Financing authority to order.

Madam Clerk, may I have the roll call, please?

Councilman Gruel?

Here.

Councilman Kennedy?

Here.

Mayor Pro Tem Twiny?

Here.

Mayor McKeon.

Here.

Councilman Burns.

Present.

Councilwoman Vandermark?

Here.

Councilman Williams?

Here.

All present.

Madam Clerk, do we have any supplemental communications?

We have no supplemental communications for closed session.

Madam Clerk, do we have anyone signed up to speak on closed session items?

We have no one signed up to speak.

All right.

Including closed session is Conference of Labor Negotiators Government Code Section 54957.

Also in attendance, Marissa Sir, Assistant City Manager, Mike Vigliata, City Attorney, and Zach Zee, Acting Chief Financial Officer, Employee Organizations, the Police Management Association, and the Huntington Beach Police Officers Association.

Council to have a motion and a second to recess the closed session.

Motion.

All right, recess the closed session.

I'd like to reconvene the regular meeting of the City Council Public Finance and Authority.

Madam Clerk, may I have the roll call, please?

Councilman Gruell.

Here.

Councilman Kennedy?

Here.

Mayor Pro Temptwini?

Here.

Mayor McKeon?

Here.

Councilman Burns.

Present.

Councilwoman Vandermark?

Here.

Councilman Williams?

Here.

All present.

Thank you.

Tonight's invocation will be given by Huntington Beach Fire and Police Chaplain, Roger Wing.

We come before you at this meeting and in an attitude of humility and gratitude, open to your leading and your guiding.

We thank you for the opportunity that we have to gather together in service to our community.

We recognize that leadership carries both responsibility and influence.

And we ask for your guidance over every decision that's made here tonight.

Grant wisdom to the members of this council as they deliberate deliberate on matters that affect the lives, safety, and well-being of the people they represent.

Give them clarity of thought, patience in their discussions, and a spirit of cooperation.

Help them to listen carefully, speak respectively, and seek solutions that promote justice, fairness, and the common good.

As the warm weather comes, we ask for your protection and safety for the many visitors who will be coming to enjoy all the activities and amenities that Huntington Beach provides.

Please keep our city and our beaches safe, and may everyone who visits leave our city with an enriched experience.

Lord, we ask that you would bless this city and all who call it home.

Watch over our families, our neighborhoods, our businesses, and those who serve our community each day.

We ask a special blessing for the wisdom, strength, and safety of our first responders who are serving in this heightened time of security.

Give them and our keep them in our community safe, we pray.

May the decisions made here tonight reflect integrity, responsibility, and a sincere desire to serve others.

Guide this meeting with your wisdom and your peace.

And we ask these things with gratitude and hope in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Tonight, the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Nor Norm Sumner from American Legion Post 133.

It is a true honor to stand before you today as we recognize and celebrate an extraordinary member of our community, Norm Sumner.

Norm joined the United States Marine Corps in 1958, answering the call to serve his country with courage and dedication.

After completing boot camp and infantry training at Camp Pendleton, he served both stateside and overseas, including assignments in Okinawa and Vietnam.

During his two combat tours in Vietnam, Norm served as a helicopter crew chief, flying dangerous metavac and supply missions under some of the most challenging and perilous conditions of the war.

Despite extraordinary risks, Norm remains especially proud that he never lost an injured soldier, a remarkable reflection of both his skill and his deep sense of responsibility.

Norm was shot down eight times and flew missions into hostile territory, including Laos, to retrieve wounded special forces soldiers.

These acts represent not only duty, but extraordinary bravery.

For his valor and distinguished service, Norm was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Valor, and the Purple Heart.

He also received 25 air medals, 45 additional combat awards, and three Vietnamese crosses of valor.

After 10 years of dedicated military service, Norm retired from the Marine Corps and continues serving his community through his work with the United States Postal Service.

For more than 40 years, he has called Huntington Beach home and remains deeply involved in the veteran community through American Legion Post 133.

Norm's life is a powerful reminder that heroism is defined not only by the acts of courage, but by a lifetime of service, humility, and integrity.

Norm, on behalf of this city and grateful community, thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your enduring example.

Please join me in recognizing Norm Sumner.

Join me, please.

And to the Republican stand.

One nation under God.

End of this with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Sherry.

That's awesome.

Closed session report.

City attorney, do we have anything to report from closed session?

Nothing that I may.

Do you have the pictures?

I'm sorry, yes.

So I uh had the honor yesterday of participating in the graduation, Ellie's graduation from Huntington High.

Um her father uh has stage four pancreatic cancer, and Bill's one one of his wishes was to see his daughter graduate.

And within 72 hours, um, with that with the combined efforts of our city staff, our police chief Para, the police officers association, uh Huntington Beach High School School District, residents.

We were able to put together a graduation and um with a lot of the efforts of also supervisor Janet Wynne, who's very close to the family.

And we had a park full of people together yesterday to watch Allie graduate along with her staff holding our hand.

So it's I took a few pictures, they're not the best, because I didn't have the best angle.

Um and I recorded a little video so you guys can see a little bit of what the community was able to put together yesterday.

All who love you, everyone here.

Yes.

And in the proud spirit of Huntington Beach High School, I am honored to declare this private commencement ceremony complete.

Congratulations, Abby and the Kerwin family.

So this is a very valid graduation.

This is done so that Bill can have the honor of watching her daughter graduate.

This is Bill Um being brought up to the stage with his daughter.

The park was just full of people.

They brought food, they brought decorations, um just about everything you would need for a graduation.

There was there was music as well.

And this is Bill.

We uh uh were able to announce up on that stage that we will be placing a bench in his honor at Bolsa View Park, somewhere where his family can come sit down and think of him after his passing, and he was extremely grateful for that.

And we celebrated his upcoming birthday.

Woo!

I love it.

Oh my god, you know, one, two, three.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday.

Happy birthday to you.

So this was done with the efforts, like I said, um Code 4 came out here and had the stage done in no time.

Uh Senator Janet Wynne made a lot of phone calls.

Well, Supervisor Janet Wynne now.

I still think of her as my senator.

Um, she made a lot of phone calls to put this together.

The POA was very gracious and generous, covered for the permit for the event to be a possibility.

So I'd like to thank everyone and to show that this is what Huntington Beach is all about.

This is a true spirit of Huntington Beach, where everybody came together to grant this man his less wish to see his daughter graduate.

So I want to thank everybody who came out and everybody who put in effort into bringing this together.

Anyone else?

I do.

Yep.

Well, I attended the event yesterday uh with uh councilman uh Gracie as well as Councilman Don Kennedy, uh and it was a a really emotional event.

Um it's something I'll remember forever.

Uh Gracie didn't mention that that Bill only has a few days left to live.

They've pulled him off of um chemo, and they've given him just a few more days, and so to watch him be there for his daughter to graduate was well, it was especially rewarding for me, but probably even way more rewarding for her.

And uh, but on a happier note, we have another birthday to celebrate here tonight, and I would ask that everybody stand up and sing happy birthday to our own.

Julie Toledo.

And I have a little something here for her.

So everybody sing let's sing happy birthday to Julie.

Ready begin.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to Julie.

Happy birthday to you.

What a guy, but anybody else?

Don.

Well, as as Councilman Twine said, and uh Councilwoman Vandermark, I was also there as a husband, a father, just a human being.

There was the most heartwarming and most heartbreaking dynamic there last night.

It was so moving.

There was not a dry eye anywhere.

And their young lady that they've raised, Abby, was so composed at many times, but also wasn't able to completely hold together.

It was just such a sign of strength in class.

It was unbelievable.

And the whole family and everybody that Gracie uh referenced putting this together.

It was phenomenal what they put together in such a short period of time.

And I think Supervisor Janet Wynne was a spearhead of that.

So let me segue into something that's a little bit lighter.

I'm just going to touch on this on the next couple of meetings.

So a pet can change your life.

And we know Senator or Supervisor Janet Wynne's always been an advocate for the animals, fighting for the shelters and things like that.

So this is in April, but I wanted to start getting the notice out there.

We have these incredible pet adoptions.

Keep adopting these pets.

A pet can change your life.

And we'll see that later with one of the celebrations.

But Saturday, April 25th, there's going to be a pet adoption expo.

This will be held at the Central Park.

Come on out, adopt a pet.

They can change your life.

I'm uh always had pets.

And uh there's also vouchers for uh $50 to help with the spaying cost.

So I just want to reference this in the next meeting as well.

Come on out to Central Park, April 25th, one to four p.m.

Central Park West, and a big pet adoption expo.

Cats, dogs, great pets.

Um come on out.

And also I'd like to um also point out that OC Animal Control is going to be uh waving the dog adoption fees, and as the city of Huntington Beach, we'll be waving the cat adoption fees.

It is our goal to get as many of these pets into their forever homes, and um, in the spirit of that, we will be waving the feast for that day.

Anyone else?

Good.

On that note, now's everyone everyone's favorite part, the adoptable pet of the month, presented by Orange County Animal Care.

So I'll come up there.

Come on, Julie.

Thank you.

All right, tonight we walk back.

Welcome back, Jonathan Volski from OC Animal Care.

Jonathan, along with volunteer John uh Cammers, Kenner, sorry.

And they have two dogs for us tonight.

So we have uh Day Lily, a two huh?

Day Lily, a two-year-old Boxer mix mix uh came to us from Huntington Beach last fall, right?

Uh she is shy, but very affectionate.

And we'll meet Xina, a three-year-old pit bull mix from Fountain Valley.

So, Jonathan, you want to tell us uh a little bit more about these special animals?

Well, yes, and you did get it just right, Mayor.

These are two of uh the many dogs we have available for adoption now.

They both qualify, they're over 25 pounds, so their adoption fees are waived.

And I want to say today is a special day with St.

Patrick's Day, and as much as we talk about the luck of the Irish from Orange County Animal Care, I want to thank you and the residents of Huntington Beach for the luck of Huntington Beach.

Previous to tonight, we've brought five dogs to the meeting, and of the five, four of them have been adopted.

So that's awesome.

So thank you all.

We always have to plug it, so if people want to adopt the dogs, where do they go?

Thank you, sir.

We're open from 11 o'clock to five o'clock every day of the week at our campus in Tuston, 1630 Victory Road.

And then you can also see all of our adoptable pets at OC Petinfo.com.

So you can look at them online and then come down and see them in person, or just come right on down and take a look and find the one you want.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, guys.

Can I ask you a quick question?

Yes, sir.

Um, I've seen some of the shelters, they'll take donations of bedding and things like that.

Do you guys need that there?

No, that is a great question, sir, and we appreciate that.

We always need soft goods, uh, bedding and blankets, uh, because some of our dogs, like daylily might eat them.

And then we also once a month have a pet pantry for the second Saturday of each month.

If you have a pet, you're welcome to just drive through and we'll give you food.

And we found that keeps the pet families together and prevents them from coming to the shelter.

So if someone has in their heart to donate dog or cat food, we always accept that as well.

Thank you, sir.

So, yes, soft goods, blankets, and beds, and then uh dog and cat food.

We accept and the food we use for either our pets or we give them away at our uh drive-through pet pantry, which is the second Saturday each month at our Tusting campus.

Can you repeat that address one more time for everybody?

1630 Victory Road in Tuston.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Keep up the great work.

Thank you, sir.

Great question.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Let's keep that one streak alive.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Perfect.

That guy's gotta go run away.

Oh, yeah.

All right, moving on to the business highlight.

So tonight, our business highlight segment continues to showcase the businesses that make Huntington Beach a vibrant community.

Surf City continues to grow with our new businesses opening and others coming soon.

From dining and retail to fitness and services, these businesses are choosing Huntington Beach as their home.

So we want to please join me in welcoming them.

As you can all see on the left there, a lot of a lot of businesses just open and serve will coming soon.

So we want to thank all these businesses owners, all these business owners for investing in Surf City USA, supporting our local economy, and helping make Huntington Beach a great place to live, work, and play.

And Huntington Beach is proud to celebrate our local businesses as we continue through our Minute with the Mayor series, which highlights the people and companies uh keeping our city thriving.

And this week uh we're highlighting two businesses.

Look at that guy.

Uh David's Tree Service, which has been serving our community since 1981.

Founded by uh David Diaz and now led by his son Darren.

David's Tree Service provides expert tree care for residential, commercial, HOA, and municipal clients.

Their certified arborists deliver science-based services, including tree pruning, removals, stump grinding, planting, and plant health care, keeping our trees healthy and resilient for generations.

We have uh Faluscious located at Talburn Beach.

Faluscious brings authentic Vietnamese pho together with thoughtfully crafted fusion dishes to the Huntington Beach community.

Their menu features favorites like pho, garlic noodles, wish and beef, fried rice, vermicelli noodles, and padsuie all serve a generous portions and fresh ingredients, ingredients at a reasonable price.

So the first video is uh we call this one Minute with the Mayors.

What's up, HP?

I'm Mayor Casey McKeon with special guest Mayor Pro Tem Butch Twining.

Today's episode of Minute with the Mayor takes us to David's Tree Service.

Let's go meet the owner, Darren.

Alright, Darren, tell us about David's Tree Service.

David's Tree Service has been in Huntington Beach for nearly 40 years.

My dad started it, and um we've been serving the community ever since.

Why is Huntington Beach your choice for being a headquartered?

I was born and raised here.

Uh my parents were born and raised here, and my kids are born and raised here.

So I mean, really, this is just home.

What services do you guys provide?

So we provide tree trimming and tree removal and also plant health care where we diagnose the trees and uh we can treat them as well.

What's your client mix?

So we actually serve the residential and commercial community.

So we have crews that are specific for residential customers and for commercial as well.

We actually started with residential, so we're very we're very versed in that.

And someone wants to get us you guys service for the first time, like where should they go?

Uh go to Davidstree.com.

Uh they can find us there and uh social media, David's Tree Service on Instagram and Facebook.

Awesome.

I appreciate you guys being there.

I appreciate that.

Yeah, thank you, man.

Woo.

That was exhilarating.

All right.

Second video is Faluscious.

Always wanted to throw something in a wood shipper.

What's up, HP?

This episode of Minute with the Mayor, it takes us to Faluscious, right off from Beach and Talbot.

Let's go meet Nancy the owner.

All right, Nancy, tell us about Philuscious.

Falusha, this was uh family-owned business that was inspired last year, April.

So we're running up on our two years.

We're known for our uh amazing affordable prices, big portions and stone pot both or phone.

And uh, why'd you guys choose Huntington Beach to open your business?

Honestly, we grew up in this area, we kind of went to the bonfire scene, mainstream.

We love the area, the weather, the yearly round is all nice.

So this is our home.

And if someone were to come in for the first time, what's like one dish they should order and try?

Absolutely our ph it's slow cooked for 20 hours.

Yeah, brought out in a stone pot bowl.

Okay.

It stays warm, so the moment you eat it, so the time you leave.

What would you guys say you love about the servant of Huntington Beach community?

The culture, the family, the people, it's just not only uh tourism that attracts Huntington Beach, it's families, surfers, it's people around here, they're amazing.

Thank you.

That's another local gem right here in Huntington Beach.

So remember to support local and keep Serv City thriving.

See you at the next stop.

All right.

So thank you, Darren and Nancy for welcoming us and sharing their business with the community.

Like I said before, if your business hasn't participated yet, please visit Shoplocal HB.com to get involved.

I'm approached all the time out in public.

People uh recommending businesses and always please direct them because we want to get to everybody and not have uh priority.

So just get in the queue at shoplocalhb.com.

And then finally, I would like to thank everyone who attended the mayor's breakfast this year uh to support our vital uh local economy.

It was amazing at the Pasea Hotel.

And we just want to give special thanks to the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Pasea for hosting just an amazing event and to our panel of business business owners.

We had Frank Morrow from Orlando Precision, Calvin Free from the Beef Palace, Michael Krokenberg from the Paseo Hotel, and Ryan Clancy from Dukes.

And it was great dialogue with attendees discussing priorities for 2026 and engaging with the city, the Orange County Business Council, and the small business development center to strengthen the Huntington's Beach Economy.

And a huge thank you to our sponsors, City of Hope of Orange County, Golden West College, visit Huntington Beach, AES Republic Service Services and 25 Degrees.

And I'll just say that everyone really felt energized about all the success we've had, attracting new business, highlighting our local businesses, um, you know, highlighting that we won first place for our streamline program and at the uh Disneyland Hotel a couple weeks ago.

Everyone felt really connected, leaving that, really optimistic.

So it was an amazing event, and I just want to thank everybody that attended.

All right.

There you go.

Pat was jealous uh about the the event location.

All right, next up is community events announcements.

Uh Madam Clerk, do we have anyone signed up for community events announcements?

Yes, Mayor, we do.

You'll be called to, once your name is called, please come down to the podium to make your announcement for community events.

You'll be allotted two minutes for the announcement.

Please approach both podiums.

Patricia Gayardo from Braille Institute, Meredith Randall from Golden West College, Debbie Kylie from Republic Services, Sean Wood from Kawanas of Huntington Beach, James Anderson, Kawanas of Huntington Beach, and Jason Schmidt, City Treasurer.

Go ahead, Sean.

Thank you.

So my name's Sean Wood.

I am the chair for the Easter Family Fun Day for Kawanas in collaboration with the city of Huntington Beach.

I think our Easter event that we hold in Huntington Beach is one of the best uh in the world.

Um it won an international award at Kawanas International for our the beeping Easter egg hunt.

Um it was the best service project in California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

And um I have some friends with me here today that really make this Easter egg hunt possible.

Um I have the Braille Institute, Golden West College, who's one of our sponsors, Republic Services, members of Kawanas International, and uh we have a video to highlight what makes our Huntington Beach Easter egg hunt so so special.

We're gonna watch that now.

Well, the Columbus Club of Huntington Beach did it again, partnering with the city's park and recreation department.

All the games, foods, music, and activities was the perfect backdrop for a great day for and about the community, including multiple egg hunts that swept through the day.

First, the children with disabilities made their way through.

Your basket.

Um, especially when you have a child that doesn't move as quickly as the rest.

Uh, it is nice that they can kind of get in a relaxed environment and feel as if they're part of everything.

It's awesome.

Next, with help from the Braille Institute Youth Program, these sight-impaired kids were not missing one beat.

So these eggs beep.

Actually, this one chirps, and so the kids, when they hear it, they'll tap the ground and they'll feel the egg, and then they'll turn off the beeping sound.

A lot of times they'll have a parent or a chaperone with them that's able to turn off the beeping because they're actually hearing the sounds of the beeping, and that's how they find the candy.

You put some huge hearts in there.

Hi, guys!

The annual Easter hunt and family fun day, a tradition that endures in the hearts and minds of so many.

Yeah, so the Kawanas Club and the City of Huntington Beach's relationship is first class.

I think it's unparalleled.

The Kawanas has been in the city for so long.

They've put in so many great events.

Uh Kawanas gives back to the community in so many ways, and this is probably their biggest event of the year.

It's always A plus, and they do a great job.

Great Easter egg hunt.

Did a great job.

I think you got what, like 10 or 12 eggs?

Did a great job getting the eggs.

People have made this happen.

Our partners, of course, the city of Huntington Beach and the Parks and Recreation Department.

You all know that when you came in, you saw the Huntington Beach Police Department, the SWAT team K9, Huntington Beach Fire Department.

First and foremost, we have most in the most incredible police and fire departments in the country.

And you cannot have a thriving city if you don't have a safe city and we couldn't have been blessed with a better, beautiful, more beautiful weather.

It's such a beautiful day here in town.

We got I don't know how many people are here.

It's unbelievable.

Such a great event.

Tombo Taekwondo came and supplied the eggs with all the candy in it.

So it's just an unbelievable event.

So so blessed to be in this city in this community.

And let's not forget, there was a lot of dunking going on, and many came forward to bring the heat.

Compliments of Expert Tech Automotive this year with towels for the donkeys.

Of course, goes directly into the mission of the all-volunteer Koanas to support the children and families of our community.

And that's a good reason to cheer.

So that's just some of the reasons why our Easter egg hunt is probably the best in the world, in my opinion.

There's over 10,000 pounds of candy.

Every kid is going to get a free book this year.

Thank you for a grant from Memorial Care.

Um, it's my distinct honor to uh introduce Braille Institute, uh Patricia Galardo.

Hello, like Sean said, my name is Patricia Gallardo from the Braille Institute.

