Huntington Beach City Council Meeting - February 3, 2026

The Huntington Beach City Council met on February 3, 2026, for a regular meeting that included closed session, presentations, public comments, and action on several items. Key actions included rejecting a bid for pool repairs due to excessive costs, approving a change order for a lift station project, and unanimously supporting legislation to allow cities to challenge state housing allocation numbers in court. A controversial proposal to require council members to submit visual presentations five days in advance was withdrawn after debate.

Consent Calendar

• Items 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, and 23 were approved unanimously (7-0) after items 14, 20, and 22 were pulled for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kenny Noe: Requested a list of discretionary spending over $50,000 and asked for more information on audit findings regarding federal grant compliance.
• Tim Geddes: Strongly opposed the city's voter ID ordinance, calling it a waste of taxpayer money and urging the council to abandon ideological litigation.
• Bradley Smith (35-year resident, retired ER physician): Suggested adopting a night sky ordinance to reduce light pollution and questioned selective enforcement of noise ordinances.
• Mr. Amory Hanson: Expressed full support for item 24 (sponsoring legislation to allow judicial review of RHNA allocation), urging a yes vote.
• Andy Einhorn: Criticized the council's governance, citing costly lawsuits on voter ID, sanctuary city, library, and housing issues, and urged focus on infrastructure.
• Michael Selna (53-year resident): Supported Senate Bill 868, which would allow plug-in solar units for renters, and requested the city send a letter of support.
• Catherine Goddard (Friends of the Library member): Questioned the impasse between the council and the Friends over a license agreement, urging a collaborative approach rather than treating the library as a business.
• Pat Goodman: Shared experience volunteering for the point-in-time homeless count, noted all individuals surveyed had local ties, and encouraged moving forward with the Pathways Project. Also requested a study session on the year-end audit.
• Eric Schein (via phone): Described a concerning interaction with police after an assault, alleging threats of arrest, denial of video evidence, and improper body camera practices. Called for police accountability.
• Roger: Raised concerns about Flock license plate readers, claiming mass surveillance without subpoena and urging the city to stop the program.

Discussion Items

• Item 14 – City Council Manual Amendment (Visual Presentations): City Attorney Mike Vigliotta proposed requiring council members to submit any visual presentation to the city manager by the Thursday before the meeting to protect the city from liability and allow public review. Councilmembers debated the measure, with some arguing it exceeded Brown Act requirements and could stifle transparency, especially for last-minute developments. Mayor McKeon noted it was a response to recent instances of slides not germane to agenda items. Councilmember Williams offered a substitute motion to delete the Thursday deadline but retain other manual updates. Pro Tem Twining suggested tabling the entire visual presentation issue. Ultimately, the council voted 7-0 to leave the manual unchanged, dropping the visual presentation requirement.
• Item 20 – Rejection of Bids for Pool Tile Repairs: Councilmember Gruhl pulled the item to highlight that state prevailing wage laws and procurement rules inflate costs 20% or more, limiting bidders and wasting taxpayer money. He called for legislative reform. The council unanimously rejected the bids.
• Item 22 – Change Order for Lift Station Project: Councilmember Kennedy pulled the item to praise Public Works for firing a contractor that failed to foresee issues and is now pursuing litigation. He emphasized the importance of holding vendors accountable. The council approved the change order 7-0.
• Item 24 – Sponsorship of RHNA Reform Legislation: The city attorney presented a bill by Senator Strickland to allow cities to challenge regional housing needs allocation numbers in court. Council members strongly supported it as a step toward local control, noting Huntington Beach is 95% built out and received a disproportionately high allocation. The council voted unanimously to sponsor the legislation.
• Item 25 – Councilmember Presentation on 21 Main Street Lease: Councilmember Williams delivered a detailed presentation on the lease with Surf City Partners for 21 and 22 Main Street (the former Let's Go Fishing building and adjacent restrooms). He highlighted that the lease was approved silently on the consent calendar on October 1, 2024, with annual base rent of $66,000 (down from $180,000 in the RFP), 15 months of rent abatement, $300,000 in rent credits for restroom improvements, and a 50-year term with extensions. He noted that a Coastal Commission permit had a two-year commencement deadline that appeared to have been met by operating a hot dog cart. He also flagged that a required parking lease had been deferred. Councilmember Kennedy added that the city must better manage its real estate assets and is implementing new tracking systems. No formal action was taken; the presentation was informational.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Items 15-19, 21, 23 approved 7-0.
• Item 14: Motion to leave city council manual unchanged (no new visual presentation requirement) passed 7-0.
• Item 20: Rejected bids for pool tile repairs 7-0.
• Item 22: Approved change order for lift station improvements 7-0.
• Item 24: Approved sponsorship of legislation to allow judicial review of RHNA allocation 7-0.
• Item 25: No action; presentation received.
• Closed Session: Council voted unanimously to file petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court in two cases related to voter ID (People v. State of California v. City of Huntington Beach and Bigsby v. Barnes).
• Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for February 17, 2026.