review was updated to allow applicants to get Planning Department approvals and Planning Clearances at the same time.  

The City is once again holding Woolsey Fire Rebuild Public Counter hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM to eliminate the need to schedule an appointment with the Rebuild Team. 

For more Planning Department information for project applicants, including Public Counter Hours, fee payments, staff contact information, and more, visit the webpage.