I am the Youth and Child Development Director, and first and foremost, I want to thank the city of Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach Fire Department, and Koanas International for providing uh for providing this inclusive and accessible egg hunt.

As you all saw in the video, our families truly look forward to this egg hunt because they know it has been designed for children who are blind and low vision with them.

Their first priority.

Um families look forward to this year after year.

Um, there's nothing like it.

Um to have occlusive and accessible egg hunts are far and few.

Very far and few.

So we have families that travel to Huntington Beach to be a part of this.

Um, families want their children to be a part of their community, and this this is being a part of the community.

So, and even the part where you create an accessible, a sensory, a tactile event experience with the fire department.

The kids are touching the fire engines, talking to the fire um fire uh department.

It is truly an experience for them.

So I want to say thank you from Braille Institute for having egg hunts for all children, accessible to all children because there's nothing like this out there.

Thank you.

Good evening.

I'm Meredith Randall.

I'm the president of Golden West College, and this will be our first sponsorship of the event.

Um we're very excited about it.

It's obviously a great community connection for the college, and we continue to look for ways to support the community and be part of the community even more than we already are.

I will say those children are a little younger than the ones we usually serve at the college, but um, you know, everyone starts somewhere, and uh we also have a lot of services at the college for students with disabilities.

So we're very excited to be part of an event like this that um serves students with vision impair or children with vision impairment, and we're looking forward to the event.

So thank you to everyone involved.

Good evening.

My name is Debbie Kelly.

I work for Republic Services, and our company has been a part of this since inception.

And me as a Huntington Beach resident, my daughter is now 20, and I've been taking her since she was a baby, so it is a really fun event.

But I also just wanted to highlight you saw the little horn honk um there in the video.

So uh our company, Republic Services will have a trash truck, and just want to make sure that those little trash truck fans know that uh we'll be in the parking lot right next to police and fire, just a part of that ability to see those uh utility vehicles out uh that you see every day out.

Now you can see them up personal and close.

That was it.

April 4th, thank you so much for your time.

Uh, and thank you for everyone who's gonna be in the dunk tank.

Um I'm see some of your uh faces right there, and uh, it's all for charity.

All of that money that is raised actually stays in the community for local scholarships.

Um, I'm just so proud of this event.

Please come out.

It's a great event.

Thank you so much, City of Huntington Beach.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Casey, mayor, can we can we have any council member that's gonna be in the dunk tank raise your hands so they know who the targets are?

Come on out and dunk us.

Okay, I did I already served in that dunk tag twice.

Your turn.

I was there before, but I love it.

I was harassed and to submission.

All right, Jason.

State your name, please.

Jason Schmidt, City Treasurer.

Uh, so first and foremost, my husband Michael and I are planning on bringing out our fellow Rotarians out to the Kwanis Easter event, and we hope everyone in Huntington Beach will join us.

So, even though it's St.

Patrick's Day, no one should be leaving their financial safety to the luck of the Irish, and that's why we're serving up a double dose of investment scam classes this week.

Our first general audience class, the art of the distraction scam, will be held tomorrow night, March 18th at 6 p.m.

in Central Library.

Distraction scams are one of the most common scam types and easiest to avoid, so come out and learn how to avoid avoid them.

And backed by popular demand, our quarterly senior-focused scam class, an introduction to senior economic fraud, will be held on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

at the senior center.

This class will cover a range of scams commonly used to target seniors, and our super volunteer Steve Levin will show you how to spot the warning signs before they're too late.

Uh Steve's tip of the day, by the way, is if a leprechaun happens to offer you a four-leaf clover in exchange for your credit card information, you should walk away and grab a green beer at the nearest pub instead.

Thank you.

All right.

Supplemental communications, Madam Clerk.

Do we have any supplemental communications?

Yes, we have supplemental communication.

Item number 15, City Manager's Report, revised memo, and PowerPoint received from construction manager David Fate for upcoming refuse rate adjustments.

Council member item number 22, one email received regarding the transfer of authority of conditional use permits and variances.

Okay.

Uh public comments, Madam Clerk.

How many speakers do we have signed up to speak?

We have 13 speakers signed up today.

Please call them up.

The city council will now receive public comments for people, including on any topic, including items on open session agenda.

When your name is called, please approach, use both podiums, state your name, and organization for the record.

Mr.

Amory Hansen, Tim Geddis, Andrew Einhorn, Bon Gomes, Russ Sneal, Leah Theodore, Brian Thenis, Ann Palmer, Michael Selna, Katherine Goddard, Max Daffron, Pat Goodman, and Sean.

Let's go, Max.

Hello, Max.

I'm good.

I'll get out of the way first since I'm hopping around these days.

Good to see you, Mayor and Honorable Council.

I'm here to talk about item number 22 today.

I'm here to serve as the president CEO of the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce.

One of the largest and most important roles that chambers take on is advocating on behalf of the business community on items that could potentially pose a negative impact to our economic ecosystem here in Huntington Beach.

That's why I'm here to talk about this item today.

You know, as a Huntington Beach native and current resident of Huntington Beach, I absolutely understand where this item is coming from.

I totally get it.

As a former Huntington Beach City staff member, actually here working in the economic development department uh over seven years ago.

Um, I also totally sympathize with the desire to streamline processes.

I'm all about it.

Um but here in my role as a chamber of commerce, I'm here to push for the modernization of our processes, but making sure we take it in the in the correct order.

My concern today is that the item as presented risks creating an environment that is out of sync with some of the great work you guys have been doing here at the city in regards to our streamlining of processes for our business community.

For businesses, the zoning administrator process offers a more efficient and predictable path to approval compared to going to planning commission.

This process with through the zoning administrator is typically faster, more consistent, and less intensive, while it still helps protect the community through a public hearing process.

You know, the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, we will always be supportive of efforts to streamline our processes here in Huntington Beach.

However, however, I believe the way that the item is written as presented could unintentionally hinder the ability of new businesses to enter our marketplace.

If the city's interested in evaluating opportunities to update the zoning code and potentially reduce uh conditional use permit requirements, the chamber would propose that the city first conduct this exercise with our in conjunction with our business community before removing the zoning administrator role entirely.

Approving this item is presented, like I said before, risk creating a logjam of businesses that are trying to enter our marketplace that now have to go through a potentially more intensive process.

And without updating our fee schedules and things of that nature, it could be more uh expensive for them as well.

Again, introducing more uncertainty into that process.

Uncertainty equals risk, and risk is the biggest barrier to entry for small businesses wanting to enter in our community.

You know, in the uh previous four months since I took this role here with the Chamber of Commerce, I've sat down with over 70 uh business stakeholders here in Huntington Beach.

And one of the most overwhelming things that comes up, the most consistent topic is conditional youth permits in that process, and that it takes time and it costs money, which of course it's always going to do that.

It's a municipal process, it's what it does.

Um what I would encourage this council to do is to take a step back and let's think about how we can streamline these processes first before we take actions that could potentially slow down that process.

You know, we're always going to be supportive here of the city's goals to streamline processes and remove barriers to entry.

And if the city's interested, the chamber would love to host a listening session with our businesses on April 9th at our next AM Connect on our CUP process.

So thanks, everybody.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council, Tim Geddes in the House as we honor Women's History Month.

And true to my word, I am worrying white as a shout out to Transparency on this St.

Patrick's Day.

Let's chase all those snakes right on out of here.

I would like to focus tonight on agenda item number 22, 26254, transfer of authority of CUPs and variances, which would withdraw authority as soon as possible, mind you, from the zoning administrator for authorizing conditional use permits, C U P and Viances, and turn over all CUP invariances to your planning commission for review and approval or denial.

What is wrong with that picture?

The flawed rationale is that the zoning administrator is only one person, albeit a competent, experienced, and supposedly unbiased one, while the planning commit commission is seven officials, albeit appointed ones.

It is of course it of course ignores the fact that the that the planning commission is a seven-member creature of the city council, which reliably acts with one voice, the mega voice, which is hardly an arbiter for independent and qualified decision making.

This is a power grab.

I mean, who would you trust more?

A single qualified voice, zoning administrator, or a single voiced creature of a potentially biased planning commission with no counterbalance of opinions or experience.

This is right out of the Trump playbook, and that book doesn't read so well right now.

Does this power grab come across like transparency to you?

Will it seem transparent to our residents and taxpayers?

Will it seem suspicious to all those who have business before the city if they are not in favor of the powers that be?

Does anyone see a potential for conflict and bias?

I sure do.

This is not a transparent way of doing business.

It is an authoritarian way of doing business.

And I guess we have the incumbent auto autocrat of the council, Pat Burns, to thank for that.

If this is if this is one of his promises made, promises kept moments, you are all guilty of hypocrisy if you back this cynical ploy.

We need St.

Patrick back more than ever right now.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Leah Theodore.

I'm a former Miss California, now living in Huntington Beach as a stay-at-home mom of two boys.

One of the things I love about living in Huntington Beach is how proudly this community celebrates America, whether it's the Fourth of July parade, which I've been in myself, to American flags along Main Street and throughout our neighborhoods.

Huntington Beach has a special way of showing appreciation for our country.

That spirit inspired something I've been building at my kitchen table during nap times and dinner prep.

It's called Baldi's America.

The first book is an interactive finger puppet book where parents guide Baldi as he flies across scenes inspired by the poem America the Beautiful, written by Katherine Lee Bates in 1893.

It's designed as a read or sing aloud experience for families.

Oh beautiful for spacious guys for amber waves of grain.

That melody carries history, as we know.

Now imagine passing that to a toddler during story time.

That's literacy, music, connection.

And the mission behind Baldy Books is simple: to help keep innocent love and appreciation for America alive in young children.

As a parent, I believe children deserve stories that celebrate beauty, wonder, and the places that make up our country.

Stories that allowed kids to simply be kids while discovering the world around them.

Because if children grow up loving the beauty of their country, they'll grow up wanting to take care of it.

My hope is that Baldi becomes more than just one book.

Future Adventures would take Baldi flying over national parks, exploring Washington, D.C., maybe even Huntington Beach, and introduce children to American history and geography in fun and age-appropriate ways.

Right now, Baldi is in the startup phase.

I've formed Baldy Books, LLC, submitted trademark applications, created a working prototype, as you can see, and launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund the final illustration, safety testing, and the first production run.

If anyone in our community believes in uplifting educational initiatives like this, whether it's backing the GoFundMe, helping spread the word, or introducing me to someone who enjoys backing early projects, I would love an introduction.

I'd be honored.com or by simply searching Baldi on the GoFundMe website.

Thanks again for your time.

Thank you.

Thanks, Speaker.

Mayor McKeon, uh, Mayor Pro Tim Twining, Councilmember, staff.

Uh, my name is Brian Thenis, uh, 40-year resident, um, 40 uh 40 years in civil engineering business.

So somebody said we were not a competent planning commission.

I'm also uh one of your planning commissioners.

Um, you know, you know, this is the opposite of a power grab.

I'm here to, I'm sorry, I'm here to speak about item 22, removing the uh zoning administration from the CUP process.

Um, and it's the opposite of a power grab.

I'm here to tell you I've been dealing with planning commissions for 40 years with my business turning 40 this year.

And this current planning commission that we have is the most uh well-versed, um educated.

They come to every meeting prepared to discuss every uh subject that comes to our commission.

And it it's it's the opposite of a power grab because um the conditional use permit is a discretionary approval, and that should be um granted by a committee or commission and not by one single person.

So I was surprised to find that RCUP process is done by just simply the zoning administrator, although I did my research, and there are less than half of the cities do have the same process as us, but more than the majority do require uh planning commission approvals for conditional use permits because they're a discretionary approval.

Um I do support expediting our process.

I think it could use some work, I think it could move along, so I do support removing some items.

I think some things don't need to be a conditional use permit, like some of the residential projects could we could probably tighten up the code and get rid of that CUP process.

But certainly one of the things that I think should have a CUP process is when somebody comes in with a residential development that includes these ADUs.

These ADUs are ridiculous.

They don't require parking, they're the size of a single family home in Huntington Beach.

And I think the developer or the the uh applicant who wants to build such an inadequate, you know, non-performing facility, you know.

When they say, Oh, we don't have to have parking.

Well, it's ridiculous.

That the cars are just gonna park on the streets, it's just gonna be a burden to our infrastructure and in our city long term.

I think those people should come to the planning commission and we should have a public hearing and say, hey, this isn't the city of Huntington Beach.

This is that knucklehead up in uh Sacramento with his Senate bills that are that are just destroying the the uh integrity of communities all around California.

And uh so I think those for sure should go to the planning commission, but nope, it's not a power grab.

I think it's the opposite of that.

We want we think it's appropriate that it goes to a commission, some of these uh uh conditional use permits.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

La Breja Sunadiv.

That means happy St.

Patrick's Day, everybody.

Um I'm here to very briefly voice my support and delight for Sugar the Surfing Dog Day and USA Hockey Day.

Um I'm Ann Palmer, I've lived here uh 35 years.

And I also want to speak on item 14.

Um, I'm watching with interest this appeal.

I re-looked at all the conditions that were put on it by the planning commission, and we worked really hard on that, and thank you for the compliments, Brian.

It is a hardworking planning commission.

I do believe that the project is the best solution for owners, management members, and neighbors for the long term with the additional conditions that we added to the project.

Um, but I look forward to seeing what your uh conclusion is.

Regarding item 22, I do trust that the ongoing audit of all city functions and departments will guide the city to the best, most efficient process.

I think it's important that the planning commission is more involved with CUPs.

It's always a sticking point, and like Brian, I thought that was our job at one point until I sat down uh to work there.

Uh but I also think that we don't know what's coming from Sacramento.

So once we see what's coming in the next couple years, we will be very sad if we haven't done our homework to best position ourselves to know what we want and what we can withstand in this city.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

My name is Mr.

Aimory Hanson.

I'm speaking tonight in support of IM 22, Councilman Burns item to give authority on conditional use permits and variances to the planning commission.

This item will ensure a fair hearing is given to all projects, multiple perspectives are given, and that the public is given a fair opportunity to express their concerns or suggestions on projects.

I urge the council to continue its efforts to increase transparency.

Once again, I urge a yes vote on IM 22.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hello.

I'm Catherine Goddard, and I'm here to give you some feedback from the I attended the community and library services commission meeting the other day, or last week.

And I was we were listening to a presentation by the company who had been hired to do a survey of all the uh various sites of our libraries and to bring information back in in terms of creating a design that we could use for the future.

And what so confusing, there was a lot of information there.

They had spoken with citizens, they had spoken with librarians, they'd spoken to council members and the city staff, and they had lots of ideas in that report about what might happen in our library set settings.

At any rate, they were speaking about the evolution of Rye Berry libraries in today's world and about what might happen here.

There were some schematics that were presented when they were showing how things could be expanded.

For instance, how you could put surfboards into the main street library, you know, things that are currently being floated.

But most of all, what was astonishing to me was this was a report.

And rather than asking questions about the report for a contract that is really basically complete at this point, the count that commission seemed to think they were to vote yes or no, up or down, like it was uh something to be voted on.

But the issue was to understand the report, ask questions about it, and then understand that coming forward, you all would be the ones to decide if you want to use it as a plan for the next 20 or 30 years.

But the uh confusion was remarkable, and I was quite surprised, and I hope that they didn't all report back to you that they wanted to vote it down, because that's kind of where it was going when it was tabled.

But I would like you to look further into it and understand what's in there.

It's a lot of information we could well use in the community to develop these very special places.

So that's just me with my opinion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good, sir.

Michael Selna, 52-year resident.

I'm here uh speaking in support of California Senate Bill 868.

I spoke with the council about that on February 3rd and urged you to consider taking a positive position on the bill.

The bill is sometimes called the plug-in or balcony solar bill.

And my purpose this evening is just to provide an update and offer any assistance you might need in preparing a letter of support for your consideration.

Repeating some of the background from February.

Uh, this bill helps with power affordability, especially for renters who can plug the unit directly into an outlet.

If the renter moves to a different residence, they can take the solar unit with them.

This bill cuts out much of the regulatory red tape.

It's anticipated that these units would be sold at places like Home Depot and Lowe's.

This bill is a win for affordability, and especially for the 45% of HB residents who rent.

In February, I mentioned that 20 other states are considering this.

That number is now up to 28, and Utah has had it in place for a year and it's working well.

So today's headline on SB 868 is that it passed out of the Senate Utilities and Energy Committee today with a yes vote by Senator Strickland.

Other cities around here, watch HB.

My hope is that you would consider a letter of support from the council.

This may help to start a trend in Orange County.

And I'd be happy to assist staff by providing information about the bill, if that would help.

Thank you for your attention and your time.

Thank you.

So, Mike says Pat.

If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you like most to be with you?

Oh, my Uncle Malachi, says Mike.

Why him?

He's got a boat, says Mike.

Okay.

It's gotta be a better one than that.

Father.

Father says Pat in the confessional.

I've had an adulterous affair.

Tell me, says the priest, was it Molly O'Reilly?

No, father.

Kathleen Murphy.

No, no, father.

Bridget Kelly, says the priest.

Father, I I can't tell you her name.

Then I won't absolve you of your sins.

Pat goes outside and is greeted by Mike.

Did you get absolved of your sins?

Asks Mike.

No, says Pat.

But I got three really good leads.

So when the jury declared Powdy not guilty of robbery, he rushed to the judge and he shouted, Does this mean I get to keep the money then?

Okay.

Two men, a minister and a politician arrive at the pearly gate.

St.

Peter takes them to their accommodations.

The minister is given the keys to a rooming house.

The politician is given the keys to a mansion.

I'm confused, says the politician.

Why does a man of the cloth get such modest accommodation while I get such opulence?

Well, says St.

Peter, we've got millions of ministers up here, but you're the only politician who ever made it.

Okay.

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Irish.

Irish who?

I wish you a happy Saint Patrick's day.

So thank you, and may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Thank you.

Thanks, Russ.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening, Mayor McKeon and Council members.

Uh, when I first read item number 22, which was submitted by Councilmember Burns regarding the transfer of authority from the conditional of authority for conditional use permits and variances, it seemed to be counterintuitive to the efforts by the city council to streamline government and make it timelier and more responsive to the residents and businesses in Huntington Beach.

Are there issues that are that exist or examples that you could share with us that um point to this as a problem?

Um, yeah, to give us some examples of those types of circumstances so we would better understand why this is necessary.

And then for me, uh, could you have the uh staff or I ask the staff to please clearly confirm that item number 22 will not affect ministerial permits for routine home improvements, and two, explain uh for the staff to please explain specifically how shifting CUP and variance authority will improve timeliness and predictability for property owners and uh businesses seeking CUPs and zoning variants.

My hunch, just on the brief read that I gave it, uh, is that this item falls in the category of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening, uh, Mayor McKeon and members of the council.

My name is Bon Gomes.

I'm a Huntington Beach resident and Marine Corps veteran and co-founder of the Solanaro Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization.

From 1999 to 2004, I served with First Marines at Camp Horno.

And tonight I'm here to water the seed that I planted at the town hall back in January of this year.

Recently, recently we visited the former gun range site next to Huntington Beach Central Park.

Standing there, we were inspired by what that land could become once remediation is complete.

Through the Soul and Arrow Community Foundation, Christina and I have been developing a vision for a performance and recreation campus that could serve youth, veterans, families, and the entire Huntington Beach community.

Our concept supports many of the recreational features that the city has already been discussing, including skate, BMX, and racket sports like pickleball and tennis with sunken courts, while also adding unique elements.

These include a veteran-led resilience obstacle course inspired by the Ource at Camp Hendleton, a community fitness and training space where coaches can mentor young people and a multi-use athletic field where sports events and community programs can take place.

One meaningful part of the vision is that veterans with honorable service would receive free access to the facility, creating a place where they could stay active, reconnect with the community, and help mentor the next generation.

But what moved us most while standing there on that land was the symbolism.

A place that once trained people to fire weapons could become a place that trains people to build strength, confidence, and community.

We like to say it simply turning lead into love.

And if we do this right, one day a kid might walk through those gates and think, wow, I get to be here.

And that's when we'll know Huntington Beach built something truly special, something this entire community can stand behind.

We know the remediation process is still early, but we wanted to share the vision and express our interest in supporting the city as the future that space takes place.

Thank you for your time, and thank you for everything you guys do for Huntington Beach.

Sir, could you fill out a blue card on the way out so we can get in contact with you?

For sure.

I also brought a real quick visual concepts.

And I also handed them out too.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening.

