Half Moon Bay City Council Priority Setting Workshop - March 16, 2026

The Half Moon Bay City Council held a special workshop on March 16, 2026 to discuss and set priorities for the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27. The meeting included a review of council rules of decorum, staff updates on accomplishments and budget, summaries from community listening sessions, and extensive public comment. Council members then shared their priorities, followed by a staff-led discussion to identify new projects and reach consensus on which items to include in the work plan. Staff will draft a work plan based on the discussion to inform budget decisions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Emily Den Herder (via speaker slip, later spoke): Expressed support for a community swimming pool, urging council endorsement and partnerships.
• Ari Gupta & Kieran: Spoke about the need for a community pool for swim instruction and safety. Kieran, a child, shared his love for swimming.
• Alexandria Johnson & son Douglas: Douglas earned an orange ribbon in swim. Alex urged prioritizing a community pool, citing drowning risks and lack of safe swimming places.
• Laiuba Priestley: Supported a pool as an investment for youth and seniors, noting cold ocean water limits access.
• Timothy Pond: Criticized council's allocation of Measure D units to a project not expected until 2030, stating confusion around the application process.
• Eric DeBode: Supported rental registry, rent control, and the 555 Kelly project. Urged continuation of the Hopeful Horizons homeless program (ERF) which helped 8 people into housing. Opposed a countywide encampment ordinance.
• Harvey Raarbak: Supported rent stabilization and consolidation of water and sewer districts. Opposed the countywide homeless ordinance.
• Amber Stowe: Endorsed a formula business ordinance to protect downtown from chain stores, preserving unique local businesses.
• Jimmy Benjamin: Urged council to address hydrology and flooding along Keiho Watercourse and Pullman Ditch, stating it is a non-discretionary requirement under the Local Coastal Program.
• Brent Simmons: Homeowner on Pullman Ditch; described erosion worsening from 3 to 6 feet depth. Asked for design funding to allow homeowners to contribute.
• John Rossi: Experienced 9 flooding events since 2021. Requested a bypass design for Pullman Ditch and noted community willingness to pay.
• Sandy Vella: Opposed 555 Kelly 99-year lease ($1/year) without ballot. Supported ticketing RVs for parking violations, painting Main Street bridge, e-bike law, and filling Stone Pine Cove with local senior farmworkers.
• Joe Farrell: Raised historical city decisions that worsened Pullman Ditch flooding; asked for continued priority.
• Colleen Henney: Supported formula business ordinance to protect downtown merchants from rising rents.
• Carrie Burke: Noted Half Moon Bay's designation as Very High Fire Hazard Zone by CalFire; insurance tripled. Urged fire mitigation and implementation of zone zero regulations.
• Rick Renan: Supported downtown streetscape master plan and Pillar Cedos Creek Trail cleanup and restoration. Backed Carter Park activation, permanent volleyball, and fire pits.
• Hillary (Parks and Rec Commission chair): Supported pool through MOUs with school district for community access, similar to pickleball and tennis collaborations.
• Miguel Arellano: Senior who has applied many times for affordable senior housing without success; requested support.
• Nancy Pontana: Supported pool, downtown businesses, and maintaining character of Half Moon Bay.

Discussion Items

• Council Rules of Decorum Overview: Interim City Attorney Denise Bazano reviewed rules, emphasizing respect, brevity, and consensus building. City manager Matthew added that recent meetings have seen lapses in decorum (public speaking overtime, clapping, booing) and called for mutual respect.
• Staff Updates:
  • Accomplishments: Reduced structural deficit, fully funded reserves (50% policy), opened Stone Pine Cove (46 affordable units), secured $500,000 Coastal Commission grant for LCP implementation, adopted downtown vitality ordinance, launched GIS system, opened Carter Park amphitheater, and more.
  • Budget Update (Kenneth Stiles): Current year ending with $12M reserves and $1.6M unassigned. Next year projected deficit of $1.8M due to conservative revenue assumptions (e.g., disputed VLF of $700K, expiring golf fees). Staff turnover at 40% over two years; 30% vacancy rate.
  • Current Projects and Capacity: Staff presented Attachment 3 (current projects) and Attachment 4 (potential projects), noting over 70 special projects beyond routine work. Capacity is strained; staff urged thoughtful prioritization.
  • Listening Sessions Summary (Mario Say Alvarado): Two community sessions (English/Spanish), one faith leaders event, website and email submissions gathered priorities on housing, public safety, economic vitality, infrastructure, recreation, transportation, and transparency.
• Priority Setting Exercise: Council members took turns stating their priorities from existing lists and proposing new items. Major recurring themes included:
  • Affordable housing (including mixed-income social housing)
  • Flooding mitigation (Pullman, Keiho, Seymour)
  • Fire mitigation and emergency preparedness
  • Downtown vitality (streetscape, wayfinding, formula business ordinance, parking)
  • Water/sewer consolidation
  • Community swimming pool (endorsement, not funding)
  • E-bike safety ordinance
  • Homeless encampment ordinance (divided views)
  • Infrastructure maintenance (signs, street paving)
  • Coastal access improvement program
  • Stormwater master plan vs. focused projects
• New Projects Discussion: Staff presented a slide of proposed new items not already on the lists. Council reached consensus ("green") on including: downtown kiosk concept, water/sewer consolidation exploration, community pool support (letter of support, no financial commitment), internet redundant loop advocacy, healthcare district (monitor and engage), coastal access routes improvement program (moderate lift), and stormwater master plan (to be done alongside focused projects on Pullman and Keiho). Items marked "red" or absorbed into existing efforts: sign maintenance (to be addressed in organizational study), ADU fast tracking (already in work), parking structure study and angled parking removal (consolidated into downtown parking study).

Key Outcomes

• Council directed staff to prepare a draft work plan for fiscal year 2026-27 based on the discussion, integrating existing projects and new priorities as agreed. The work plan will be brought back to council for approval and will inform budget allocations.
• Specific new priorities added to the work plan include: downtown kiosk, water/sewer consolidation, community pool support (letter), internet redundant loop advocacy, healthcare district monitoring, coastal access routes program, and a stormwater master plan (alongside continued Pullman and Keiho projects).
• Other items (sign maintenance, ADU fast tracking, parking structure) will be addressed through existing or planned studies (organizational study, downtown parking study).