Huntington Beach City Council Meeting – June 17, 2025: Library Election Fallout, Infrastructure Projects, and Brown Act Response
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Huntington Beach City Council/Public Financing Authority Meeting – June 17, 2025
The Huntington Beach City Council held a regular meeting on June 17, 2025, at 6:00 PM after a closed session at 4:30 PM. Councilman Andrew Gruel was absent with permission. The meeting included extensive public comments on the recent Measures A and B special election, approval of several consent calendar items (including a $1.1 million women's locker room project after discussion), adoption of a side letter agreement with the Police Officers' Association to comply with CalPERS requirements, and a unanimous vote to respond to an ACLU cease and desist letter alleging Brown Act violations by committing to cease the challenged practices. All votes were 6-0-1 (with Gruel absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Many speakers thanked Huntington Beach voters for passing Measures A and B (protecting the library from privatization and censorship) by wide margins. Speakers celebrated the defeat of what they called the council's "culture war" and urged the council to return to core governance issues like infrastructure, budget, and public safety.
- Several speakers criticized the council for spending over $1 million on the special election, for placing pornographic-themed signs around schools, and for creating division. Multiple speakers accused the council of targeting the LGBTQ+ community through the library measures and reiterated support for Pride Month.
- A few speakers defended the council, arguing the election results were not a mandate (only 36,000 of 136,000 registered voters voted yes) and that the council's actions were lawful and necessary.
- Speakers raised concerns about the city's infrastructure fund (Item 13), towing company overcharges, police deployment to Los Angeles without transparency, and improper police conduct in impounding a citizen's vehicle for a month without charges.
- Wendy Rincon, the resident who requested the ACLU letter, spoke about Mayor Burns violating her First Amendment rights on May 20, 2025, by shutting down her public comment. She demanded the council take the warning seriously.
Discussion Items
- Item 12 – Police Department Women’s Locker Room Improvement Project: Councilman Kennedy pulled this consent item. He questioned the 20% contingency ($219,895) compared to a 10% contingency on other projects, and concerns about contractors bidding low then raising costs via change orders. Public Works staff explained that vertical renovations often uncover unknown conditions (plumbing, HVAC) and that any cost overruns beyond the contingency would require council approval. A motion to approve passed 6-0-1.
- Item 15 – POA Side Letter Agreement: Human Resources Director Marissa Sur presented a side letter amending the Police Officers' Association MOU to meet CalPERS reporting requirements for special pays. The changes are administrative only, adding no new benefits. The resolution was adopted 6-0-1.
- Item 16 – Response to ACLU Cease and Desist: Staff recommended that the city adopt a resolution, without admitting any violation, committing to cease and desist from the challenged actions described in the ACLU's May 22, 2025 letter regarding Brown Act violations during public comment. The motion passed 6-0-1 with some council members expressing displeasure at interruptions during the vote.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar (Items 8-11, 13-14): Approved 6-0-1. This included approval of minutes, appointments to the City Celebration Committee, an ordinance amending the Information Services Department chapter, an ordinance adopting Fire Hazard Severity Zones, acceptance of the FY 2023/24 Infrastructure Fund Annual Report, and a $1,599,942.70 sewer lining contract with contingency appropriation.
- Item 12 (Women’s Locker Room Improvement): Approved 6-0-1 after discussion. Contract awarded to Full Swing Construction Inc. for $1,099,477 with a 20% contingency.
- Item 15 (POA Side Letter): Adopted Resolution No. 2025-47, 6-0-1.
- Item 16 (Brown Act Response): Adopted Resolution committing to cease the challenged past actions, 6-0-1.
- The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 1, 2025, at a location to be announced due to construction at City Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call the meeting of the city council public financing authority to order. City Clerk may have the roll call, please. Councilman Twine. Councilman Kennedy? Here. Mayor Pratem McKeon? Here. Mayor Burns? Present. Councilwoman Vandermark? Here. Councilman member Williams? Here. And pursuant to the resolution number two zero zero one dash fifty-four. Councilman Gruell has requested permission to be absent from this meeting. If there are no objections, it will be reflected in the minutes. City Clerk, do we have any supplemental communications? We have no supplemental communications for this portion of the meeting. All right. City Clerk, do we have anyone to sign up to speak? No. Not for this portion of the meeting. Okay. Uh closed session. Conference with real property negotiators. Uh property is at one zero four four nine Adams Avenue, Huntington Beach, California, nine two six four six. Agency negotiator, Travis Hopkins, City Manager, Chris Casanova, Economic Development Manager, Steve Foltz, Deputy Director of Community Development, Jennifer Villa Senior, Director of Community Development, negotiating parties is Rex and Larry Gilmore, Eric Johnson and Ryan Gilmore, and Moon Valley Nurseries not present under negotiation price in terms of payment. Also in attendance, Marissa Sir, Director of Human Resources, Mike Vigliota, City Attorney, and Robert Torres, Interim Chief Financial Officer Employee Organization, Marine Safety Management Association, MSMA and Surf City Lifeguard Employees Association, SELEA. Council, do I have a motion? I'll make it more. Okay. Motion and I'll second. All right, we're gonna go into um close session. I'd like to reconvene the regular meeting of the City Council public financing authority. City Clerk may have the roll call, please. Councilman Twine? Here. Councilman Kennedy. Here. Mayor Pro Tem McKeon? Here. Mayor Burns. Present. Councilwoman Vandermark? Here. Councilman Williams. Here. All present. Andrew Gruell absent. Oh, pursuant to resolution number two zero zero one-five four.
openpublica.com