Uh Ramadan, a celebration of jihad.

Kafirs are told that Ramadan's a holy month because it was that time that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad.

But Ramadan's religious aspects conceal a deep connection to jihad.

The story of Ramadan is a story of Islamic conquest, and it begins with Muhammad.

After Muhammad and his fell followers left Mecca to settle in Medina, an event known known as a hijra, it became quickly apparent that the Muslims had no ability to participate in the local economy.

Islamic texts report that Muslims left Mecca without any form of wealth or property.

But many of his followers were just poor to begin with.

Not only were they penniless, but there were no jobs available for them in Medina.

Mohammed and his followers were wholly dependent upon the hospitality of the people of Medina.

Muhammad began to consider the idea of robbing Meccan caravans.

He reasoned that Meccans owed him and his followers, and in a place where resources were always in short supply, raiding was a deeply ingrained cultural practice.

Anyway, so raiding is what they did.

The battle started in 624, and then again in 629, 636, 711, and 1187.

The historical records show that Ramadan is indeed the month of jihad.

All these battles were uh perpetrated during Ramadan.

The zakat, a religious tax, is payable by Muslims each year, generally collected, generally collected during Ramadan.

One who is entitled to receive funds from Zakat is the jihadi.

Well, in Kafir countries, and kafir means anyone who's not a Muslim, there's Muslims and then there's dogs.

That's us.

We're touted as it's a month of peaceful religious devotion.

We've seen in our own country.

It's not.

It's recognized in Islamic countries as a time of worship and a time of military struggle and triumph.

Iranian dictator Ayatollah Khamenei declared that Ramadan is the month of jihad.

Kafirs are ignorant of this fact, but the connection between Ramadan and Jihad is well known in the Islamic community.

It is held with much historical pride among those communities.

Violent armed jihad is the technique with which people are most familiar, but jihad's not always violent.

The goal of jihad is for political Islam to dominate and control the entire planet.

So any activity meant to spread Islam or give it a positive image in the lies of in the eyes of us, the kaffir is jihad.

During the month of Ramadan, you are witnessing a virtue signaling display of dominance and power.

You are witnessing nonviolent tactics of jihad and some violent ones.

Thank you, ma'am.

There is no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud after years of investigations and millions of dollars in taxpayer money have proven absolutely nothing.

Even the right wing Heritage Foundation owned data combined with the independent voter project studies confirmed California recorded just 71 illegal votes, a mere point zero three percent in 43 years.

Trump is still hunting phantom ballots now in Arizona.

And if he claimed they came from outer space, his cult would salute and march.

Strange how our voting system worked fine for 44 presidents, suddenly became tainted when Trump lost an election.

State courts struck down your voter ID measure, a costly waste of taxpayer money.

The voter ID was never about ballot protection, it's about suppressing the votes.

Now, another issue.

The quote Save America Act does not stop illegal voting.

It stops legal voting, threatening to disenfranchise citizens under the pretense of a problem that does not exist.

The saved the SAVE Act does not mention millions of Americans lack a passport and cannot access birth certificates.

Costly documents and bureaucratic hurdles are not election security.

It's a poll tax.

Any plan that includes not allowing mail-in voting should never, I repeat, never be tolerated.

Our council should never manufacture lawsuits, raid reserve funds, negotiate airshow settlement giveaways, or make hot comments that demean our local citizens.

This council has betrayed the city's legacy.

Future councils must reject groupthink, abandon partnership, and govern from all residents.

Have a good evening.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening.

I'm trying to understand the proposed change from allowing the zoning administrator to approve conditional use permits to requiring those decisions to be before the planning commission.

The agenda item recommends making this change as soon as possible, yet there is no information about the reason for the idea or what impact the change would have on the public or the staff.

It states that the practice of having a zoning administrator is not very common.

But a quick Google search found that there are other cities in Orange County that use this system, including Costa Mesa and Santa Ana.

The next sentence says some CUPs and variances can have great effect to neighborhoods and communities negatively.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hello, Council members.

You know, again, Chief Perrot isn't here.

These people are supposed to be here.

This section, if the cameras can focus on this section, these are the important people that run this city.

And Chief Perry hasn't been here forever.

I mean, he had a little mini me that looked like him, but I mean, but it was a lot shorter.

But he's not even here.

Seriously.

I'm still hot about the permit thing, where the police, that City of Ice of Bleach Police Department had an annual polterge tournament and never paid for a permit.

If any of us did that, we'd be in jail.

And Toby the clown, Toby, Archer and Chris Nesmith and officers such would be getting awards for busted or criminal activity.

I mean, something.

And he's never here.

This is insane.

We pay a hundred million dollars a year, over a hundred million dollars a year.

That's that's three million dollars every three days.

We give it to the police department that's only open.

It has open hours between eight and five o'clock, Monday through Thursday, Friday they're closed, Saturday to closed, Sunday they're closed.

What police department closes?

I mean, has office hours for the front lobby.

I mean, that's insane.

Newport doesn't have it, Blockby says they have it, Compton doesn't have it, Beverly Hills doesn't have it.

It's open.

Over here, we're open Monday through Thursday, and we pay a hundred million over a hundred million dollars a year.

This is insane.

You know, I looked up, okay.

Who pays, what countries pay more than less than a I'm sorry, more less than a hundred million dollars a year?

Okay, and you know who who pays less than a hundred million dollars a year to protect their country was Afghanistan.

Afghanistan spent, I mean, for 20 years we've been trying to invade them the whole might of the U.S.

Army, I mean the US uh military force, and we still can't beat them, and they spend less than we spend on our police department.

Oh, and by the way, the association, whenever they make money, they don't have to tell you what they spend the money on.

So if it's surveillance equipment, they don't have to tell you that they have it.

And it's really easy when they when they sign NDOs, non-disclosure agreements, NDAs, saying that they're not allowed to tell us about this surveillance that they have on us and what they give to private companies.

Please, please, we have to do something about the surveillance of our city.

If you look up in the middle of the night, you can see a whole bunch of drones up out there.

It's it's nuts.

We pay Thanks, Roger.

Very important.

All right, moving on to council committee appointment announcements.

Council members, do you have any council committee appointment announcements?

See none.

AB 1, 2, 3 reporting, 1, 2, 3, 4 reporting.

Does anyone have anything to report?

I spoke with the POA.

That's the next one.

All good.

Open this negotiations, Andrew.

Spoke with POA.

Yes, thank you.

Anyone else?

I spoke with the POA.

I spoke with the POA too.

All right.

Anybody else?

All right.

Moving on to study session.

Uh Mayor McKean, I'm gonna recuse myself from this because I am uh executive director of one of the nonprofits that's a part of this.

You got it.

All right.

Staff, please uh introduce the report.

Decisions.

I mean maybe part of it.

Decision making Mayor and City Council tonight.

We do have the um CPAB board members here.

And are you gonna do roll call?

I'm gonna do the roll call.

Chair Hamill.

Secretary Pena Board Member Papis.

Here board member Quinn and Kirk.

Newkirk, you're here.

Here.

Okay.

All present except for Chair Hamill.

Okay.

Thank you.

I think um Charles Kovac is going to provide the staff report.

Thank you so much.

Uh good evening, Mayor McKeon and members of the city council and members of the citizen participation advisory board.

Uh Charles Kovac, housing manager.

Uh this evening I'll be presenting on the proposed 2026-27 community development block grant and home investment partnership program funding.

The CPAB, which is here tonight, was instrumental in providing recommendations to the City Council regarding the community development block grant, public services activities.

Community development block grant, commonly referred to as CDBG, and home investment partnership funds referred to as home funds, come to the City of Huntington Beach as entitlement grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as HUD.

For the 2026-27 program year, the city has not yet received the CDBG and home allocations from HUD.

So the proposed budget is based upon the current 2025 26 year allocations.

The city is estimated to receive around 1.1 million in CDBG funds and approximately 500,000 in home funds.

As shown here, the total estimated funding available through CDBG and home next fiscal year is approximately $2.1 million.

This $2.1 million includes the estimated $22627 allocations from HUD, which again is based upon the current year program allocation, along with estimated carryover funds from prior program years and program income derived from loan repayments.

Public participation is a major component in the CDBG and home funding process.

The CDBG and home funding process begins every year with a notice of funding availability, which happens in October, inviting applications for eligible public service programs.

This year, the city solicited program proposals from more than 25 local social service providers and received nine applications.

Applications were evaluated for program eligibility, and then the CPAB held three public meetings to review the applications, hear presentations from the applicants, and make funding recommendations to the city for the city council's consideration.

The CPAB recommendations are based largely on the city's priority objectives for the programs that are established by the City Council in a document called the five-year consolidated plan.

Our current consolidated plan was adopted in 2025 for the period of 2025 to 2029.

A 2026-27 action plan, which is essentially the CDBG home funding budget submitted to HUD, will be considered for approval by the City Council in May as part of a public hearing.

CDBG is the principal federal program for providing local governments with grants to improve the physical, economic, and social conditions in their communities.

The purpose of the program is to create and maintain decent housing and suitable living environment and to expand economic opportunities for low and moderate income residents.

The CDBG activities must meet one of the three national objectives shown here.

For the CDBG activities in the City of Huntington Beach, the national objective is met by providing projects and programs that serve and benefit low and moderate income residents.

As outlined in the city's consolidated plan, the local priority objectives are to address housing, homelessness, special needs, individuals, including seniors and veterans, and youth, and upgrade of public facilities and infrastructure improvements.

The CDBG allocations are broken down by three categories, including a maximum of 15% that can be spent on CDBG public services activities, a maximum of 20% can be spent on administration, with the balance of 65% allocated to capital and housing preservation projects.

On February 19th, the CPAB recommended to the City Council the following public services funding allocations.

Based upon the estimated CDBG public services allocations of approximately 161,000, the CPAB recommended seven organizations for funding as shown here.

And as you can see, there's 459,000 in requests.

So the CPAB had some difficult decisions to get it to the 161,000.

It should be noted that CPAB has made recommendations to adjust the funding in the event the city receives a higher or lower allocation from HUD than what is presented here.

If the allocation is higher, then CPAB recommends any increase in CDBG public services funding be split equally amongst the seven recommended organizations shown here.

If the funding allocation decreases, then CPAB recommends that each organization recommended for funding also be reduced equally.

The CDBG capital project allocations are primarily based upon continuing the current projects and programs related to tenant-based rental assistance, special code enforcement, ADA infrastructure improvements, and the housing rehabilitation loan and grant program.

The recommended allocation for CDBG administration is so shown here.

The maximum allocation is 20% of the total allocation, which is used for staff salaries to implement HUD programs, consultant costs, document preparation, and public noticing requirements.

If this funding is not used during the program year, then the remaining portion will need to be carried over to fiscal year 27-28 for CDBG capital program and activities.

The home is the principal federal program of providing local governments with grants for affordable housing for low and moderate income residents and consists of eligible activities such as housing rehabilitation and tenant-based rental assistance.

As with the CDBG program, the home capital activities must meet the local objectives identified in the consolidated plan, including preserving existing affordable housing, creating new affordable housing, and tenant-based rental assistance.

Similar to CDBG funding, home funding allocations are broken down by three categories, including a maximum of 10% can be spent on home administration, 15% on community housing development organization affordable housing projects, commonly referred to as a CHODO project, with the balance of 75% allocated to creating new and preserving existing affordable housing.

The home allocations are based upon continuing the current TBRA program with service providers, Mercy House and Families Ford, which amounts to $300,000, and funding the fifth year of the mobile home TBRA program for seniors for approximately 100,000.

The 15% required allocation for CHODO projects would be reserved for a future affordable housing project that is to be considered for development by the city council.

The balance of the funding is for home administration consisting of carryover funds from prior years and the maximum 10% of the 2026-27 home allocation.

This final slide shows the upcoming actions related to the CDBG and home funding process.

After this study session tonight, the draft 2627 action plan will be made available for 30-day public review period starting April 3rd through May 5th.

The City Council will consider the final recommendations as part of the 26-27 annual action plan at a required public hearing on May 5th.

Upon city uh council consideration and approval on May 5th, the action plan would be submitted to HUD by May 17th, and the new program year would begin on July 1st.

So that kind of concludes the presentation.

If you would like to further discuss these proposed projects and funding in more detail, just contact uh our community development director, and and we'll definitely set up a time if anybody wants to meet.

And finally, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the CPAB on their efforts and invite Secretary Pena to say a few words regarding the process and their recommendations if he would like to.

Thank you, Charles.

Um, good evening, Mayor City Council.

My name is Joe Payne, and it was been an honor to serve as secretary for the CPAB board with my fellow um board members.

Um yeah, this year we heard um presentations from a wide diverse group of organizations.

Um, all of them share a mission to um strengthen our community through collaboration with um our residents and with the local government.

Um the board is faced with many difficult challenges on deciding um the funding levels.

Um the board is faced with many difficult challenges on deciding um the funding levels that was ex that was a very um difficult and um interest or challenging um situation, but um commending my fellow board members um feel like we we um did our due diligence and um evaluated everyone um properly so um and just lastly on behalf of the board, I just want to command um Charles, um Skyler and Greg for their help assisting them, assisting us on all of our different tasks and running the meetings efficiently and just being um excellent public servants.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions, anybody?

Yeah, I got just a quick name by next meeting, Charles, if you can just give I'd like just a brief one-liner description on what each one of those services do.

I know most of them, but like uh the new one, the brave heart or whatever.

Uh save the brave.

Save the brave, I have no idea what they do.

Okay.

No, that's a that's a good point.

I appreciate your input on that.

We'll definitely have a little um please synopsis.

Thank you.

Can you go back to two slides two two slides back, please?

I'll tell you.

Yeah, okay.

It uh towards the bottom where it says uh home administration carryover.

Uh is that a carryover from last year's funding allocations?

Um it's actually a gonna be a carryover from like the last four years.

There's like a little bit like ten thousand dollars left, and we want to clean the books up and and get rid of all that old funding.

So it's a accumulation of uh of the last four years.

That's fine.

That's not my main question though.

My main question would be are is that 109,000, 110,000 there.

Is that allocation uh can it be reallocated to the the the charities like you know uh the pathways or Robin's Nestor and is is it can you intermingle those funds?

No, not not not the home funds.

So homes have funds have a specific use related to the preservation and development of of affordable housing opportunities.

So it's unfortunate that the CDBG has that cap of 15% on the public services, so it limits how much money can go to um the nonprofit organizations.

All right, so then but you could take that $100,000 and reallocate it into capital housing preservation projects or the CHDO projects.

As long as it's home.

Yeah, as long as it's home.

So you could you could take it out of administration and put it into capital housing and preservation projects.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

Okay, thank you.

Thanks, Charles.

So CPAP, for for my clarity, they're only responsible for allocating the 161,000.

Is that correct?

Uh that is correct.

Okay, to the seven of the nine entities.

That is correct.

Okay.

So on that note, there was nine.

I I know it's it's kind of an arduous uh submission process.

Is that a fair statement?

Uh that is correct.

Okay.

So I saw that uh so there was nine entities that went through the process, right?

Those were all shown, or were there other people that went through the or entities that went through the process that didn't even make the just the nine submitted applications?

Uh they're the only one.

I mean, granted, we we reached out to I think 25, but only nine submitted um applications.

For whatever reason, they don't need the funding and don't want to deal with the regulations of having federal funding.

So that's up to them.

But we only received the nine applications.

Yeah, that's yeah I spent a short period of time with CPAB a while back, just kind of reiterating some of these things.

So um of the nine, seven got awards.

Just curious, the two that didn't any specific standout reasons?

Or just not enough money to go around?

Quick pop up slide number eight.

I think it has all nine of them listed.

It might be helpful for everyone to be able to see it.

Slide eight.

So something more, not NAMI OC are the two you're referring to, Councilman Kenny.

Uh yes, sir.

Um yeah.

If I mean if I recall correctly from the um from the deliberations on the funding, I think the that NAMI OC and something more was more of a referral service, or it kind of like it was a um like it didn't want to meet the standards that you guys were trying to really help people or something like that.

Yeah, and also we felt maybe there was some duplication of services with maybe something more in um the other organizations.

So I appreciate that.

My last question would be you showed some other slides, home allocations 791,000, and then an admin slide of 215,000.

Were you just showing us those slides to give us a broader idea of governmental funds, or what was the purpose uh of those two slides?

It's just to show that we're trying to spending what we think is every dollar we have available to us.

And okay, so where it said admin 215,000 dollars, CPAB has nothing to do with with that allocation.

No, that's just the the 20 percent allocation of what we think the funding might be.

Obviously, once we get the real number from HUD in the next month or two, and maybe even before May 5th, we'll say, oh, 20 percent of that.

If it's less, it could be less than 215,000.

If it's more, then we'll have more money to play with um for the the nonprofit organizations and um and uh the some of the other capital improvements.

Okay, so you're you're just making an estimate that the administrative cost for this is gonna be 215,000.

Should it be less that deficit uh uh the delta would be a positive for the the seven awardees?

Is that what you're saying?

Uh if it's if it's no if it's if it's less than the 215.

If it's well, then that means that everybody kind of got cut.

So they the seven uh awardees would also see a reduction.

Okay, if if the administrative cost was less than two fifteen?

Well, yeah, because the two fifteen is based upon the 20 the the alloc estimated allocation of 1.1 million.

Okay.

So the 215 is represents 20 percent of that estimated allocation.

So the 161 represents an estimate based of on a maximum of 15 percent of that one point one.

Okay, got it.

Okay.

Sorry about the confusion.

No problem.

And then the home allocations, I mean, if you add up the 791, the 215, the 161, that's the total pie of money.

Uh for home home allocations, there was a slide that said 791,802.

Okay, so you're just showing the three different buckets of money that all tie together for the uh the 1.1 million or whatever it adds up to, right?

Exactly.

Okay.

So okay.

So are we hoping if if we want these uh entities to get more money that the administrative costs were actually higher?

Because if they're higher, then you take a there's more money to give out.

I'm sorry, can you repeat that again?

So if you were saying if the administrative costs were less than 215, then there would be less money for the seven awardees.

Yeah, that means our overall allocation we did not receive the 1.1 million.

Got it.

So this is one time when we're hoping there's a bunch of additional administrative costs.

There's you know, so get fat with the administrative cost, and there's more money to give to the allocation.

No, but I just took the 20 percent.

That's all it's all it is a straight number.

Okay, we're cool.

Fair enough.

Thank you.

Would would we be able to go over maybe a breakdown of how we came to these funding recommendations on this slide?

Kind of working down.

Is there rationale to it or I think on the uh the surface there's uh you know some of them are been in the program have proved themselves as C D B G subrecipients over the years.

Um and maybe their requested funding was more.

Uh some didn't request as much.

Uh I can't speak to you know why certain ones uh received certain funding and others didn't.

Um I can only surmise that uh there's been six organizations of the seven that have been involved in this in this process for you know beyond seven or eight years.

County and additional funding from the county and federal government.

What is that what you could speak?

Um basically what it comes down to is some of these organizations receive funds from the county well uh is your mic on check, check me.

Okay, a lot of these organizations receive additional funding from the county as well as federal.

So when it came down to to the delegation of the budget, we had to look at the complete picture.

Which organizations are receiving additional funds in addition to what they're receiving from the city of Huntington Beach.

And to make it fair across the board, everybody's not playing at the same level.

There are certain organizations that are three years old, five years old.

There's other organizations that they're 20 years old.

And they have their stable funders that they get funding from every year.

So to make it more equal across the board.

That's how we came up with the delegation of the request.

So if I understand you correctly, essentially we're trying to level up maybe some of the newer businesses to kind of assist or breeze and win into their sales, and then the ones that are more established, maybe they don't need as much.

And then you also look at how much funding they're getting from other locations like federal, and if it looks like they're they're doing a lot more in that area, then they probably don't need quite as much from this allocation.

It's about leveling the playing field.

I spent eight years on CPAB Citizen Participation Advisory Board, and that's what it is.

Advisory board.

They interview all these, and then they come up with the sums and advise us what they feel from a citizen participation advisory board, what they feel, and we are we are able to change that if we see other reasons.

It's just an advice from their experience of interviews and do they still come before you and do a full presentation?

They they provide a slide deck for my recollection, and then and then the applicant comes before you and gives you a nice presentation, right?

Oh, yeah.

That is correct.

Okay.

I did appreciate that aspect of it as good.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

All right, now we're moving on to the public hearing, which is the appeal of planning commission action on conditional use permit number 22-011 and Coastal Development Permit 22-009, the Huntington Club Remodel and Bungalows.

