Tue, Nov 18, 2025·Half Moon Bay, California·City Council

Half Moon Bay City Council Meeting Summary (2025-11-18)

Discussion Breakdown

Environmental Protection27%
Procedural22%
Public Safety22%
Community Engagement14%
Historic Preservation7%
Water And Wastewater Management6%
Affordable Housing2%

Summary

Half Moon Bay City Council Meeting (2025-11-18)

The City Council opened with interpretation availability and routine approvals, then honored environmental advocate Lenny Roberts with a mayoral proclamation. Staff presented an update on Coastside CERT fall 2025 training and preparedness capacity. During public forum, speakers raised concerns about Pullman Ditch flooding and water quality, advocated to keep Cal Fire services amid talk of potential consolidation, and Councilmember Penrose issued an apology for prior comments about a downtown business.

Proclamations & Presentations

  • Proclamation honoring Lenny Roberts: Mayor Brownstone recognized Lenny Roberts for decades of environmental advocacy and coalition-building, including work associated with protecting open space and coastal resources and dedication of the future loop trail at Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve as the “Lenny Roberts Trail” (dedicated September 4, 2025).
  • Lenny Roberts (Green Foothills):
    • Described Green Foothills’ mission and stated the organization has also worked in support of housing for farm workers and affordable housing located in downtown areas and along transportation corridors (position: support for those housing approaches).
    • Recounted historical development proposals for the coastside (including projections of major population growth and highway expansion) and credited persistence by environmental advocates and allies for different outcomes today.
    • Noted Measure A was approved by voters with a “63% yes vote” (as stated) and mentioned the upcoming 40th anniversary.
  • Council comments on Lenny Roberts: Multiple councilmembers and the mayor expressed strong appreciation and gratitude for Roberts’ role in protecting open space, farmland, and coastal character.

Council/Staff Updates

  • Coastside CERT Fall 2025 Basic Training (Todd Seely, Interim Public Works Director):
    • Reported the course ran Oct. 29–Nov. 15 with graduation on Nov. 15, and had 37 graduates, including Councilmember Johnson, Community Development Director Leslie Lako, and Seely.
    • Stated “99 CERTs trained this year, including 30 through the Spanish speaking cohort.”
    • Reported Coastside CERT currently has 542 trained CERTs and 179 ham radio operators across 32 neighborhoods (Montara to Tunitas Creek).
    • Described training topics (local hazards, preparedness, radio communications, medical operations/triage, fire safety & utility controls, light search and rescue, disaster psychology/mental health, terrorism, Stop the Bleed) and a hands-on simulation.
    • Noted five graduates were high schoolers from Half Moon Bay High.
    • Recognized CERT leadership/team members by name (including Cynthia Cheryl, retired Fire Chief Dave Cosgrave, and others) and encouraged spring registration via coastsidecert.com.
  • Councilmember Johnson (as a recent trainee):
    • Expressed positive views of the training and encouraged participation.
    • Emphasized preparedness guidance discussed in training, including being prepared for “three days or three weeks” due to limited access routes.
    • Mentioned learning about signs of opioid overdose and the use of Narcan (as described).
  • Mayor Brownstone: Encouraged residents to identify CERT resources in their neighborhoods and highlighted ham radio resilience and neighborhood-level support during emergencies.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Councilmember Penrose: Apologized for prior comments at an earlier meeting regarding what he believed was an empty Main Street storefront (the law office of Robin Dunlap). He stated his remarks were based solely on his opinion, said he did not intend harm, apologized for causing concern, and stated he welcomes Dunlap’s input on downtown matters and the proposed vitality ordinance.
  • Joaquin Jimenez (Rancho San Benito): Spoke in admiration of Lenny Roberts’ contributions and described her influence on his understanding of coastside protection, heritage, and farming/ranching history.
  • Joe Farrell (Miramar resident, 2805 Alamine Ave.):
    • Requested that Pullman Ditch be placed on council agendas until flooding, dumping, and “polluted wastewater under private property” are eliminated and a bypass is completed.
    • Asserted the city’s past approvals contributed to current flooding issues (including Caltrans stormwater redirection into Pullman Ditch and approvals of homes near/below grade relative to the ditch).
    • Raised concerns about alleged wastewater discharges and stated the October sample from Pullman Ditch showed elevated nitrogen and phosphorus (as stated), arguing this indicates polluted storm flows reaching the ocean and neighborhood.
    • Urged immediate action to complete the bypass and reduce flows before further harm.
  • Sid Young (online):
    • Opposed potential consolidation of fire groups in San Mateo County and expressed a position to keep the Coastside Fire Protection District’s Cal Fire contract.
    • Argued the community has saved money under Cal Fire and cited fire station funding examples; urged council to resist efforts to “get the old union back” (as stated).

Consent Calendar

  • Approved (5-0) the consent calendar items:
    • Waive reading of resolutions and ordinances
    • Approve minutes of the November 4, 2025 special meeting
    • Approve minutes of the November 4 meeting (as listed)
    • Approve the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program for the 6th cycle Housing Element

Key Outcomes

  • Agenda approved by voice vote.
  • Consent calendar approved 5-0 (Johnson, Nagengast, Penrose, Ruddick, Brownstone).
  • Meeting segment adjourned for a brief break to transition to the next session (planning commissioners to get settled).

Meeting Transcript

So we'll go for the two. Oh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, um, uh, no. So the November eighteenth, twenty twenty five City Council meeting. As a reminder, we have Spanish interpretation services available. In person. And via Zoom. On point language solutions. In the back left corner. If anyone needs assistance. Uh is the Victor here tonight or someone else who can? No, okay. Nicholas. We'll now provide some information in Spanish on how to receive interpret interpretation services. If you are in need of them. Let me just turn the switch on. Okay. Buenas noches. Tenemos los audífonos para que proveerles a los que necesiten aquí in a lugar, y si no, por medio de la internet onde estén mirando in la part in la barra de abajo, apparece un globo. Thank you. Thank you. Um, if we can now take a roll call, please. Councilmember Johnson. Here. Councilmember Nagengast. Here. Councilmember Penrose? Here. Vice Mayor Reddick. Here. Mayor Brownstone. Here. We have a quorum. If you all would now please join me in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, thank you. Thank you. Can um we have an approval of the agenda motion, please. So moved. Second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those against. Motion passed. Thank you. We will now move on to proclamations and presentations. And I'm very pleased to say we have a very special proclamation to make this evening. And thank you for joining us tonight, Lenny. So just a few words about Lenny before I get on to the proclamation. Lenny Roberts has been a leading force in California environmental protection for more than seven decades, beginning with her childhood success in convincing Governor Earl Warren to then Governor Earl Warren to protect Hendi Wood State Park in Mendocino County. And for those of you who might not remember, Earl Warren actually then later became Supreme Court Justice. And she got a letter back from him as well. As a Green Footh Hills volunteer legislative advocate for nearly 50 years, Lenny has championed the preservation of open space, natural resources, farmland, and public access, especially here on the San Mateo County coast side, earning a reputation for integrity, persistence, and coalition building.