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Record of Proceedings

Huntington Beach City Council Meeting - November 4, 2025: Closed Session, Archer Aviation Study, and Code Updates

City Council — Tuesday, November 4, 2025
BodyHuntington Beach, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, November 4, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:04:07

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
1:02

All right, I'd like to call the meeting of the City Council and Public Financing Authority to order, and no butch isn't here.

1:10

And uh, but we'll have a roll call.

1:12

Oh, there he is, showing a plate.

1:15

Um, no one.

1:18

Clerk, can we have a roll call, please?

1:20

Councilman Twine?

1:22

Here.

1:22

Councilman Kennedy, here.

1:23

Mayor Pratem McKeon.

1:25

Here.

1:25

Mayor Burns.

1:26

Here.

1:26

Councilwoman Vandermark.

1:28

Councilman Gruul?

1:28

Here.

1:29

Councilman Williams?

1:30

Here.

1:30

All present.

1:31

All right.

1:32

Uh City Clerk, do we have any supplemental communications for this session?

1:37

There are no supplemental communications for this portion of the meeting.

1:40

Okay.

1:41

Vig, you're on.

1:43

Thanks, Mayor.

1:44

So we have two items on tonight.

1:46

One of them is a little bit unusual and doesn't happen very often, but on November 3rd, after posting posting of the agenda, the city received notice that the Court of Appeal issued a decision in the people and Bigsby versus City of Huntington Beach case number six oh six five five eight nine.

2:06

I'm sorry, G065589 and G065461 G065499.

2:14

Pursuant to government code section five four nine five four point two B.

2:18

Council can take action on items of business not appearing on posted agenda following public identification of the item and upon a determination by two-thirds vote of the members of the city council present that there's need to take immediate action and the need to can to take action came after the posting of the agenda.

2:38

So I'd ask uh that the mayor.

2:41

I got the yep.

2:42

Uh motion to based on the aforementioned facts and circumstances in pursuant to government code section five four nine five four point two b uh the city council determines that there is a need to take immediate action, and that the need for action came to the attention of the city council subsequent to the agenda being posted in two pursuant to government code five four nine five six point nine.

3:08

The city council shall recess to close session to confer with the city council regarding the appellate opinion in the matter of people versus city of Huntington Beach, Court of Appeal number G065589, and uh Bixby versus City of Huntington Beach.

3:28

Uh case number is numbers to them G065461 and G06549.

3:38

I'll make the motion.

3:40

Second.

3:40

All right.

3:42

May we have the call, please.

3:44

Councilman Twiny?

3:45

Yes.

3:46

Councilman Kennedy?

3:47

Yes.

3:47

Mayor Protem McKeon?

3:49

Yes.

3:49

Mayor Burns.

3:50

Aye.

3:50

Councilwoman Vandermark.

3:52

Yes.

3:52

Councilman Gruel?

3:53

Yes.

3:53

Councilman Williams?

3:54

Yes.

3:55

Motion passes seven zero.

3:56

I'll note too that it's a two-thirds over two-thirds vote.

4:00

So mayor, we did have one other item on the agenda.

4:03

Yeah, on the closed session.

4:05

Yeah.

4:05

Yeah.

4:06

Do we have any speakers?

4:07

Uh for closed session.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████15%
Procedural██████████████14%
Technology and Innovation███████████11%
Economic Development███████████11%
Active Transportation█████████9%
Fiscal Sustainability█████████9%
Community Engagement██████6%
Planning and Zoning█████5%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Huntington Beach City Council Meeting - November 4, 2025

The City Council and Public Financing Authority met on November 4, 2025, at 1:00 PM. The meeting included a closed session to discuss a recent Court of Appeal decision, a study session on Archer Aviation's electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, adoption of updated building and bicycle codes, and council member items on pedestrian/bike safety and real estate holdings. All votes were unanimous (7-0) unless noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 5 (Memorandum of Understanding with Art League of Huntington Beach) was pulled by staff and will be brought back at a future date.
  • Items 4, 6, 8, and 9 were approved 7-0.
  • Item 7 (CalOptima VRRP Program) was pulled by Councilman Kennedy for explanation. Chief McCoy explained the program is an intergovernmental transfer that returns $1.7 million to the city for a $722,000 investment. Approved 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ron Duplantis criticized the council for focusing on partisan culture wars (voter ID, sanctuary laws, pride flags) instead of local issues like streets and public safety.
  • Jason Serafin (with daughter Hannah) proposed installing public hydration kiosks along the beach boardwalk for water and beverage sales, citing lack of facilities and missed business opportunities.
  • Charles Jackson objected to partisan political activity (canvassing for No on 50 and voter ID petition) during city-sponsored constitutional classes, calling it a violation of non-partisanship.
  • Heather Grode Jennings and Victor Chaffa supported the Light the World Giving Machines at the pier, noting donations benefit local charities like Boys and Girls Club, CHOC, and OC Food Bank. They requested city promotion and signage.
  • Nadia Sacker requested assistance for a 72-year-old unhoused man with medical needs, asking for non-congregate shelter options. The mayor directed her to fill out a blue card for the homeless task force.
  • Sean thanked Councilman Twine for his TEFRA vote and criticized other council members for ideological opposition.
  • Amory Hanson spoke in support of Item 12 (pedestrian and cycling projects).
  • Russell Neal expressed support for the council's fight against state overreach, stating "we have no king but Jesus."
  • Eddie Osborne requested reinvestigation of the 2021 oil spill settlement funds ($5.25 million from Amplify Energy) and questioned the city's payout to Kevin Elliott.
  • Kane Durham listed food resources available in Huntington Beach, including food banks and meal programs.