Does anyone have any ex parte communications to declare on this item?

Mayor.

Yes.

I'm going to be recusing myself.

The applicants uh made a contribution to my campaign.

Yes.

Yeah, I have spoken to the applicant uh on a couple different occasions in the last three, four days.

I spoke to the lesssee of the applicant, and then the applicant requested uh some extra time extension on his presentation.

Anyone else?

All right, madam clerk, do we have any supplemental communications for this item?

Yes, we do for public hearing item number 14, 26-221.

PowerPoint presentation received from applicant pertaining to appeal of planning commission's action on conditional use permit number 22-011 and coastal development permit number 22-009.

Huntington Club Remodel and Bungalows.

Perfect.

Staff, please introduce the report.

Thank you, Mayor.

Joanna Cortez, Principal Planner will give the presentation.

Hi, good evening.

Uh mayor and members of the city council.

Uh the project before you is located at 6501 Palm Avenue, north side of Palm, between Golden West and Sea Point.

This project is uh for the Huntington Club, a private tennis and golf course that was approved and established in the late 60s.

The general plan land use designation is OSR, known as open space recreation, and the zoning designation is OSPRCZO, open space parks and recreation, coastal zone, oil overlay.

The project area is surrounded by residential and uh uses, specifically single family, and then an open space recreation area across the street, Patsen Park.

The uh conditional use and coastal development permit uh represents a request to demolish an existing two-story, 6,231 square foot tennis clubhouse, four court areas, an existing pool and spa area, and redevelop the site with a new two-story 12,046 square foot tennis clubhouse building at an overall height of 30 feet eight inches, along with the new junior Olympic size pool and spa.

The 7,837 square feet of ground floor area of the building includes a range of clubhouse amenities uh that include the fitness center in SPA, a men's and women's locker room, a yoga pavilion, performance therapy, and a members lounge and pro shop.

The project also includes associated landscaping, additional parking and utility improvements.

The project also includes four detached bungalows that'll be range between 800 to about 1,800 square feet in size.

On the second floor of the clubhouse, two loft units will are proposed as well.

Both the bungalows and the lofts will serve as short-term accommodations for club members and their guests.

And right here you can see the this image right here depicts the area and what portions will be affected by this request.

So you can kind of see right here.

This is the area, the project site area.

Currently, there are 13 tennis courts and eight pickleball courts to accommodate the new development.

Three tennis courts will be removed, leaving a total of 10 tennis courts and eight pickleball courts for the site.

And before you is the proposed uh site plan that depicts the remodeled parking lot area, which lead to the detached bungalows that are right here towards the north side of the plan.

Um also displays all the proposed landscaping and improvements that will connect with the existing use.

And the following are renderings of the new structures.

Right here we have the bungalows, which is the Spanish-style casita style that they're proposing for the detached bungalows.

This is the clubhouse, so it's like more of a modern design.

And the image right here at the bottom kind of shows how they'll all kind of function together.

And the tennis clubhouse and bungalows are designed to convey a high level of quality and character, incorporating quality materials such as smooth plaster, board-form concrete, metal accents, and standing seam metal and clay tile roofs.

The materials all complement each other as well as the existing golf clubhouse.

The project was presented to the planning commission on January 27th earlier this year.

It was approved with suggested findings and the some modified conditions specifically to limit the short-term accommodations to Huntington Club members only, and to have the applicant work with city staff to light up six existing unlit tennis court areas.

So there's currently six existing tennis court areas that are unlit that are adjacent to residences, and so they were tasked as a condition to work with staff to help modify that.

And their appeal was based on the fact that the proposed land use lodging for the bungalows and lofts was not consistent with the open space zoning district.

The class 32 CEQA or California Environmental Quality Act exemption does not apply or for this proposed project, and that the planning commission replied on relied on unsupported economic claims, and the planning commission decision is not supported by substantial evidence.

The appellants prior to today's meetings have requested to continue this public hearing, and that is part of one of the attachments in your packet.

Staff has reviewed again the project along in conjunction with the appeal and determined that the proposed development will continue the land use pattern of open space recreation use in the surrounding area.

The new tennis clubhouse and pool will be updated and located in their existing areas, designed at a height that's consistent with the surrounding area.

Additionally, the proposed project is consistent with the general plan and the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance and qualifies for an exemption under CEQA, specifically Section 1532 for in field development, because it's consistent with the general plan and zoning regulations.

The project site is less than five acres, has a no value of as habitat for endangered rare or threatened species, and would not result in significant impacts related to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and can adequately be served by required utilities and public services.

And that class 32 justification is also one of your attachments that provides all those studies that substantiate that CEQA exemption.

Per the zoning code accessory uses within the OSPR zone must be incidental to the principal open space use.

So accessory uses to conditionally permitted uses, such as what's being proposed before you today, such as the golf course, uh will require a conditional use permit to the planning commission, which is where it went originally.

The primary use of the property will remain a private tennis and golf club, and the proposed bungalow and loft facilities will function as an amenity exclusively for club members as determined by the planning commission.

Finally, the planning commission based their approval on public comments shared during the hearing or submitted in writing, staff reports and analysis of the proposed project, including code requirements, sequel compliance, and applicable findings and conditions for the required entitlements.

They did not rely on economic or financial benefits of the project.

Therefore, the city council may approve the project based on the following or take an alternative action.

The following uh findings are that it's consistent with the site's general plan, land use and zoning designations, compatible with surrounding uses.

It allows for commercial recreation projects with unique and quality architecture, and the project is consistent with the city certified local coastal program.

It will not impede public access or conflict with any public recreation policies.

The appellant and the applicant are both available.

Thank you.

Thank you, Joanna.

So before we open the public hearing colleagues, do you have any questions of Joanna just on the report itself?

Uh just one point of clarification.

So on the agenda under the recommended action, there's recommended actions A or B, and one of them is the planning commission action.

I just want to make sure that that includes the uh modifiers that they had.

That's correct.

Okay.

One real quick.

You gave uh several reasons why to approve, and then said they can we can come up with alternative actions.

Such as can you I mean, you gave a lot to approve, but not alternative.

And if I just kind of want to be transparent that we're really both ways representing the community and the builder, not just the builder or the applicant, I'm sorry, the applicant.

So I'm just yeah, so the alternative actions would be either to deny the project, deny the request, which would be essentially the city council cannot make the findings for approval.

That's one, and the second would be to continue the action.

So the the city council essentially has three choices to either approve uh based on the planning commission's approval, um, deny the project based on the fact that they can't make the findings that were approved by the planning commission, or three can continue the item and direct staff for additional information perfect.

Yeah, I uh uh Jennifer.

The when we had a uh a pre meeting, you and I, you were saying the CUP was originated was in the mid-90s, the original CUP.

Was that what it was?

For the clubhouse?

Yes, yeah, it was like in the late 80s.

Late 80s, okay.

And and what was that term do you use?

Because you know, based on everything we've heard in my research, it it fits the zoning, the CUP and everything else.

Was it was it an agreeable use, or what was that that term you used?

An ancillary use?

Yeah, ancillary use.

So this is kind of classified under the CUP as an ancillary use that fits inside the CUP.

Is that correct?

Yes, so uh the primary use will continue to be a tennis and golf a private tennis and golf club, a commercial recreation facility is what our zoning code would describe it as, and the proposed um clubhouse remodel or the new clubhouse and the proposed loss and bungalows would be ancillary to the primary use.

Okay, thank you.

All right, sorry, one more.

Um, can you guys maybe spotlight the modifying conditions that the planning commission come up with just for the benefit of the public?

So they're right here.

So they approved the proposed conditions that staff recommended, along and they added or clarified one of our conditions that the short-term accommodation would be to Huntington Club members only.

And then they added an additional uh condition because there were concerns from the club members that uh the tennis courts were being uh removed and there were that these particular tennis courts that were being removed were um lit up, and so the six the ones let me bring them back up.

These six that are right here that are closest to the residential currently are not lit up at night, and so they were tasked through this condition to work with staff to go through the process to have these um courts being get lit up.

Okay, great.

And then maybe just a little bit of background of why members only, why it was a concern that my understanding was it could just turn into sort of like a short-term rental outsiders coming from it was who knows.

It was more of there the condition was that it was for members only, and they wanted to specify it was for Huntington Club members, like no outside if they were in partnership with another uh country club, that it wouldn't be open to them, it would only be uh limited to the Huntington Beach Huntington Club members.

Great.

Thank you for that clarification.

I watched that planning commission meeting.

I I thought that the property owner was it was very uh open to those modifications, and my recollection was they made those suggestions about the lighting, about the restriction, and he was more than willing to make that concession.

That's what I saw.

Yeah, let me open the public hearing and then we can we'll get those questions.

Yeah.

All right.

So I'm gonna open the public hearing.

Uh Madam Clerk, do we have any anyone sign up to speak?

Yes, we have speakers.

All I'm up, please.

All right.

James Jensen, Cheryl Gates, Eddie Stokes, John Ridgway, Tom McDaniel, Jonathan Bailey, applicant, and Robert O'Hill, co-application.

Cheryl Gates is the appellant.

Please proceed.

And colleagues, just we'll let the public speakers comment.

We'll close the public hearing, and then we can ask questions of the applicant afterwards.

First speaker, go ahead.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Jonathan Bailey, and I'm the project manager for the Huntington Club improvements.

A lot of this is uh the same as what Joanna had in her presentation going over the project, so I'll be quick.

This is our master site plan.

So we have the new tennis club tennis pickball clubhouse, the new pool complete with cabanas, and a new spa jacuzzi.

On the second floor of the new clubhouse building, we have two lofts, one one bedroom, one three bedroom, and then out in the foreground by the lake, we have the four detached bungalows.

These are two one-bedrooms, one is a two-bedroom, and one is a three-bedroom.

Next slide, please.

This is our landscape plan.

We are keeping some of the existing landscaping on site.

We are also adding significantly more landscaping.

And one improvement that's shown here that was not on the master site plan is right north of the pool.

Is we are doing a 19th hole sort of beer and food garden that will have decomposed granite, olive trees, and decorative lighting.

This is a breakdown of the club amenities today versus after the improvements.

Today there are 13 courts existing on site.

After the improvements, there will be 10 courts existing on site for tennis.

Pickleball courts will remain at eight after the improvements.

One of the uh tennis court number five has been converted to an event space for a few years now.

This is used for wedding receptions, banquets, and the like, and with the improvements, that event space will be eliminated entirely.

The invent space has been a source of uh noise complaints for the nearby residences because of the events that are um that take place on it.

And so after the improvements, eliminating this event space will um significantly uh better the noise issues for the residents.

The existing clubhouse is 40 years old, very small, very inadequate, and the new clubhouse will be 8,000 square feet, which is much larger.

It will include a club social area, which includes a members' lounge and bar, a new pro shop, a new fitness center, a new men's and women's locker rooms, and a new performance therapy and spa area.

The existing swimming pool is also 40 years old and very small and very inadequate, and this will be replaced with a junior Olympic size pool that will be used by families and swim teams.

There's currently no food and beverage on site at the tennis property, but after the improvements, there will be the new beer and food garden as well as the new club social area, which is the members' lounge and bar.

These are some renders of the bungalows.

Um, these are the one in two bed bungalows, Casa Palmero, Ojai, and Rancho Valencia.

This is the large three-bedroom bungalow named Mayacama.

And our inspiration for this project was Augusta National and Burnham Wood Golf Clubs.

Um you may be familiar, Augusta National is famous for their cabins, of which they have 10, and these are extremely exclusive and can only be rented by members of Augusta, four members, or guests of members.

And Burnham Wood up in Montecito has something similar.

They call theirs the cottages, and they have 18 of them.

And our idea is that the bungalows and lofts at Huntington Club will be used for members, including out-of-area members, and for members visiting families and friends.

These are pictures of the existing tennis and pickleball clubhouse and the existing pool.

In contrast, this is an aerial rendering of the proposed new clubhouse and new pool.

And then this is another angle of the same, the back side.

And then this is a ground level view of the new clubhouse.

And then this is a breakdown.

It's hard to see on here, but essentially, this is the first floor plan for the new clubhouse.

So this shows the fitness center, which is roughly 3,000 square feet.

It's broken up.

They're part in the top left.

Can you zoom?

Okay.

So starting in the top left is the first part of the fitness center.

The reason the fitness center is broken up is one area is the idea is to use that for more cardio, and then the other area is going to be more weight training focused.

In between the two, we have a yoga lawn.

The yoga lawn is enclosed with a board form concrete wall, but it is open air.

Moving down, we have the members lounge and bar, which is the club social area.

And this is kind of an indoor outdoor space.

Is that there's sliders that will fall into the wall on either side?

And then the back bar has a steel and glass sort of garage door that folds up.

And so if you're on the terrace looking over center court watching your friends, you can go and get your food and drinks straight from the back bar.

Um and then during the day, this area will also kind of be a lounge where you can get coffee, grab your laptop, and sit down and submore time, right?

Uh how much time did you get more ready?

That was already five minutes.

Can you wrap it up?

Um much longer do you think you have?

Probably two more minutes.

Yeah, go for it.

Okay.

Yep.

Um, and then moving to the right is we have the new spa and performance therapy area.

This will be red light therapy, cryotherapy, things like that, also simple massage tables, and then there's new men's and women's locker rooms complete with um saunas and showers.

This is a rendering you saw in Joanna's presentation of the project in a whole or as a whole.

And then, as Joanna said, we agreed to a condition at the planning commission hearing to light six or get approval to light six unlit tennis courts.

And so this is a copy of the application.

It was submitted February 9th.

These are some pictures of the technology implemented at clubs in Southern California.

This is the technology that we proposed in our application to light the unlit courts through JMC lighting.

That first picture was the Valley Hunt Club.

This is the Newport Beach Tennis Club, and then this is Newport Beach Country Club.

In terms of tennis court adequacy, um, with the 10 regulation tennis courts that will remain on site after the improvements, is that we would have a ratio of about 22 and a half members per court because currently the club has approximately 225 total members.

Planning and facility studies indicate that clubs operate sustainably at significantly higher ratios than proposed, up to 60 members per court.

So our ratio reflects a low intensity use and ample court availability.

A uh comparable Southern California president is Los Angeles Tennis Club, which is the most one of the most historic prestigious and exclusive private tennis clubs in Southern California, and they operate on a 25-member per court basis.

In summary, we ask that you deny the appeal because our project does comply with open space recreation zoning.

It is CEQA exempt and it will generate half a million or more of annual tax revenue to the city as substantiated by the financial report that was furnished to the mayor.

In addition, planning staff spend hundreds of hours to make unanimous finding and recommendation of approval.

The plan is desired by the property owner golf realty fund.

The plan is desired by the tenant and club management camaraderie clubs, and most importantly, this project will enhance and elevate the club and member experience at the Huntington Club.

Thank you.

Thank you, next speaker.

Okay, good evening, everybody.

Even Mayor McCann, Council members.

So my name's Tom McDaniel.

Uh I've been a full golf and tennis member at the Huntington Club for 40 years, more than 40 years actually.

Um my family's grown up on the club.

Now my son and daughter and their families are all members.

So there's three memberships running within the club.

Uh it's been an important part of our life.

Um, and I wanted to continue to be an important part in the future.

Certainly, elements of this plan that raise serious concerns in my own mind.

I'm here this evening along with members of the appellant group to offer a few focused perspectives on this project.

And just for reference, I'm also a member of several other golf and tennis clubs and have participated in a number of capital improvement programs, projects designed to enhance club facilities and the member experience.

I want to highlight at the beginning that we are all supporting improving the club.

Uh there's broad agreement that investment in the facilities is needed and welcomed.

But the question before you tonight is not simply where the approval improvements should occur, it's where this particular proposal represents a use that is consistent with zoning and the appropriate approval under a conditional use permit, and whether the impacts of that use have been fully evaluated.

This proposal introduces overnight accommodations, units intended for short-term stays into a property designated for residential open space.

That raises a fundamental question.

Is this still an accessory use to a private club?

Or is it something closer to a lodging use in practice?

That distinction matters because zoning regulations treat recreational uses and transient lodging very different.

By way of reference or experience, I would belong to another club that had member guest bungalows included in the fabric of that club.

They never could get the occupancy levels up.

It just wasn't utilized by the members.

Operating losses were continuing, and eventually the club sold sold those bungalows.

In addition, um this is a mammoth project, a huge project.

Involves the removal of significant portion of the club's tennis clubs, tennis courts, along with demolition and reconstruction of core facilities, all within the center of the existing center complex, and is the expectation from management that are going to continue to operate the tennis pro the tennis courts during this construction phase.

That is a manual, a monumental challenge that I think does require further review.

With my remaining time, I want to focus on two key issues raised in our appeal.

First, whether transient lodging is permitted within open space recreation zoning designations, and second, whether the project was properly approved under a class 32 CECR exemption, which requires consistency with zoning and the general plan.

Because zoning consistency is central to the CEQA exemption, it is critical that this threshold question be clearly resolved.

And because this project introduces a use that may increase intensity and changes how the facility operates, it's equally important that those impacts are fully evaluated.

For that reason, we respectfully ask the council to take a careful and close look at the planning commission's approval and assumptions underlying that supported.

You'll now hear from other members to talk about certain aspects of the project.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening.

Sorry.

Good evening, Mayor McKean and Council members.

It's nice to be here tonight.

My name is Cheryl Gates, and I'm a member at the Huntington Club and a resident of Huntington Beach for close to 30 plus years.

I'd like to speak to the financial assumptions that were just shared with you and also shared in the planning commission.

I was happy to see Councilman Kennedy that you looked at the um that you watched the planning commission to about the um we heard that the proposal is expected to generate approximately $500,000 in annual tax revenue for the city.

Um at a 10, you know, just backing into that at a 10% tax rate, that implies roughly five million in annual lodging revenue for six units.

Okay, so I would encourage you to do some map, you know, just some basic math to look into kind of how where you get to that number.

That matters because it indicates that it's not simply a minor accessory amenity.

Um, it reflects a highly intensive use being introduced into a property that's zoned for recreation and open space.

And with that comes some risk.

Um the financial success of this model depends on as Tom just alluded to, consistent occupancy premium pricing, and expanded use of the facilities that were described.

If those assumptions don't hold true, the project may create pressure to increase usage, um, broaden access, or adjust operations in ways that are not fully contemplated at the time of this approval.

At the same time, if the economics do succeed, and we go down a different path, it raises a different concern that this project begins to function more like a lodging operation rather than a traditional private club amenity.

Um so in both directions, whether they fall short, the projections fall short, or whether they exceed, there's a meaningful uncertainty here about how this will operate over time under an alternative use to the open space and recreation.

Um's also important is that we have not seen any detailed financial projections, any sensitivity analysis or contingency planning related to this project that would allow the council or the community to fully understand how resilient this plan is and the change of the use of this space under different conditions.

And once this is approved and built, the dynamics are difficult to reverse.

This is why getting the use and scope right at the onset is so important to us.

Um we all want the club to succeed, and we want it to improve.

But this proposal introduces a business endeavor with real financial and operational implications, and they deserve careful consideration.

Um determines an intensity of use, which is precisely why a conditional use permit and the proper seeker review are so important in this case.

With that, I'm gonna turn it over to Eddie Stokes, who's behind me, who's gonna speak more specifically about the construction impacts and what this project means on the ground day to day.

Thank you very much for your time.

And I love your suit.

Thank you.

Oh nobody has a resident leprechaun.

Go ahead, sir.

Uh good evening, uh mayor and council members.

My name is Eddie Stokes.

I'm a member of the uh Huntington Club.

Also a longtime athlete and a former professional beach volleyball player on the AVP beach volleyball tour.

Uh a big part of how I was able to reach such a high level is very simple.

Um I had access to places to play.

Uh I had consistent open access to facilities, is what allows athletes to develop.

Today, I'm seeing the same path in my own family.

Uh my daughters are both freshmen at the uh Huntington Beach High School, playing on the varsity level uh sports, which is quite quite impressive.

And like many families in this community, we rely on open access uh to quality uh recreational facilities like the Huntington Club.

Uh, but I'm also here uh for a different perspective.

I'm the founder and CEO of a residential construction and development company.

I've been uh I've seen I've spent years uh building large scale projects, including subdivisions and homes.

I've directed an experience uh with how construction sites operate, um how long they take, how they impact access, uh, and how disrupt disruptive uh it can affect people around them.

