MALIBU—Malibu City Manager Reva Feldman is in talks with city attorney, John C. Cotti to resign her position mid-term due to alleged work harassment from current Malibu Councilmember Bruce Silverstein.
Feldman is the current City Manager and the contract for her position does not terminate until May 2022, but she may resign in early May 2021 with an approximate $375,000 buyout until she finds her replacement as disclosed in her contract. According to a 4-page statement made by Feldman’s lawyer, Therese Y. Cannata, the cause for her early departure is “unprecedented personal and professional attacks by Bruce Silverstein.”
According to city of Malibu website, Feldman was appointed as City Manager in May 2016 and has “more than twenty years of experience in public service…[and] has been with the City since 2005.” There is no evidence of past problems regarding her professionalism, but problems with Councilmember Silverstein began when he was sworn into office in November 2020.
Silverstein ran on a platform of transparency and honesty in which he immediately spoke out against several councilmembers for alleged problems the day he has sworn-in. Feldman was not the only city council person to be attacked by Silverstein’s comments, she has faced public scrutiny from Silverstein through his social media posts and zoom city council meetings.
The start of his attacks against Feldman occurred in December 2020 when he said publicly that all meetings can be recorded due to the Brown Act and throughout the subsequent months he numerously named Feldman on not adequately proving him with his work materials. During the zoom city council meeting on January 11, 2021, Silverstein said the following about Feldman:
“I do believe that Reva Feldman is duplicitous, deceitful, and unethical…I believe she should be replaced as City Manager at the discretion of city council. It’s not because of Wagner’s affidavit and it’s not because any alleged criminal activity.” His latest comments on Feldman were posted on Sunday, January 24 via his personal Facebook page.
“Because Ms. Feldman is under a constant attack by Mr. Silverstein, she lives in fear of retaliation- for doing her job and exercising her professional judgment in the performance of her duties. She finds herself reluctant to offer her opinions on maters affecting the day-to-day operations of the City, especially if she senses that it will trigger another outburst by Mr. Silverstein,“ according to statement from Cannata.
Other members of the Malibu City Council has not commented on the matter.