Discussion Items

  • Closed Session (Emergency Item): City Attorney Vig explained that on November 3, the city received a Court of Appeal decision in People and Bixby vs. City of Huntington Beach (cases G065589, G065461, G065499). Council voted 7-0 to recess to closed session under Government Code §54954.2(b) to confer with legal counsel. A second closed session item on existing litigation was also noted.
  • Archer Aviation Study Session: Representatives George Cavork and Melissa McCaffrey presented Archer's eVTOL aircraft, which is 100 times quieter than a helicopter, has a 100-mile range, and carries 4 passengers plus a pilot. They discussed the FAA's Integration Pilot Program (deadline December 11, 2025) and proposed Huntington Beach as a lead city. Council asked about noise, safety redundancies, charging infrastructure, exclusivity, and economic benefits. No action was taken; staff will bring back a proposal for council to consider being the lead applicant.
  • Ordinance 4343 – 2025 California Construction Codes: Fire Marshal Janice Van Molen presented the triennial adoption of Title 24 building codes, including local amendments (e.g., valet trash regulations, fire hydrant supply connections). Council approved introduction 7-0, with a public hearing set for December 16, 2025.
  • Ordinance 4344 – Bicycle Regulations: Lieutenant Toby Archer presented amendments to HBMC 10.84 to allow enforcement against dangerous riding on sidewalks in business districts and near schools. The ordinance also corrects a typo. Council approved introduction 7-0.
  • Council Member Item – Pedestrian and Bike Safety (Item 12): Councilman Twine, Gruel, and Williams proposed continued advocacy for safer bike lanes on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) from Bolsa Chica to the river jetty, citing a recent fatal crash involving a fire captain's cousin. Council approved 7-0.
  • Council Member Item – Real Estate Holdings Spreadsheet (Item 13): Councilman Kennedy, Burns, and Williams directed staff to continue developing a comprehensive spreadsheet of city real estate assets to improve transparency and revenue management. Council approved 7-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Closed Session: Council voted 7-0 to recess to closed session to discuss the appellate opinion and litigation.
  • Consent Calendar: Items 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 approved 7-0; Item 5 pulled.
  • Ordinance 4343: Introduced 7-0; public hearing December 16, 2025.
  • Ordinance 4344: Introduced 7-0.
  • Pedestrian/Bike Safety: Approved 7-0; staff to continue advocacy and grant applications.
  • Real Estate Spreadsheet: Approved 7-0; staff to finalize and present to council.
  • Next Meeting: November 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Civic Center Council Chambers.

Meeting Transcript

All right, I'd like to call the meeting of the City Council and Public Financing Authority to order, and no butch isn't here. And uh, but we'll have a roll call. Oh, there he is, showing a plate. Um, no one. Clerk, can we have a roll call, please? Councilman Twine? Here. Councilman Kennedy, here. Mayor Pratem McKeon. Here. Mayor Burns. Here. Councilwoman Vandermark. Councilman Gruul? Here. Councilman Williams? Here. All present. All right. Uh City Clerk, do we have any supplemental communications for this session? There are no supplemental communications for this portion of the meeting. Okay. Vig, you're on. Thanks, Mayor. So we have two items on tonight. One of them is a little bit unusual and doesn't happen very often, but on November 3rd, after posting posting of the agenda, the city received notice that the Court of Appeal issued a decision in the people and Bigsby versus City of Huntington Beach case number six oh six five five eight nine. I'm sorry, G065589 and G065461 G065499. Pursuant to government code section five four nine five four point two B. Council can take action on items of business not appearing on posted agenda following public identification of the item and upon a determination by two-thirds vote of the members of the city council present that there's need to take immediate action and the need to can to take action came after the posting of the agenda. So I'd ask uh that the mayor. I got the yep. Uh motion to based on the aforementioned facts and circumstances in pursuant to government code section five four nine five four point two b uh the city council determines that there is a need to take immediate action, and that the need for action came to the attention of the city council subsequent to the agenda being posted in two pursuant to government code five four nine five six point nine. The city council shall recess to close session to confer with the city council regarding the appellate opinion in the matter of people versus city of Huntington Beach, Court of Appeal number G065589, and uh Bixby versus City of Huntington Beach. Uh case number is numbers to them G065461 and G06549. I'll make the motion. Second. All right. May we have the call, please. Councilman Twiny? Yes. Councilman Kennedy? Yes. Mayor Protem McKeon? Yes. Mayor Burns. Aye. Councilwoman Vandermark. Yes. Councilman Gruel? Yes.

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