Following Cheryl's uh comments on the financial model and intensity uh of use, I want to focus on what this project means in particular terms, how it will actually be built, and what it means for access during the process.

This is not a small renovation, it's a major dem uh demolishment, the major demolition and reconstruction project, as you see, uh directly through the center of the club.

Based on the plans, um, this involves removing courts.

Obviously, you saw that the three courts will be removed and demolishing the clubhouse and the pool and rebuilding the facility over what is likely an extended period of time, 18 plus months or more from a constructive standpoint.

Um, this kind of work um brings ongoing disruption um reduces access safety uh considerations and the and reality that the timeline often extends beyond uh the normal expectations.

What's important is to see here is that there is no clear plan on how the club will operate during the time.

That's what's important.

I will turn this over now to uh to John Ridgway.

Thank you.

Cool.

Good evening, everybody.

Sorry, I've taken my glasses off to read to see my friends who go to dinner.

Uh my name's John Ridgway.

I'm a SoCal native, uh 38-year resident of Huntington Beach, and nearly a 25 uh member of Seacliffe Country Club and also the Huntington Club as well.

I'd like to take a moment to talk about the functions of day-to-day basis and why that matters in uh re in evaluating this project.

Uh, for many members, the club operates on a consistent and coordinated pattern of use.

Courts are used regularly and predictably.

Organized tennis activities like USTA leagues rely on multiple courts being available at the same time, and members plan their use of the facility around those around that consistency.

The structure is an accidental.

It's what allows the club to function uh effectively for many users.

This isn't about resisting change or protecting personal preferences, it's about recognizing that the club today operates as a coordinated recreational facility with predictable access and shared use.

What's been for those introduces a different model, one with increased intensity of the use of new demands simply underlying facilities, and that has practical consequences.

Recreational activity becomes less predictable, coordinated activity becomes harder to schedule, and the way the club function begins to shift.

Even the physical layout uh contributes to that.

For example, pickleball often involves players rotating between courts during organized play.

Separating those courts with the roadway introduces operational fiction that uh changes how that activity flows.

And beyond regular play, the club supports long-standing fundraising uh community events like servitive for the troops, which depend on consistent coordinated access to the club.

Taken together, the these are not just changes in preference, they are changes in how the club is used, and that and that distinction matters.

Because of a shift in use and increase in intensity, it's my understanding this is why we the conditional use permit is intended to evaluate and why C core review is meant to fully uh analyze.

We all support improving the club, but improvements should be made aligned with how those clubs function, not family change the function without careful review.

Thank you for your time.

I'd like to turn over to Lisa.

Thank you.

Yes, sorry.

I'm next.

Hi, my name is my name is Lisa Wellman.

It's a pleasure to be here in front of you today.

Um I just want to start off by asking respectfully for your continuance of this motion in front of you based on our previous speakers.

You've heard from several members who've addressed different aspects of this proposal, among them the financial assumptions.

Uh I was at the city planning meeting, and there were several questions at the end about let's see actual factual documents, and so far I think that we're still a little fuzzy on the financial assumptions and the financial windfall for the city.

There's construction impacts and impacts on the community using the space, and taken as a whole, these perspectives all illustrate one thing that this is a meaningful major shift in land use and operational intensity and not just a facility improvement.

Everyone is for facility improvement.

The bungalows uh are a major shift in land use here, and they are not in compliance with CUP or CEQA.

There is meaningful uncertainty in these this proposal.

So tonight I ask you respectfully for a continuance.

During the initial planning committee uh committee commission meeting and on several occasions, the project manager, Mr.

Bailey, and the landowner, Mr.

O'Hill, have said that the vision for the Huntington Club has is based on Augusta.

It's based on Montecito, both beautiful, wealthy areas, both comprising over 600 acres for their projects, both over 125 years old.

I want to ask you as a council, because I know that this is something that's near and dear to your heart because I follow the city council.

I'm a resident of Huntington Beach.

I see the good work that you've done.

What's our vision?

Why do we have zoning laws?

Why do we pay attention to these very meaningful uh CEQA initiatives?

Why do we pay attention to these things?

Because zoning in a community matters.

The impact of families with guests, guests with families, taking away more recreational space will make a difference in the recreational facility use of this project.

It will impact all the members and residents.

One thing that they are not growing in Huntington Beach or building in Huntington Beach is open land, which is why we as a community look to you for leading for guidance and leadership to pay attention to our zoning laws.

Recreational space for 200,000 residents of this community is important.

It does matter.

In a quick internet search, I can tell you that there are exactly 10 courts, four at Edison, four at Murray, two at Labarde.

Ten public use tennis courts, which is why we all pay additional fees every month so we can play tennis.

Most of our tennis courts are being turned into pickleball courts at places like Worthy Park.

Can I have one more minute?

Sure.

And Golden West College.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the nation, and it like tennis records requires court space.

Recreational facilities matter to a community.

If we begin to rezone our recreational communities, then where is the vision, the vision for residents who rely on zoning, who rely on green space that they can use for activities.

Zoning is critical, and using the metric of fill-in for these should be examined more thoroughly, which is why we're asking for a continuance.

It raises important questions about use, intensity, and how the property will function over time, including how evolving rules and operational details will ultimately shape how the facility is used.

Mr.

Burns at the initiation at the opening of this meeting asked a question about compromise.

I have three compromises in mind that I would be happy to share when time permits.

At the same time, we have had discussions with the applicant, and there remains, we hope, a meaningful opportunity to address some of these concerns constructively.

They say that compromise is the best path forward.

And where there's disagreement, resolution is always found in the middle.

And I know as a council, you've been held over the fire over vision from other sources, and I don't, and I and I know that this is not the best match for Huntington Beach.

So we are asking again respectfully for a continuance.

Thanks, Lisa.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hello.

Yes, sir.

Hi.

My name is James Jensen.

I'm a uh newly minted U.S.

citizen, so I'm very proud of the fact that I can participate in this today with all of you.

I'm also a member of the Huntington Club.

I'll speak first as a member.

Um I think we've heard from everyone so far, and they've said that they appreciate and they approve of a lot of this project, a lot of this proposal.

These are much needed improvements that I think the membership appreciates, they ask for, they want, they're finally excited that somebody's gonna deliver on this.

When we get to this bungalow project, I think if you took a poll of the members, you would find that an overwhelming majority disapprove of the bungalows.

The tennis improvements, 100% at the bungalows, no removing three tennis courts.

Now I'll speak as uh a homeowner off the back of court 11.

If you were to bring that up again, I live right up against one of those six courts that's proposed to get illuminated.

Um I was at the city planning commission as well.

Um I didn't realize this until you guys brought it up, but there's a conditional land use permit on the tennis facilities that prohibit in perpetuated courts 11 through 16 from being lit.

And now we're looking to change that.

If that is true, I live right up against court 11.

Guess what?

Court 11 and 12 have been fully illuminated and lit for two and a half years.

So there's already a problem there.

If you light those courts, and that's what's being proposed as a concession for removing three courts, and you light those back courts.

I believe there's eight or nine properties that border directly up against those.

And if the spillover of light pollution, the way it's affecting my family at my house, if that continues all the way down and around the corner to those eight eight people, you you have an entire community there that is gonna consider that light promotion pollution somewhat of a health hazard, like I do.

I deal with it every night, it's on until nine o'clock, it's in my bedroom.

You know, I have to plan my life around those lights being on, which sometimes they don't turn off.

So I mean, that's a fault of the Huntington Club.

That's separate of what they're doing, but some nights those lights just don't turn off, and I'm stuck looking at lights till two o'clock in the morning.

So, anyways, my my concern being with the lights.

I'm I'm all for the tennis improvement.

You know, being a homeowner directly behind those courts, that's my concern.

That's what I want to voice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, members of the city council, happy St.

Patrick's Day.

Um a quarter of a century ago, uh I was lucky enough to acquire Seacliff Country Club, 160 acres in the city of Huntington Beach.

Uh it wasn't until about four years ago that I was able to replace the existing tenant, American Golf, with a new tenant, uh, a hero from Huntington Beach.

Uh Travis started Travis Matthew after being the head pro at Seacliff Country Club.

And he was very anxious to be the tenant at Seacliff.

We went through all a new lease, all the improvements that he was required to do.

And uh he's lived up to the improvements on the golf clubhouse.

Uh approximately nine million dollars.

Well, actually, three million is for the golf course, six million has been spent on the golf clubhouse.

Now it's our turn for the tennis club.

Uh there are, if you don't improve, you deteriorate.

So these improvements are really important for the members, for the city, for guests of the members, uh, and for our tenant to be successful.

Um clubs have become more family oriented.

The pool is very important.

The Huntington Club will have a swim team, the OC swim team that competes against Big Canyon and Marbella and Emerald Bay Wahoos and Newport Beach Country Club Seahors.

We're working on names that those teams might be called.

So that part is important.

It's all one of my favorite parts is what's coming in the wellness center.

All of the performance therapy things that are uh so uh interesting and new, allow people to live healthier and longer lives.

Uh hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment uh on our side of the ledger, we're spending uh 16 million dollars in improvements and about another four million dollars that our tenant has to spend on equipment, techno gym equipment, etc.

So about 19 million dollars or so.

So we're trying to do our part, we're trying to be good stewards.

Uh we believe that it's the right thing, and we hope that you will support the planning commission or adopt the planning committee's unanimous approval.

This very worthwhile project.

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is that ever speakers?

Brian?

You look anxious.

Hello again, uh Brian Thenis, uh 40 year resident resident uh planning commissioner.

Um I um you know like I said before, we we we try to do our homework, and in this case, I thought, wow, how can you put a bungalow on a golf course?

And um I I did a little research, and uh of course, in our open space designation, we have um it allows for accessory structures, and when you go into the definition of accessory structures and the the code uh 204.14 uh structures that are incidental to the principal permitted use.

That's what they're these are, or structure on a site and are customary found on the same site, just like other golf courses have bungalows, but more importantly, it says and accessory dwelling units.

So those are all examples of accessory um structures that are allowed in the open space uh designation.

Um we I couldn't find any sequel exemption.

I always have my staff check that.

Um, from what we could tell, it was definitely categorically exempt just because of the size.

And and since it's being used for the members, the members are already there, they're just not going home, staying at the club, or you know, it's not gonna add traffic.

We couldn't find any way that we could justify any significant impact.

Um, and then um the applicant did mention this $500,000 tax revenue, but um any of the commissioners, including myself that addressed that tax benefit to the city, um, you know, we we we definitely disputed that.

Uh I'm pretty sure we can confidently say we we disregarded that comment because there was no support given for that.

So um I believe the approval, unfortunately, for the neighbors that uh or the members who wanted the tennis courts, we just couldn't find any pathway of our authority to say, well, they can't take out the tennis court.

So anyway, I I believe everything was was appropriate.

It was within our code and uh it was compliant with CEQA, and we did disregard the uh comment about the uh tax benefits.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

All right, I'm gonna I'm gonna close the public hearing.

Open up for discussion if my colleagues will indulge me.

I just have a couple questions.

First, I want to thank the applicant um for the presentation.

It's a beautiful plan.

I want to thank the appellant.

I know it's not an easy process.

Um, I've done it myself in my private business, so I appreciate the the work you guys took to appeal it, and obviously the costs associated with that, and then obviously sharing your heartfelt concerns.

If the applicant can come up, I just had a couple questions I think is is important to kind of set the set the baseline for why I believe uh this conversation will go.

Thank you, guys.

So I too watched the planning commission meeting, and I believe from my takeaway and then subsequent questions myself and my research.

I I believe there was assertions made there that I'm trying to understand.

So just to set the table, as Michelle Hill said, you guys own the entire land, correct?

Correct.

Okay, and then you lease to the Huntington Club to operate the entire property, correct?

Correct.

Okay.

So is there a con contractual agreement in place to operate the bungalows with your tenant?

No.

Okay.

So the Planning Commission, one of their conditions was to limit short-term accommodations to the Huntington Club members only.

How can you guys make that assertion when you don't have an operating agreement with your tenant?

Let me uh let me try and expand on the no that I gave you for agreement.

So we have uh reached out and uh the people that are I guess afraid of change have reached out to us, and uh they asked for certain things that uh we didn't have a problem with because it improved the club.

Uh the tennis lighting, for example, is about 300,000.

Uh we thought that state of the art lighting would be fantastic.

Not only do we have to light seven more courts, but we have to light three that are already lighted so that all the lighting is the same.

Uh they asked for resurfacing of the uh tennis courts.

Uh we checked with Sean L.

Dolly, and he agreed that they needed to be resurfaced.

In our lease with our tenant, um we have the right to uh insist that they improve things to the highest first class quality.

So we agreed to that.

And then they came back.

I gave them a written guarantee, uh, asked them to um you know do certain things as a quid pro quo, and they uh uh basically came back with an agreement asking for more and more and more.

So um we have terminated negotiations.

We will with your tenant.

Pardon with your tenant, you mean?

No, he's he's talking about the appellants.

Uh mayor to answer to answer your question is that our tenant is contractually obligated to cooperate with any management company that we bring in to operate the bungalows and lofts.

Okay, I spoke with your tenant, and that wasn't what I was told.

So, but you guys it's so what you're saying is a part of your lease with your tenant, they're obligated to operate these bungalows.

No, uh, in the we have an agreement to master plan that goes along with the lease, and in the agreement to master plan, they're obligated.

If they're not the ones that are operating the bungalows and lofts, they're obligated to cooperate with the management company or whoever is operating the bungalows and loss.

So that would include sharing of information.

So, for instance, when we talk about only members can rent the bungalows, is that sharing of information would include a membership list with membership numbers so that the management company is able to verify that an appropriate person is making a reservation for a bungalow?

I want to correct the public record.

Members and guests of members.

Okay.

Should you guys receive our discretionary entitlement, build these bungalows, not have someone to operate it.

Um I haven't seen your lease, of course.

So I'm going off what you said.

I've I've talked to your tenant, and he says that's that's not the case.

So there's a conflict there.

I walked, I think about logistics of if your tenant who's operating the entire facility is not going to operate them, then you know how do you do laundry, where do you get your food and beverage from?

Um, how do you you know essentially manage these bungalows?

Made service, all those things.

So I feel like a conflict exists.

Um I work in commercial real estate.

I don't go forward on a project for entitlements unless I have my lease done with my future tenant.

I feel like this is inverted where you guys are looking for entitlements, but you don't have a contractual agreement with your tenant to operate it.

So I think it's premature, in my opinion.

Um I think from what I've been able to ascertain, like um Mr.

Jenner had said, everyone loves the project, loves you guys are putting money in.

It seems just to be a conflict with the bungalows.

Um the financial uh numbers you guys put forward.

I asked to put it on the agenda.

I understand you guys didn't want did not want to do that.

I think that would be helpful if you guys could walk through those numbers.

But for me, this conflicts exist that I just don't want to approve tonight and then have it come back at the end, and then we don't, you know, again, with the um unlit tennis courts.

I mean, who that's a condition planning commission put on it, but who's gonna pay for that?

You guys or your tenant, or you know, you know what I mean?

Like, how would that work?

Would you guys pay for those?

Like the you know, the conditions that are put on are you guys gonna pay for the tennis courts, even though that's not part of your I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you guys ask.

He's asking if we are successful getting courts 11 through 16 approved to be lit, who pays for the lighting?

So um Travis, who's our tenant on the golf side, right?

Is our licensee on the tennis side?

So he's required to maintain and operate the tennis club, the fitness club, and the bungalows.

If we ask him to, there's only four bungalows.

I'm not sure he's the right guy to do the bungalows.

But of course, there needs to be cooperation.

They do 50 weddings a year and a hundred other events.

Uh so somebody who's having a wedding, the wedding party might like to stay there.

So there's gonna be coordination with who's ever running the bungalows with the management of the golf club who's putting on the events.

So I'm not sure that Travis is the right person to do that.

Uh we have other people that are uh more experienced, maybe in operating bungalows, but there's only four of them.

This is uh uh four bungalows and two losses or six, right?

Okay, two losses.

Well, I guess I mean, do you guys have an aversion to uh you know that the appellant asked to continue?

Do you guys have an aversion to continuing it working with the appellant and then also getting an operating agreement for the bungalows and come back just to give I guess peace of mind that we don't give you guys these discretionary entitlements just with this unknown kind of cloud hanging over?

I just feel there's a lot of machinations and and logistics that aren't I don't feel good about and I just have you guys thought about that?

Would you guys be averse to doing that?

Yes, we would be averse to a continuance with all due respect, is that we believe that uh putting that would be putting the cart before the horse to go ahead because it's gonna be a very long process.

I mean, at least six months, probably to the end of the year, assuming we were to receive the entitlements today to go have the conversation with our tenant, give them a sort of first ride refusal to operate the bungalows and lofts, and then go and vet because there's a plethora of management companies that can operate four bungalows and two lofts.

That's not an issue.

There's gonna be plenty of suitors, but to be able to thoroughly vet them and pick the absolute best person or best team to manage those is that we're not going to, you know, be able to do that in 30 days or something like that.

That's gonna be a very long process, and then as you said, end up drafting that operating agreement and coming to you know a mutually satisfying agreement.

Okay.

Um if I could jump in real quick.

I understand what he's saying, but to your point, um with the agreement to the master plan and the the confines, if you will, the restrictions of uh the management expectation, that's gonna be written into the future manager, you know, the you will have to comply with the conditions.

Members and family get or members and guests uh of members, right?

That was number one.

And what was your other concern, Casey?

Well, I'm just looking at the the planning commission's conditions, yeah.

So the short limit short-term accommodations of HC members, I don't think members only are guests, and then work with staff to light the six existing unlit tennis courts, which again pierces into their tenant or licensees realm, and also the they cannot do it based on Joanna, right?

And current uh code, or I guess their previous entonomist doesn't allow them to light those tennis courts anyway, so they'd have to go through and create a whole new entitlement process to light those.

Okay.

So that so that's another unknown where they'd have to actually go through and get a new entitlement to light those tennis courts because they're currently not allowed to do so.

So that was another condition the planning commission put on that can't be delivered.

Okay, so um to this gentleman's what's your naming answer?

Jonathan.

Yeah, to Jonathan's point.

There it you know, number one, uh they're they're striving to get you know uh an affirmation tonight.

Then they're gonna go out and line up their manager for the bungalows simultaneously.

I would imagine you're gonna be applying for the uh the ability to light the additional six courts all simultaneously.

Is that fair so far?

Yes.

Okay.

So what would happen if you lined up your management team uh using the agreement to the master plan and there was not an issue with making sure the shared information restricted the the guests to uh members and guests of the members, so you've covered that base, but for whatever reason you're not able to get the the lighting to the courts, where do we go from there?

Uh um what what would be the process for them to get the approval for the lighting in the courts?

They've already submitted an application, it's an entitlement plan amendment to the original entitlement that put the condition that they can't have the lit tennis courts.

So they applied for that sometime last month.

February 9th.

They'll go through a process, it'll include a public hearing and public notice, and they'll either get approved or denied.

It'll include a public hearing and public notice, and they'll either get approved or denied.

Um that's why the by what body plan either or bill easy.

The planning commission.

Okay.

So and and I I believe that's why during the planning commission meeting, they wrote the condition the way it was.

Initially, the planning commission was going to write a condition that required them to light the tennis courts, but because they had to go back through a public hearing process, the max that the condition could say was that they would work with staff to go through the process of lighting the tennis courts, knowing that the planning commission couldn't make that decision without going through the public hearing process to amend that original entitlement.

If I could just jump in too, I mean, I I imagine that if the planning commission put a modifier in terms of how they would like things to be lit, they're trying to give a a recipe for that.

I I suppose that if it came back before them in terms of whether or not it could be lit, I mean it's already kind of baked into their modification, right?

Yes, I think part of the analysis when that future entitlement goes forward will be looking at how the uh lighting impacts the adjacent neighbors.

So uh Jonathan talked about their working with a lighting consultant to make sure that the proposal that moves forward will satisfy whatever concerns the planning commission may have at that future public hearing.

And was it a particular type of lighting that it basically stops it from spilling out?

I mean, we saw that on the we have codes that re so our our current zoning code and municipal code requires that any lighting um cannot spill onto adjacent properties, so they have to satisfy that they can comply with that code section.

Okay.

Do you can you comment on that?

Well you're talking about the tennis courts?

I'm sorry.

Talking about the tennis courts, courts number 11 and 12.

One of the residents mentioned that they're already lit, although the original C UP did not allow for that lighting.

And it's an issue for him right now.

Sorry, I don't know.

Jonathan knows.

So to my understanding is that our tenant has put up some sort of strip light LEDs.

They're not like actual pole tennis lights, but uh a bootleg version, if you will.

And these are are I don't think the members enjoy playing on them.

Um they don't light the court very well.

Um, and then according to the neighbor, there's still a nuisance.

Um the these that this is not what we have in mind.

That's not what we propose in our project or in the application submitted on February 9th to light the six unlit tennis courts.

What we're proposing in that application is that there's this technology that's proprietary to this lighting consultant, JMC lighting.

It's an extremely directional light.

It is on a traditional tennis light pole, and then but like I said, more directional.

Also, right now the lights are 22 feet at the club.

We would lower those to 20, which would not make an impact to the playing, but it would eliminate any light pollution or help eliminate any light pollution.

And then on top of that, is we're also proposing these um blackout blankets that are gonna go along the fence, specifically the fence that borders the neighbors' residences and the courts, and then these blackout blankets blankets completely eliminate any light coming through, and they go the entire length of the fence, which is 12 feet.

No, and I appreciate all the detail on that.

I mean, that sounds like a good solution.

I guess my question though to the city or planning would be were they allowed to do that to begin with?

No, the so the condition right now says that the six ten says that the six can't have any artificial lighting.

So, in essence, uh by the time it gets dark, they there's no playing anymore.

So the purpose of the EPA or the entitlement plan amendment is to analyze and see if newer technologies can help create a situation where, as Jonathan presented, all the lighting is now focused on the tennis courts and not impacting nearby roads.

Yeah, no, no, I understand that.

I guess what I'm asking is courts eleven and twelve are lit right now.

They would have been violating the scene C UP, yes.

I'm that's in violence.

I understand that they've removed those lights am I right or wrong?

Right.

We'll fix the 11 and 12.

To be honest, I don't know if they've been removed or not.

You may know better than me if they've been removed.

Um, but I had heard about I didn't hear about court 12, but I had heard that one point they tried LED strip lighting on court eleven.

Currently, what are the hours of those things?

How late can they play?

9 p.m., right?

10.

10.

Shut off.

Well, that can be altered, can't I mean that seems like an easy fix and move all play down, you know, because I can't believe people are playing that late on those need to be using those courts.

That was something that we also included in our application of like courts 11 through 16, is that they would shut off at 8 30.

And then um I actually had a couple conversations with Mr.

Jensen leading up to and after submitting the application because uh someone at the club put me in contact with him since he lives right behind core 11 and has the narrowest setback is that in theory he would be the one most affected.

And I shared with him the lighting consultant and asked him for ideas that he would like to see implemented that would, you know, get him comfortable with lights being put on those courts.

And he gave me the idea of one automatic shutoffs at an early time, so 8 30.

Um, but on top of that is you know, put them on so timers, but then on top of that is that you have actual on off switches, which right now don't exist.

So for instance, is that even if it's raining and no one's playing on the courts, right now the lights will still be on, versus what we can do with these new lights is actually be able to shut them off entirely.

So if the courts are not being used for whatever reason, or there's inclement weather, something like that, there won't be any light at all.

I just think it's important to mention that currently though the courts that are lit, that is a violation of the existing CUP.

I just because we're talking about what we're going to do, and we keep ignoring the fact that those courts shouldn't even be lit to begin with.

If they're lit right now, yes, I'm not sure if they are.

But see, Andrew, that's my again concern is I these are all questions for the tenant or the the group that's operating the facility, and they're not here.

These are questions that they should be answering.

And I feel like they should be involved in this project, but they're not.

So that's not normal.

Mr.

Jensen, is that our our new our new American citizen?

Were the lights on last night?

They're on right now.

You're ordered?

Well, I go let's all head over that.

Yeah, let me I I know everybody's been talking up here.

I I've been a member and I know a lot of you guys out there.

Hi, Tommy.

And uh uh I've been a member there for 30 years.

And uh been in a resident of Huntington Beach for 62 years.

Uh played high school golf at Seacliff Country Club before there was any houses, I mean, basically any houses in the interior of the golf course.

There were some going down the number seven hole.

Well, wait a minute, number eight.

But anyway, it's changed a lot.

I gotta I gotta say that when I first talked to Jonathan about the project uh many months ago, uh, and I saw some renderings.

I was really excited, and I want to, I mean, I want to give credit where credit's due, and I want to give credit to the O'Hill company for stepping up and and wanting to spend uh you know many, many millions of dollars, you know, um uh upgrading the club and giving it a facelift because in my 30 years there, not a thing's been done.

We painted it, maybe put a new roof on, put a couple new uh skylights in, uh, got some new furniture.

And then when camaraderie took over in May of 2021, uh that's when Travis Brasher came in, and I've been a friend of Travis Brasher's for over 30 years.

Um we won't we one time decided after a particularly bad round of golf, we decided we wanted to go play tennis, and in a 15 minutes we pulled about seven muscles each, and we decided that golf was probably a better sport for us.

So again, I'm I'm I'm excited about the project.

I look at it.

Uh it is definitely a huge upgrade.

Um I've talked a lot of the the um uh uh I've talked to the applicant a lot, I've talked to the to all the people that are that are uh uh against it.

Um I know the plan really, really well.

Uh today I I know that there's been something brought up about the little road or the little crosswalk that's gonna go uh between two courts, and uh a couple people wrote me emails and said it's dangerous, you know, kids will be crossing the street.

Uh I went up to fire this morning and talked to them about speed bumps, speed bumps aren't allowed in Huntington Beach anymore.

But we put our heads together and came up with uh maybe a potential plan that hopefully you guys will consider because it would it would mean a lot to me as I as I work my way through how I want to vote for this.

Um maybe a raised little road, a little you know, raise a little, you know, up the grade a little bit so cars aren't gonna go ripping through there.

Now I don't think cars are gonna go ripping through there because a sliding gate's gonna open up.

They got about a hundred yards, they're not gonna pick up very much Smeed's speed.

So I'm not really worried about that, but that would be something that I would want to condition my my approval on that you would you would figure out something so you know when you're crossing this you know the street between the courts, uh kids are are not gonna get hit by cars, make sure that you you know you slow down the the traffic going to the the four bungalows that that road will service.

Um I wasn't happy to hear uh and I you know all due respect, ms Mr.

O'Hill.

Well, that's how everybody why everybody calls you at the club forever.

Mr.

Rowe uh or Mr.

Hill.

Um I I was a little discouraged that that it sounded like you were putting the the uh refurbishing of the tennis courts on the camaraderie golf.

I was kind of under the impression you guys were gonna uh upgrade uh all tennis courts.

Uh you're gonna take out three tennis courts and you're gonna upgrade the other ones, level them, you know, seal them, paint them, you know, make them you know championship courts.

I don't think Travis was even expecting that.

Uh uh I didn't text him or anything, but uh and then uh uh uh Mayor McKean brought up the operating agreement.

Um I was told that camaraderie will have right of first refusal on that.

Uh in my talking with you know Travis and and uh uh the GM over there and other people I talked to, uh they're kind of hoping that they get to do that.

But I've heard from both uh uh Mr.

Hill and and Jonathan that you have you know third party uh that are gonna be better than camaraderie, but I was told that Camarote would have right of first refusal.

Um they're obviously concerned with the loss of three tennis courts over there that you know in the day, I mean uh when I've been a member of the tennis pool, you know, fitness, golf, you know, since 1997.

And um I know that tennis uh uh membership is way down.

Uh I've I know there's some reasons for that, but uh tennis membership is way down, and he feels, and I'm just saying, you know, what I've heard from him is he feels like if he's losing two, three tennis courts, he's gonna lose more members, which means he's gonna lose more revenue, both in tennis uh dues, uh food and beverage, all that type of stuff.

So he's really I know they're really hoping to make a deal with you guys to manage the uh uh the bungalows, but it kind of sounds to me like it you guys can take it or leave it with them.

And you know, I have a problem with that.

Uh uh I don't want to say it's a you know a city council problem, but I have a personal problem with that uh uh just because you know you're gonna take three tennis courts away from them.

I think that I think it's incumbent upon you guys to you know enter in into good faith negotiations with them about the refurbishment of the tennis courts and also the management of the bungalows.

I love the project.

I think I I I want to say that in 30 years there's really not been much done to that club, and I think any improvements to it, and especially improvements that are as beautiful is this one because I think it's gonna bleed over to golf, uh the golf side too, eventually.

Um I like it.

I like the project.

I like the pool.

I like the idea of having a swim team there.

I like the I like the beer garden.

I like uh uh the the new the new uh uh gym, the spa, everything.

It looks really I and and court, you know, center court, it's gonna be really cool to be watching you know tennis from up there on the you know on the second floor of the of the new clubhouse.

There's just a lot of things to like about it.

I understand all the all the appellants, uh the appellants uh um or the opponents, um I understand their their issues with it though, and I but I do think there's better lighting technology now.

Uh uh I know I've talked to Jonathan a little bit about that.

Um it can't it can't go into Mr.

Jensen's backyard, it can't go into anybody's backyard.

And I know there's good down lights now.

Um and I think you guys will be able to pull this off.

But um there's just some things that just need to be ironed out, and I can't say that I'm ready to vote on it tonight.

I just I I really want to see these things, I I really want to see these things, you know, ironed out, both with camaraderie, you know, in terms of the of the uh refurbishing of the tennis courts.

I was I think you know, I I was told that maybe you guys would do uh new fencing, make the fencing look better, uh probably you know, uh more sound attenuation, you know, for the the pickleball guys because the pickleball paddles make a lot of noise.

Um there's just I want the project.

I want to drive in there and see that beautiful new clubhouse uh there.

I I I I really don't have any problems with the bungalows.

I I'm maybe like our our uh uh planning commissioner Brian Thenis.

I don't think it's gonna bring $500,000 to the city.

Not unless I think he did we did some math one night, and you'd have to rent those places, all six places out for a thousand bucks a night, 365 days a year for it to bring five hundred thousand dollars to the city.

So I'm not worried about that.

It's gonna bring something to the city, it's gonna bring some significant uh uh uh uh TOTs, taxes to the city, and that's a good thing.

I'm not gonna argue about you know how much is it gonna be a hundred thousand, it could be a five hundred thousand because whatever it does, it's gonna be more than what we get from there right now.

And uh I think about you know the member guests, you know, uh members have their guests.

I think you I think there's gonna be lots of times where you filled up those all all the units.

I think there's gonna be a huge demand for them certain times a year.

Um how you're gonna fill them up the other times when there's not a member guest or a member member or you know, different golf tournaments.

I don't know exactly how it's gonna be marketed, but um, I'll go back and say, you know.

I think that I think there's just some more things to be ironed out.

And I mean you can convince me right now.

You can you can tell me, okay, I'm gonna, I'm going to, you know, we're gonna go back and we're gonna call Travis in and we're gonna sit down and we're gonna talk to him and we're gonna fit you know figure this thing out on the on the tennis courts and uh the management of the bungalows.

I'd be good.

So that's it.

May I address your concern regarding Travis?

Thank you.

Yeah.

Um Travis operates the golf club and the uh restaurant, operates the tennis club.

He's gonna operate the fitness center and the wellness center.

We're talking about only the bungalows.

So Travis was also our tenant at Spanish Hills.

He doesn't want to operate the bungalows.

So I imagine that his position is going to be the same, that he really doesn't have an interest in operating the bungalows.

So if he does, we'd love to have them.

If he doesn't, we'll get somebody who is a specialist, and they will coordinate with Travis's manager to make sure that uh the guests of people that are having weddings, uh, the member guest tournament, the out of state, the other events, uh have, of course, a place to stay.

We want to see those bungalows rented.

So if we can make a deal with Travis, that's fine, but I don't think that's where his passion lies.

But Sir, there's been a couple of assertions that you have stated that you bring in nearly uh half a million dollars a year on sales and other uh revenues to the city with that.

Do you stand by that now?

Uh after some of these people have done some of the figures and things.

So I furnished the report that was done by RCLCo to the mayor.

He asked for it, I think after our planning commission hearing.

And the number it's 479,000.

Yeah, but it comes from so it's a combination of sales tax, use taxes, property taxes.

There's all these different categories, and you know, it's summarized on one page, and then there's you know, backup sheets um, you know, in the rest of the Excel document.

And you know, the where where we come up with 500,000 is one is 479.

So I apologize for rounding up if we're gonna have to.

No, no, it's all right.

Uh but also is that the idea is is that obviously with inflation, everything is gonna keep you know, these bungalows are not, you know, we're not just looking at a snapshot of time of one year, but a consistent annual revenue to the city.

So at least you know, three, three and a half percent, you know, by the room rates going up, sale, you know, price of goods going up, so then sales tax increases, things like that, is that that revenue will continue growing, it won't be stagnant.

General feeling is that's uh pretty optimistic revenue uh goal.

And what I'm concerned is a lot of people come here and BS us, you know, and shine a oh god, the golden light, you know.

And I'm in that I'll tell you, I don't like being BS'd or lied to or misled.

And you guys have that's a pretty strong commitment or uh assertion saying that you guys are gonna uh bring in that kind of revenue on this deal.

And would you guys be willing to uh guarantee we're we're we're not trying to BS you, that's not the goal, is that we've used RCL co for other jobs in the past as well for financial analyses.

Um so we had them do the report, and that was their that was their math.

And I mean, maybe that the assumptions of you know how often the bungalows are rented and things like that, you know, could be high.

But um, you know, they are they are trained to do these sort of analyses.

Would you look at those numbers again and maybe consider a guarantee then since the numbers, if you feel solid about them to guarantee those kind of numbers to us, the city.

One thing I'd like to point out, Pat, and I appreciate exactly where you're going.

Let me give you a little context.

As a planning commissioner, you know, I uh I was an adversary to the economic development e economic development community, or what what's the title?

I call them building.

Um, you know, making sure that you know things fit, you know, and I push back on projects left and right.

To address that one thing, uh planning uh didn't even, as Mr.

Thenis said, they didn't even take into regard the five million dollars uh revenue uh articulating the five hundred thousand.

That wasn't even part of their approval.

And I'm not trying to go either way, I'm just stating facts from what I heard from the meeting, and Mr.

Thenis re uh restated that right now.

They're gonna bring some revenue, and I'm not here to advocate for or against with this statement.

But what I do want to say is just basically what I see as a planning commissioner.

Uh I was, you know, uh always challenging our business development department uh for different types of things.

So I looked at this thing from that lens.

Um it and I had members, you know, so I'm not a member, but uh I live on the eighth fairway.

I I know Tom's daughter, they live in my circle.

I coached uh Mrs.

Gates' daughter in soccer, and decisions up here are difficult, sometimes are no brainers.

This is gonna be difficult because you know there's two sides, and there's a lot of passion.

But what I see from just a pure um what I see is as a planning commissioner and as a city council member, this fits the boxes, it fits the zoning.

It's not asking for uh anything special other than the lighting on those six courts.

That's something that there they do have to ascertain the yes on that to meet uh what the applicant has stated that they're gonna provide.

Um so you know, when I'm looking at these things, you know, I have to take my emotion out.

Like there's gonna be people upset on either side.

I have no dog in the fight.

You know, I I love this city.

I've been here probably longer than everybody.

I've been here since 1962, and I've lived in Seacliff for the last 25 years.

Um I look for ways to slow down things every time.

I couldn't find a way.

Uh I do like this project.

Uh you know, if I was a member um and I lost a little bit of tennis, but they were able to say our tennis ratios are in line and they've got some reference points, then that would bring me some solace.

If I was a homeowner and I had, you know, I know those houses behind Seacliffe uh on the greens uh and there was lights blaring in my house.

Um I wouldn't be happy about it.

But I believe that the new state of the art lighting will solve that problem uh to the expectation of everybody.

I I don't believe that the uh applicant wants to alienate residents.

So I think that can be mitigated.

Um I think that this fits the zoning, fits the CUP, uh and it fits the assessor uh accessory usage.

And I had many members call me afterwards, hey DK, what's going on?

They're doing this and that.

I go, listen, I've looked in, I've talked to community development, it's not a zone change, it fits a CUP, it's a it's a an ancillary use as well.

Uh but have your friends call me.

And once I told them that, he goes, Well, that's not what I heard from the meeting.

And I said, have them call me.

Not one person called me.

So I'm just stating the facts, Pat.

I don't think anybody's basing it on 500,000 to the city.

I will not base my vote on that.

Uh it would be pretty strong math to get there.

I do believe it's gonna bring revenue.

To Butch's point and to Mr.

O'Hill's point, uh, I believe that they will seek uh an opportunity for camaraderie, and if he wants to proceed, so be it if he doesn't, as he's shown a path, then that kind of mitigates your your concern there.

Um there was the question raised by I believe Mayor McKeon, who will pay for the lighting on those six courts.

Is that gonna be an expectation?

That'll be on us.

Okay, so there's a statement of fact there.

So that's appreciated.

That was ambiguous when he asked the question who would be responsible, and it never really got answered.

So that's a factual statement by the applicant, Mr.

O'Hill, that you would pay for that, correct?

Correct.

Okay, so that wouldn't be laid upon somebody.

Yeah, so the agreement to the master plan would not put that responsibility on your management company for the bungalows, right?

That's your we don't have a management company.

Right.

But but you're gonna utilize that document.

No, that's not a tenant responsibility.

That that isn't repair.

Uh maybe the three bad lights.

We might uh argue that, but we'll pay for all of them.

Yeah.

Uh uh and watching the planning commission, you seem like that type of person.

I don't know you, I don't know anything uh thing about you other than you've uh done a fine job with some other country clubs, I believe the Newport Beach Country Club as well.

And um with all that said, that's just you know, I'm not I I like the project.

I wanted to clarify clarify some things.

Thank you.

But yeah, but rest assured for the applicants, you your passion in your motion is uh uh is taken to heart.

And you know, as a council member, you know, sometimes it's gotta be purely what's what's my duty, not what do I believe in or or where do my opinions lie?

Um and if this thing was out of the box and didn't fit and they're asking for a million exceptions, I would be the first to say it's not a fit.

That's not the case here, but um I think there's a few things we need to iron out.

Um but I do like the project.

And I wanted to clarify sorry, I wanted to clarify the part about the 500,000 uh and also the lighting, because I figured you were gonna say that, and I knew the 500,000 was not factored in by planning.

I certainly will not be factoring that in in my decision.

So if I could just jump in, the this should be a land use decision, and it shouldn't be based on the 500,000.

Chad.

Yeah, that's my point.

I just wanted to be be clear.

Yeah.

And to your point, Consulman K.

I mean, I mean, the applicant might have shot themselves in the foot by even bringing that up at the planning commission, because it's probably just it's not a point of performance.

I'm still kind of stuck on the the lighting issue with the current use of the court.

So the lights are not supposed to be on and going into Mr.

Jensen's house, and then even after being made aware of this at the planning commission, the lights continue to go on.

I'm we we were not made aware of that at the planning commission that there's lights already on courts 11 through 12.

Okay, so according to the current use right now, is it just courts 11 through 12 that are not allowed to have lights?

11 through 16.

11 through 16.

So I think you put that slide back up.

And so when can we expect the lights to stop going on on those courts?

If they're on now, then they won't be on tomorrow.

And they won't go on until assuming it gets approvals?

Correct.

Correct.

Okay, and then uh I had a question about uh the operating agreement.

I'm just trying to understand because you know, I heard you know, on one hand is the cart before the horse.

Um if if I was building a home and my idea was to, you know, build it so that I can have tenants and get passive income.

I I I don't I don't think I'd have to figure out an agreement with a future tenant if I don't know who that tenant is before I start building the home.

That would be kind of my understanding of it.

And then are you guys obligated in any way to go with the uh the current tenants that you have?

Are you contractually obligated to offer them a first right of refusal if you decide or or is it your prerogative that you could work with any any group that you want?

It's our prerogative that we can work with any group, but you know, out of respect and out of efficiency, you know, he's already there operating the club as a whole.

We think that would make sense if Travis wants it for Travis to operate the bungalows and loffs, but it doesn't have to be Travis.

And then to your remind me what your first question was.

Uh oh, oh, oh, the putting the cart before the horse is that we agree with you, you know, once we start construction, but even if we were able to obtain discretionary entitlement tonight, I mean we're looking at at least an 18 to 24 month permitting process with construction documents.

And when I was explaining to the mayors that it would be at least a probably a six to nine month process to if if it's not gonna be Travis to fully vet and pick who that management company would be.

And so for efficiency's sake, we think it makes the most sense to do that.

One, we have a discretionary entitlement, so we can justify putting in those kind of man hours, that kind of effort to do that sort of to go through that process, and at the same time, we can do that coinciding with the permitting and construction document process.

So then by the time that we actually are building, we already know who the management company is gonna be, and we have that agreement in place.

Let me let me expand on that.

There's a lease, there's an agreement lease signed by both ourselves and Travis.

So we're obligated to do what we're supposed to do, and he's obligated to do what he's supposed to do.

He's done all of his improvements except for the golf course.

Um he's obligated to support this project.

And we're obligated to put in the money to build it.

Okay.

In 30 years, the golf course has never been better than it is.

We can use new sand and we can use a new irrigation system, but the course is the best it's ever been.

And that's not only my opinion, that's the opinion of of guests I bring there all the time from Virginia Country Club and Newport Beach Country Club and Mesa Verde and on and on.

Go ahead.

Just one more point, and then I have a quick question.

So the point that I would make is that a lot of this is really about the communication and being good neighbors, et cetera.

Currently, Mr.

Jensen has light in his house, it's been creating a lot of issues for him, and it's a violation of the existing C UP.

Too often I hear from residents and I hear in this city about how ordinances are being ignored, people are breaking rules, and it's just kind of we just blow past it.

So I I keep bringing this up because I want to stop blowing past these, I'm not saying laws being broken, but rules that are being broken.

I think it's incumbent upon you as the owners to make sure that that light issue is resolved number one.

So if we're sitting here and we're trying to make a decision based upon a major project in the future, but we're already violating an agreement that's in place, that just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

So that's just one statement.

And that leads to being neighborly.

And my second question is is that one of the um ladies who spoke, she she was very eloquent about her concerns regarding the project, and she did state, you know, that she had certain compromises that she wanted to lay out there.

Her time had gone up.

I mean, uh I would be happy to hear what she was going to have to say about those compromises.

So, mayor, I if you're gonna do that, reopen the public hearing.

Uh reopen the public hearing.

Um just very preliminarily, um, I think you guys haven't actually expressed a lot of concern about the bungalows.

Um, I think one point that I wanted to make that the planning commissioner, I can't remember his last name that just spoke, he mentioned that this was bungalows on top of the golf course.

These are actually bungalows on top of tennis courts, and I think that's a uh a big distinction to make.

So if these bungalows were going on top of the golf course somewhere, I don't think anyone would have a problem.

The the residents, the the the guests, et cetera, are gonna impact our time and use.

And you're right, Mr.

I can read your mind.

I'm I'm not getting to the point.

My point is I think there's three compromises that we can make.

And I mentioned one to Jonathan, and he seemed to like the idea, but I know he's bound by his obligations.

One of them is we can make the one instead of having three one-store units that have uh spas and backyards in each individual unit.

I'm not sure why they all need three individual spas.

Why not make those, why not decrease the size?

Make it two stories.

You're still impeding people's views already.

So once you already have that out, make them smaller, make them two stories.

That's number one.

So now you can have the same amount and a smaller footprint.

The two-story, it wouldn't be an issue.

You've got a fence that's higher than the two-story issue.

Number two would be delete the three individual units and have them only in the new tennis area.

One of those units in the tennis area, and Jonathan corrected me, but it says on the documents, you can see them for yourself.

It says it's 3100 square foot feet.

I spoke to this at the planning commission meeting.

3100 square feet is really a large uh rental unit at the Huntington Club.

Jonathan assured me, no, no, that's 1,200 square feet of patio.

Yeah, yeah.

So it's 1,800 square feet of living space.

The average home in Huntington Beach, again, 2100 square feet, but it's 1,200 square feet of outdoor space.

Well, the whole place is outdoors.

Why can't we why can't we architecturally shrink some of that?

You could probably, if you shrink some of that outdoor space, put four units in the tennis club, and now you can preserve our recreational space.

Because again, these are impeding the tennis club, not the golf club.

So that's one.

That's so those two.

And then one other comment, if I may, Mr.

Twinnings looking at me.

But if I may, and Mr.

Grohl, to your point, you know, uh I do have some concerns, and I know members share those concerns, not only of the impact of all these extra people around using our facilities, because that hasn't been brought up.

Mr.

Uh Bailey brought that up to us in the meeting that he was nice enough to have with us.

That yeah, everybody who rents one of these is going to be using tennis courts.

They are gonna be using picklebards, pickleball courts.

So now that impacts members' time in recreational facilities.

So, you know, if we're taking now away from our recreational facilities, and I didn't know it was on a timer, sorry.

And we're taking away from our recreational facilities.

I just think there's compromises to be made from conversation.

And I do think that Mr.

Bill Mr.

Bailey uh was willing and open to some of those suggestions, not to get him in trouble, but he seemed like he was open to let's discuss, let's look at it, let's have a different architect, maybe take a look at it, was what I was gonna say.

And if I could, could I say one more thing?

Please.

I am concerned about if if I open up my phone right now, short-term rentals are illegal in Huntington Beach.

If I open my phone right now, I could find you 56, or actually more like 250 in Huntington Beach still.

We're working on that.

No, and you guys are the enforcement.

It's a sore spot.

A sore spot, and you guys are doing a phenomenal job.

But policing this stuff is difficult.

And I question how it's going to be policed, and that's all I'm gonna say.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

All right, we'll close the public hearing.

All right, Andrew.

I would say to your point, it uh in the open market, yeah, it's it's a problem, and we meet with our city manager and economic development constantly.

Um we are enforcing, you know, we we go on those websites as well, too.

If we haven't collected TOT tax from these people, we are going out with code enforcement.

There's violations being but it's a big number, but it's shrinking.

It's been a it's been a lot worse.

But you know, we're dedicating manpower and putting code enforcement fines in place.

All right.

On that point, at the club, I think the management's gonna be very easy.

Uh I mean, the first time you find somebody in there that's not a direct uh linkage to a uh as a member guest, somebody's membership is gonna be in jeopardy.

And I think we were talking about such a small scale, six units that might, you know, I don't know if it's three, four, five people in a unit, I don't know how big, you know, how many bedrooms or whatever, but every person, you know, the the velocity of people coming through is not gonna be uh at such a rate that you won't be able to really substantiate who's your member and how are you tied to them.

And I would imagine part of the protocol is gonna be the management company is gonna be reaching out to that member and making them verify that yes, that is a member guest of mine.

So I I think although there is validity to it at a citywide level, I don't think that aspect will be a problem for you.

Uh not to minimize that, but I think in in that one regard, I don't think will be an issue for you, ma'am.

All right, so I've said my piece, I think we've all said our piece.

I I'm uncomfortable with these um potential um loose ends and by giving this discretionary approval.

So I would like to make a motion just to continue this for 60 days.

I know the appellants requested a continuance.

That seems like there's a lot of details that need to be ironed out.

Um I'm hopeful that amount of time you can at least talk with your tenant about an operating agreement.

It makes sense, they're right there.

I don't think 60 days is too much of a delay.

So that's my motion on the table.

Second.

Okay, motion and a second to continue this item for 60 days.

Can I just make some questions about that, Mayor?

Sure.

Um, you know, just so that they would be clear if this were to go through, you know, just so that they understand that they're hitting certain points of performance, right?

There's an expectation that they come back and hopefully they're hitting some type of a home run here.

So maybe we should make it clear if it were to be continued, you know, what would be some of those points of performance or what's the expectation they come back with?

That way they don't keep dealing with a moving target.

That's a fair point.

Um just more clarity on the for me on the operating agreement.

Um the the lighting is a big deal.

We all talked, you know, talked about that.

Um coming back assuring us that that's been resolved.

Um, because I again I just feel like your tenant needs to be involved in this process and they're not.

Who's you know, who's paying for the the tennis courts, just kind of these like other loose ends that I don't think have been covered.

Um at least discussions with the your tenant about operating it, that would give me more comfort that we're not giving you guys a discretionary approval only for it to unwind in the future.

Um you had made comments on the planning commission that the bungalows uh will be will finance this construction, and based on the financial projections you sent me, I'm not confident you can uh rent these for 255 days at $1,500 a night uh to finance your project.

So just I've requested that this be on the agenda, your financial analysis it was not.

You asked uh I believe not to do that.

So I would like to see that.

Um anything else, Butch?

To me, that's it.

Would it would it be helpful if maybe on the operating agreement they just frame the major terms but not necessarily enter into an agreement with someone maybe they don't want to be in a relationship with okay?

Yep.

And may I ask how you arrived at 60 days?

This seems like um with 30 days.

I I know the application.

I just feel sorry to jump in.

Well, the applicant doesn't even want an extension.

The uh the the appellate, it sounds like they're they're at an impasse, but I would imagine if there's time given again, you guys can hopefully re-engage and work towards mutual benefit for the for the appellate back there.

Are you guys still willing to conduct conversations and and hopefully uh reach reach uh some harmonious uh so the the applicant's saying no, he's uh you I would imagine you're calling for a vote.

I was I was told that they had good conversations.

I was told they had conversations on Friday, um Monday, yesterday.

So I'm fine with 30 days.

I'm just trying to be realistic.

If we come back in 30 and there's still no resolution, I thought 60 again.

I'm just 30, that's fine.

Yeah, I mean for the uh the applicant, I I think just because of the emotion right now, it's it it's it's better if if we come back 30 days because if it be goes down as a no vote, I mean I think that's the end of the uh end of the line for your your hope.

And I'm not sure tonight is a good night for you to have that vote.

I'll mend the motion to continue it for 30 days.

Second mayor, do you want to put a um a date?

Date certain.

Yeah, yeah, sorry, so that would be April 21st would be 30 days.

Correct, because there's five weeks in March.

So uh to continue continue it to the April 21st city council meeting.

Do you guys feel clear on in terms of what the expectations are, applicant to to come back with not entirely, honestly.

I mean, uh, we're gonna yeah, we'll go talk to our tenant about you know a potential operating agreement, but in 30 days, I mean, if we haven't reached a deal, I mean, where where does that put us?

I'd say this is kind of the moment to work out any questions you might have.

This is the only chance you really have to have all of us.

So if you want to ask any clarifying questions, I mean I feel I feel like if if camaraderie says no, that's not gonna work for me, then by all means go on to you know, plan B.

Sure.

But I'm just I can say we we like the project.

We just think that you guys need to talk just a little bit more.

Well, it's delineated for the so number one, you don't need to name an a management company, right?

We you just need to have a framework of what's expected of your management company.

Right.

Yeah, that's fair.

Yeah.

Okay, so you don't need to name somebody just a little bit more than this is kind of our idea.

Like what's expected.

I know you've articulated, but maybe a little bit more concise, number one.

Two I I think you forget about the projections.

Nobody made a decision based on your projections.

It's gonna generate revenue, so I would say that's not even a recommendation that they have to provide financial because it I mean, or a forecast because it's gonna be speculative that anybody could say that's that's just a speculation.

So what's the point of it?

We all know it's gonna generate revenue, and they're not I think they made a mistake coming to planning saying this is how much revenue because nobody made the decision to approve from planning based on the revenue projection.

So I would imagine I would be comfortable if they just delineated it, I mean eliminated it.

I don't think we need to hold them to any I think that's why it's key with the operating agreement, right?

Because if they're not successful renting them at 255 days at $1,500 a night, what happens to those?

So that's where the operating agreement will really come into place, right?

That's a big if come.

I mean, you're asking you're asking an appellate to say if I'm losing a little bit of money, uh, what am I gonna do?

I would imagine he's got staying power.

I've read a little bit about the applicant.

Uh he's he's got assets and he can weather any negative cash flow.

Sure.

And I don't think um that this is even gonna generate negative cash flow.

It might not generate the amount of uh projected income, but uh it's not gonna sink the club if he has to write some checks to cover some negative cash flow.

I think it will be absorbed in if the profit of the club, so I don't think that's material.

But again, the club he doesn't operate the club, his tenant does.

So again, that's why I think just operating agreement will give us some some confidence, I think, in 30 days also.

They get far further down the road of updating the existing CUP for lighting that that prohibits lighting of these additional courts, which was a condition of the planning commission.

So I think in 30 days they can come back with more progress on that subsequent entitlement.

And then I'm hopeful they'll meet with the the appellant.

And it sounds like they were close on some items, at least show good faith that we've tried.

These are their requests, maybe give us their requests and come back with reasons why you guys can't do it.

And that'll just kind of show good faith in my opinion that you met with the appellant.

Uh you you can delineate their requests why you can or cannot do it.

And I think in 30 days, I'm I I think it would take 60, but if you guys want to do 30, I'm fine with that.

Yeah, and understand this this is a this is a big decision for us.

That's the only private country club in Huntington Beach.

I mean, it's the crown jewel of golf courses in Honey Beach.

I mean, we got two.

Uh, but I mean it it is a it's a beautiful club.

I can't be happy.

I mean, I've waited 30 years for the O'Hill company to come in and do a major face lift to it.

I can wait 30 more days.

I just think you guys you need to talk to the the to the appellants just a little bit more, maybe give us uh an idea of the operating agreement.

I don't care.

Honestly, I don't care if it's with camaraderie.

I would like you to know to I hope that you would negotiate with them.

Um but what you at whatever you come back with, if it's plan B, so it's plan B.

And just to councilman Williams' point, just a little more detail on that.

So if it is not them, what happens if it's a third party?

Where do they get their food and beverage from?

Who does the the room service?

Who does the laundry, like all those things would just kind of give us more me personally, more solace that there's not this open-ended loose end in the future.

Do you understand?

Yeah, I understand that part.

So I understand what we're looking for in the operating agreement, but just going back to what you said about essentially our financial pro forma is I I'm struggling to understand why we need to essentially we obviously think that this is gonna be successful, otherwise we wouldn't be doing it.

Sure.

But I don't understand why we need to essentially you know financially undress and show you, hey, this is how it's gonna be successful in order for you to vote yes or no.

No, you don't, you know.

Yeah, I think we uh we would have to strike that yeah, we should point I just made the comment that you uh during planning commission, you guys said this project was gonna be financed by the bungalows.

So I decided if I mean that is that is the idea is that the bungalows are you know the revenue from that is gonna help us pay for you know because we're not getting any money from you know the new clubhouse.

But again, like to Mr.

Attorney Big Liotta said this is land use, so I'm fine removing that requirement.

I think it's just you know the lighting, the the baseline of an operating agreement meeting with the appellant.

I was I would like to see their so further the so further good faith negotiations with the appellant, yep, outline of an operating agreement, and then further further progress on the lighting application.

And then resolution that the current lighting's been resolved for the neighbors, and then with the appellant, if you could just come back with their requests and then yes or no and why why not?

So I'm confused.

Yeah.

You want us to ask Travis if he's changed his mind and he wants to operate the bungalows?

Is that what you want us to ask?

Again, and we don't I don't think that's a requirement.

No.

The answer is you said in good faith you would, but even if you didn't, that's not uh a prerequisite for how I'm gonna vote.

I think they just want to see how the operating agreement would be somewhat framed uh for any management company.

Yeah, because the ultimately one of the biggest concerns.

So that there's con so that there is insurance to the residents that are concerned about non-members and outside folk coming to the to the club.

Any any lease with them would honor what we've promised.

It's only members and guests of members, period.

Yeah, that part's seems completely manageable and self-explanatory.

Casey, you keep saying, like, where they're gonna do the laundry and get the food.

I mean, let's ask him the question do you plan on being able to serve the food from your current restaurant at the club and use any laundry facilities?

So we have a laundry facility in the plan.

Okay, in the new club.

That's laundry, and then for the food and beverage.

Well, but we have a laundry facility in the plan, and then food and beverages, we're adding to food and beverage essentially stations, whatever you want to call them, to that side of the world, to the tenants of pickleball side of the world.

And on top of that, is beyond a duty to cooperate in the agreement to master plan with Travis, you know, I would think financially it's in Travis's best interest to serve those that are staying at the bungalows and lofts.

I mean, why would he not want to sell more food and beverage?

Right.

So I mean that's the one.

My concern is that is that Travis, I believe, doesn't want to operate the bungalows.

So now we have to go out and find another operator and negotiate an agreement.

No, I I no no no, no.

We really need to give him clarity on the case.

Yeah, we just I think we've sent him down uh the we just want the framework of how the operating agreement would work, right?

With whether with Travis or somebody else, especially if it's somebody else, because the new clubhouse you're gonna build, Travis is gonna operate that, correct?

What do you want them to detail in the operating agreement?

And I'm asking seriously, yeah.

Like if I'm if I'm Mr.

O'Hill and this gentleman, Jonathan, what do you want to document to say that satisfies what you're looking for?

I guess to remove the conflict if your current tenant is not the operator.

What walk through that framework of then a third party and how that would function with your tenant in a facility that he operates?

So the the new tennis clubhouse would be operated by Travis, correct?

Yeah, I mean with the new laundry room operator by the.

I want to be in the in the um bungalow business.

That's his position.

Now maybe when it gets built and he sees it, maybe you'll change his mind, and we would be open to that.

Again, does this this the bungalows is such a big piece and this is where people are getting caught up?

So but the operating agreement framework I'd like to see then is assuming then that Travis would not operate it for you and bring in a third party.

How does that work?

What are the logistics behind that?

The machinations I I get yes, I I understand the request.

I guess my question is does that I mean, is that you know, land use in terms of hey, you're allowed, you know, this makes sense, you're you're approved for the discretionary entitlement to build the bungalows and lofts and do the hunting in the club improvements, or is that more getting into you know, essentially our business.

That's a discretionary approval, right?

To give you guys this lodging as part of the entitlement, correct?

I mean uh I'm getting lost in this.

I mean, wouldn't they have something that details in in why they would have to say now your responsibilities are for checking in, checking out the guests, verifying who they are, uh changing the beds, laundry service, meeting the needs of the customers, making sure they're parked correctly, um, you know, basically just operational um logic.

I mean, is that what you're looking for them to detail like I'm gonna do this company will do laundry and change the sheets, collecting the code.

No, I'm looking at more I'm looking at more of the third-party operator operator, how this would work with your current tenant who operates the entire facility.

That to me, that's the conflict, and that's the discretionary approvals.

We're giving you guys bungalows, but yet your tenant has not agreed to operate them.

So in that case, you'd have to go out to the third party operator.

So I'm just looking for that framework of those fine details with that third party operator who now has to work with your tenant who operates the rest of the facility.

If we give you guys this discretionary entitlement, you don't have that button up.

Now you've got bungalows that are built and no one operates them because your current tenant decides not to operate them.

So then your default is okay.

We'll have a third party operator.

Okay, how does that operating agreement work with your current tenant who's operating the entire facility?

That's what I'm looking for.

It's to resolve that conflict.

Jonathan's point, maybe what you made earlier is that they're contractually obligated to cooperate.

Correct.

So I I'm just saying agreement.

Yeah, and and so mayor, I I I understand what you're asking for.

I get it.

I'm just saying, you know, for instance, you know, we agreed to another condition of approval at the planning commission hearing that it's only going to be members and guests of members.

So since that's a condition of approval, obviously that would have to be part of any operating agreement, whether it's with camaraderie or someone else.

It's like, you know, I I just you we already know that's going to be in the framework of the agreement.

Um but again, so that third party would then have to coordinate with your tenant who has the roster of members.

But they have the agreements already staked and they have a duty to cooperate.

Yeah, I'm not sure what Travis shared with you.

I don't know about that conversation, but I just went through I read the entire agreement to master plan to do that.

So maybe when you come when you guys come back in 30 days, or that then the next count the April 21st council meeting, you can have snippets of your agreement to give us comfort.

Hey, in this conflict in this future scenario, if our current tenant does not want to operate these bungalows, here in our agreement, he's obligated to coordinate with our third party management company.

We'll have an agreement with the operator.

And if the operator violates the agreement, they will be removed.

Just like any other tenant.

You can't you have to abide by the lease.

The lease says members and guests of members.

If they violate that, then they will no longer be the tenant.

So you've you referenced that you have the share you've you've got the shared uh use in the agreement to the master plan, and Casey's saying bring the snippet like code 7.5 says you have to share information.

I mean, it's kind of a minuscule request because I yeah, I believe you know they already have a document.

I guess he wants you to bring in shows section five point two.

There's an agreement to share information.

Yeah.

And if you don't have that, maybe you have you draft an amended document that says you will have to share, so there's enforceability.

Oh, sorry, I mean we have a negotiated that operating agreement.

No, but he's talking about the agreement to master plan where Travis has a duty to the agreement.

So I'm saying, yeah, I mean we have it.

Yeah, sure.

So there's so that puts to rest any enforceability.

I guess maybe that's what he's looking for.

How will you enforce?

Well, we have this we have this language.

Maybe that is what he's looking for.

Yeah.

It might be that we're just kind of stuck on this one last part, and it seems like everything else, all the other questions we're satisfied in terms of clarity on who's paying for it.

We've got that figured out, the lighting thing going forward, got that figured out.

So it just comes down to the framework of this operating agreement.

And then when we're getting into the details of what that looks like, does it just it's beginning to feel like we're kind of grinding them down a little bit much?

I guess do we really need to push this thing forward 30 days at this point when it's something like this?

Is it worth the staff time?

Is it worth the extra time and the cost?

Also think too, part of the agreement for that was the appellant requested it.

I think 30 days is from what I've been told, they've had some good conversations.

There's some potential compromises on the site plan and those details.

So I think in 30 days they can come back to us at a minimum if you guys want to remove the operating agreement piece, at least show what the applicant they met about, what the requests were, if they could can or cannot satisfy them and then get back to us on the lighting and get it further down the road, because that is a piece of entitlement that they don't control.

That's another piece of entitlement is the lighting that's very a big piece that the planning commission made a condition on.

So it's a whole separate entitlement.

So I think that that there's validity there.

Okay.

So maybe we you know, we like Councilman Williams said, we loosen the range, have your conversations.

The one thing you guys do need to address is what happens if you don't get the ability to light 11 through 16.

What would you do?

That that is one thing that's really finite.

It's part of your plan that's still not confirmed.

I I mean, I guess I would ask back, you know, what would you like us to?

What would you be looking for?

I mean, because we're I mean, I think Joanna and Jennifer can tell you.

I mean, we are fully proceeding in good faith.

We want these courts lit, it's good for everybody.

It's good for us, it's good for Travis, it's good for the members.

We want these courts lit.

And you know, I've been working my butt off, figure out exactly what the best lighting consultant is or who the best lighting consultant is, what the best lighting technology is, you know, every other kind of mitigation measure we can do with the blackout blankets, with uh shielding on the lights, all sorts of things to you know get this thing approved.

But yeah, I mean it you're right, it's not a guarantee, you never know.

It has to go to planning commission, and I agree with councilman Williams, where since the planning commission kind of made the condition, you would kind of think that we have a pretty good chance of getting it approved, but once again, never a guarantee.

So what would what would uh what essentially what would satisfy the council in that regard?

And I think I think we got to stop because this will this could potentially come back before the body.

And I think I think we got to stop because this will this could potentially come back before the body, so they gotta work that out, and that needs to move through the process.

Okay, so you want to let's give them some clear directions to be fair to everybody.

Okay, so let me revise my motion again.

Continue it to the date certain of Jennifer, help me out April 21st to meet with the appellant, discuss their requests, report back to us what they talked about, why are they why they can or cannot meet them, and then give us more certainty on the the lighting, their plan for the lighting, because that is a separate discretionary tunnel with the planning commission, and confirm that the current lighting violation has been resolved.

Yeah, if I was you guys, I would shut those lights off on 1011 for good.

Absolutely.

I I want to until you get the next uh move forward.

Yeah, I want to make a comment about that.

Is that I had heard a couple months ago when I was starting to do some community outreach about LED lights on court 11, but the way I heard about them, it sounded like that was a thing, but they weren't a thing anymore.

I think a combination of members not liking playing on those courts, like the lights didn't work that well, and obviously it was probably affecting the homeowners.

And then, you know, I had conversations with Mr.

Jensen, you know, leading up to our submission of the of the lighting application.

He had made comments about lights on courts 10, court 10, which is allowed to be lit, and how right now those lights filter into his house.

I don't remember, and I mean maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't remember him mentioning anything about lights on court eleven filtering into his house, just on court 10, which right like I said, I mean, those are legit tennis lights, those are allowed to be lit.

So this wasn't a problem that we were aware of.

Councilman Gruel, I agree with you.

You know, that's something that is our responsibility to take care of when we're made aware of it.

And I've never heard of lights on court 12.

So now that we are made aware of it, if they're still there, I mean the the call's going out tomorrow to get those taken down.

All right.

Do I have a motion to have a second?

Second.

Can you repeat the motion one more time?

Sorry.

Yes.

So to uh continue.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

For sure, for sure.

Continue the the meeting to April 21st with the requirement that they meet with the appellant, report back to us about the appellants' requests, and then their answers why they can why they can or cannot satisfy them.

Uh confirmation that the current lighting violation has been resolved, and then what's their plan to uh light the courts uh for their other discretionary approval through planning commission fair?

Clarification on the last part.

You mean basically a status update as to where that application is?

Please with a little more details on the lights you're gonna use technology and satisfying neighbors' concerns and all that stuff.

Okay.

Good.

That's that's everybody's clear now.

Okay.

Madam Clerk, please call the rule.

This is just for the 30-day extension, correct?

Yes.

Motion made by Mayor McKeon to um move to April 21st date certain to return with the items outlined by Mayor McKeon.

Councilmember Grohl.

Yes.

Councilmember Kennedy.

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Twine.

Yes.

Mayor McKeon.

Yes.

Mayor uh Councilman Burns.

Hi.

Councilman Williams.

Yes.

Item passes 6-0.

Thank you, everyone.

Appreciate the patience.

All right, uh point of order.

Guys, do you mind if we move item 23 up?

Because Ryan is sugar away now in the lobby.

All right.

Yep.

Okay.

So I mean.

Ryan, you want to cruise up?

All right.

Big dog night, the ultimate dog.

HB's dog.

I don't know if the camera can get on sugar coming up.

That'd be awesome.

There she is.

Hall of Famer.

Score right by the yeah, up here, and then you're all right.

So I know all of us support this item, and only three of us can actually put on the agenda, but we wanted to declare each December 5th as sugar the surfing dog day.

So Sugar is HB's own Hall of Fame champion.

She's a six-time winner of the Surf City Dog Championship.

Five time world dog surfing champion with twenty-one first place trophies and thirty-four trophies overall.

Three time Puriner Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge Trophy holder for the Malibu Classic and Santa Cruz Longboard Union Contest.

And four time Helen Woodward Animal Hospital Dogathon champ.

Sugar was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame on December 5th, 2024.

She's a beloved member of the HP community, and sugar will always be in the lineup and in our hearts.

And as I told Ryan, I don't think there's a dog that's lived a better life.

And Ryan hasn't seen this yet.

Surfing with sugar here.

And um she's definitely um changed not just my life, but uh she's been kind of an era, and uh I'm gonna just really try to hold it together because um yeah, I just wanna I just thank you guys, you know, you guys, you know, just for um there's a lot of uh very important things going on in this town.

There's a lot of uh serious things going on, and I just feel I just feel like that for you guys acknowledging this this stuff right here, too, is uh a big deal, and it just means a lot.

And uh this is why I changed my life for this right here.

You know what I mean?

This is why the I got sober for these moments like this, and uh to be you know yeah, just I I could go.

I don't even know what I'm talking about.

Oh, and uh oh, wait, can uh say that uh I got I got a I got Casey uh she'll be able to I just don't want her to fall, but I wanted to show this uh picture to Casey.

She's fine, she's got it.

She never falls.

Yeah, she'll be I just got this uh present.

I want to get a big this was her last wave from uh last two last weekend actually on Saturday.

Um we had we caught her last wave because we just had she's really just been declining fast and uh we have to turn around Ryan turn around, yeah.

So you can see down below.

There you go.

See, there you go.

Oh yeah, she um this is just a gift to you guys, but uh this is I can't believe she's just such an absolute legend.

That was an amazing day.

It was last week, and I went out, it was offshore wind and brought my kids down and they're getting pelted with sand.

And the firemen did an awesome job bringing uh Ryan and Sugar down, and she's she got the biggest.

I think it's their biggest wave, but I think shape wise it looked amazing.

That was just if you would have known the week before what I've just been dealing with the three weeks, two months ago.

She's been having this rapid breathing issue that's got some scans done, and then they tell me she's full of cancer, and then just like it, and just really been tough, but we're just gonna just keep keep volunteering and keep just keep uh keep it light.

We already caught our last wave, so we're just gonna just kind of what do you call it?

We're just gonna go on the yeah, chill out.

So no, I think it's amazing.

I mean, you know, we we thought it was really important to obviously do this while she's still with us, and Ryan's an uh amazing human being.

He you know goes to the VA all the time with sugar and his other dogs, and he paints for the veterans and he's like a total angel.

I mean, I remember Ryan, you know, came up a couple years ago and um introduced us to sugar and was like, why aren't you guys acknowledging her?

And then we did research and realized how amazing she is.

And next thing you know, she's on my independence day float, and all the crowd love sugar and tears in a row.

And I became, you know, Pat and I and Gracie and everything, butch as well, become good friends with Ryan.

He's definitely changed my life, and uh we want to honor you, man, and honor sugar, and we're really happy for you.

So congrats, my friend.

We're gonna take a photo with you, yeah.

Yeah, let's go.

Yeah.

What do I do?

Oh, okay.

Thanks.

Okay, sorry.

Yes, sure.

Three sixty is just hard to go right.

That's what you come up, yeah.

Okay, cool.

So to wrap that up, I want to make a motion to declare each December 5th as sugar the surfing dog day in Huntington Beach forevermore.

Second.

All right.

Seconded by Pat Ambuch.

Yeah.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman Gruel?

Yes.

Councilman Kennedy.

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Twine?

Yes.

Mayor McKeon.

Yes.

Councilman Burns.

Hi.

Councilman woman Vandermark.

Yes.

Councilman Williams?

Yes.

I didn't pass the seven zero.

And Vic, just to clarify, you'll bring back a resolution for us to awesome.

Thank you.

All right, going back to the agenda.

Let's see.

So city managers report item number 15.

Yes, thank you, Mayor and City Council.

Um, so tonight we have a uh informational item only.

Um this is on upcoming adjustments to our refuse rates for some state laws and some changes to our landfill that will be coming to residents and back to city council in the future for um for review.

And I'd like to introduce um Deborah Jabinsky in our public works department to provide um this up these updates and the information.

Thank you, Travis.

Hello, Mayor and Council members.

Um I am here tonight to preview for you some proposed upcoming changes, as Travis said to our refuse rates and services.

Um they'll be announced in the community and brought forward to you at an upcoming meeting.

So the first issue is a new countywide agreement for the use of the county landfill system.

And um the next part would be the new organic recycling programs and rates that um the city is required to implement under state law SB 1383.

So the county landfill disposal agreement is a new 10-year agreement.

The county calls it WISE, which is an acronym for a lot of um words, waste infrastructure system enterprise disposal agreement.

And it replaces our current landfill disposal agreement, which expires on June 30 of this year.

Um all cities and special districts in the county operate under the current agreement.

It's anticipated that we will all join in and operate under this new proposed agreement.

Um a coalition of cities formed a commute uh committee to evaluate and negotiate the terms of this proposed new agreement under the Orange County City Managers Association, and it does provide a substantial 85% increase in landfill disposal fees over what we currently pay.

Um a phased-in structure of rates over the next three years will help smooth the impact to our customers.

So the next part of this is a change in state law.

Um it's commonly known as SB 1383, and this law is the one that mandates that all California residents and businesses must recycle organics.

It puts the responsibility on the city and our hauler and service provider republic services to develop and implement the programs necessary to collect and recycle food scraps and other organic material.

So the proposed solutions to these two issues is uh threefold.

There's actually three pieces to it.

So the first would be to adopt the WISE agreement.

Um, despite the 85% increase in rates, it still provides the most cost-effective and feasible option for our current and long-term disposal needs.

The second part of this would be to amend our Republic Services Solid Waste Franchise Agreement because SB 1383 wasn't contemplated when this agreement was originally adopted 20 years ago, and we have just a little over 11 years remaining on our current term.

So we have this agreement, which is good through June 30, 2037.

So we do need an amendment to even provide the services.

And then the final piece would be to adopt the rates necessary to pay for the increased costs and the new services.

So the proposed new rates, republic's costs for both residential and commercial services and the landfill increases were reviewed and vetted both by staff and by our solid waste consultant, a firm called H F.

Um, it ensured that all the components are correct, the math is right, and it's aligned with industry standards and gives us programs that would be compliant with SB 1383.

So for commercial and multifamily, the services are provided via direct contract and direct billing from Republic to those customers.

Um the cost for commercial and trash and recycling will increase by about 12 to 14 percent, with some larger increases for the organics only services.

Um, and only the businesses, of course, that generate the materials will be enrolled in those services.

So for residential, the proposed um new program will be for residents to place their food scraps in their green yard waste container.

Households that do not currently use a green yard waste container will be given one.

Um the confined material will be collected, processed, and taken to a permitted facility for composting.

That's different than the facilities that handle the current material in the green cart, which is yard waste only.

So it's all specialized, it's all permitted by the state, and um all those resources had to be identified and secured.

So as proposed, um the monthly increase starting July 2nd would be 364, the monthly rate, excuse me.

That's an increase of seven dollars and fifty-eight cents per household per month.

Um this includes the landfill costs, the costs of the republic providing those organic services that are different than the services they currently provide to the households, and the other state required things that we have to do, such as inspection education, enforcement, and all of um the reporting and tracking that's necessary for SB 1383.

And again, these increases would be phased in over three years to smooth the impact on customers.

So upcoming action items.

Um first and foremost, the city is following requirements provided in the California Constitution that's um require us to provide notice to any affected residential customers of the proposed new rates.

So we'll direct mail a notice to all the affected residential customers, no later than April 3rd, giving all the details on the proposed rate increase and what that entails.

Um on May 19th, we'll be back before council, and we will be asking you to conduct a public hearing to consider the proposed residential rates, and also on May 19th, we'll be asking you to consider the introduction of an ordinance amending the republic franchise in order to provide the services and rate structures not listed here, um, but also part of the upcoming actions would be the adoption of the WISE agreement with the county.

So this concludes my preview presentation, and I'm happy to feel any questions you might have.

Questions, anyone?

I just wanted um to bring up some of the issues.

So this is going to increase the rates, and I just want to point that this is not something the city wants to do.

This is something that came from Sacramento from it's SB 1383.

Could you get into a little more detail as of to where it originated from and how it got to us?

So S SB 1383 um came through the state legislature.

It wasn't um like a ballot proposition item or anything, it was actually adopted and chaptered in 2016, and then it took the state several years to get through the regulatory process to adopt the regulations and the regulatory framework that we all have to follow to implement it.

Um technically, it went into effect uh January 1, 2022.

So we're behind.

Um we did get some allowances for COVID and all of the things that were going on during that era, but um the the city we're at the time where we have to do this, and yes, it's not probably programs we would have chosen to implement in our community, but we are required to do so.

Thank you.

Well what I learned from our meeting was as Gracie pointed out, it's very important for our residents to know this is not uh city originated, but more importantly, uh to ease the pain of the increases.

We were able to uh take the increases and break it out over a three-year implementation period.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

So that's it's kind of a component of both the landfill increase, which is you know a part of the the rates that are charged and the fees that are charged to the customers, and then also the the SB 1383 programs that republic will be providing, and those also are phased in over three years.

So that um initial rate that I showed for residential, the 3664, um, it will phase in with another, there's like another two dollars and something that would come in 2027, and another dollar and something that comes in 2028, plus CPI and all of the the other um components of the typical residential rate.

So it's it's all going to be explained in the um community notification that will go out to the affected ratepayers.

So, yes, there are increases.

Yes, we were able to phase them in over three years in also these are passed through costs, these are not profit centers or originated by the city.

It's important to, you know, I know I'm saying the same thing, but you know, our residents are you know highly um aware of every you know increase in rightfully so.

So these are things that we have zero control over.

So we've done the best we can to mitigate the pain all at once.

Some cities are implementing it all at one time, right?

The rate, the rate increase, or is everybody doing a three-year phase in?

I think every city is um doing its, you know, whatever is best for itself.

I don't know specifically if other cities have phased in.

Okay.

Well, we are, you know, to the we are.

And we did that in consideration and to help mitigate the impact on the residents.

Nobody takes a rate increase slightly, small or large, and and this one is is you know fairly significant.

So it's something that we that we took seriously.

And we appreciate that.

And the other thing I wanted to point out, um, thank you for staying so late, Miss Kylie.

It's been a long night.

Um, so the original agreement it's very old, and from what I heard it was you know eight to ten pages.

So we've taken this opportunity to put some you know preventative measures, liquidated damages in into the new contracts.

So there's a little bit more expectation uh and a little bit more uh teeth that we have as residents if there's stoppages and things like that.

So we did take the opportunity to amend the contract and and put in some different things that our residents, you know, we're asking, well, what what do you do if they don't pick up our trash?

We didn't really have the teeth that we do now have, is that correct?

We've put in some additional uh expectations and liquidated damages for performance and things like that.

Is that correct?

Under our current agreement, there are a lot of um performance measures that aren't stated, and honestly, we have a great relationship.

Yeah, no, they're fantastic.

And so they they they're performing a lot of those measures and meeting those targets on if a pickup is missed when they go back and how long it takes.

Um so they're they're already doing that, but yes, you're exactly right.

We're using the um amendment process to define some of that, and that's good for us.

It's good for our customers, and it's it's also good for Republic, frankly, because then there's no ambiguity.

Yeah.

And my closing thought is they've been fantastic.

They are trash picks pickup is always on time.

They're great, their drivers are great.

I posted something a year or two ago about this delightful young lady who was driving the truck and put it on some of the forms, got like a thousand likes.

She was so pleasant.

They've got great people, great facilities, great management.

So I just wanted to point that out for the residents.

We're we're doing what we can to make the most of you know a price increase.

Right now it goes just in the regular blue can, not the blue, the uh brown can and goes to a landfill, right?

It's the food waste organics, yes.

And so what are they plan on achieving?

Just make more compost out of it with the green grass and all that stuff.

So it will go to composting, yes.

So what are they gonna do with that compost?

So currently um the compost is available, for instance.

We pick up compost from the county for free and we distribute it for free to our residents.

Um they can come pick it up anytime.

We have a self-service compost station at the corporate yard.

Um we have mandates, part of the law is there's a procurement requirement.

So we're actually required to purchase a specific amount or utilize a specific amount of compost and mulch in our city.

So our landscape contracts now have some language built in requiring our landscapers to use compost and mulch that's l locally derived or California derived.

Um there's a there's a lot of layers to the costing a lot of money, huh?

This is I mean, really to put this into I mean I've looked into it a little bit, and it's costing a lot of money and uh it's just kind of another genius move by Sacramento, I think.

Well, even on that, I mean enforcement.

So how do you enforce that someone's putting food waste in their green trash can?

Well, we're required to lid lift, so put the rate increases, let look the lid look inside.

It's the when though, like when that's on the curb or when it's on the curb?

It's on the curb, yes.

Yeah, the cost benefit just doesn't seem to be the cost benefit just doesn't seem to be there.

Yeah, I I just want to quick diatra one question.

So this is an unfunded mandate coming down from Sacramento.

We we we face this entire debacle with recycling originally, the CRV program has become you know, it's just it's fraud.

I mean, that's really what it is, because especially when we were trying to do all the composting originally when I open up my first restaurants, only to find out the significant significant majority of it just was commingled anyways and wasn't even properly disposed of.

There was no place to do it.

I'm glad to see that we're actually implementing a lot of the composting program, but at the end of the day, this is gonna cost the residents a ton of money.

But more importantly, is as Casey brings up, I'm thinking about the enforcement piece of this and how food service operators and restaurants now we have to carry huge green bins, and in many cases restaurants don't have the space.

So from the perspective of the city permitting and codes, et cetera, and I've I've spoken about this with public works, is that in the event that we restaurants don't have the space to carry a whole nother organic compost bin, how are we going to, or maybe it's a question for republic?

I don't know.

How are we going to be able to uh make certain uh exceptions when there's no space to even have the bins so the law does allow for us as a city to dis to determine who we can make an exception for for space um and uh if they're just not generating the threshold amount of material so there is a process where the um business can get a waiver or an exemption of the service?

Does the does the exemption come would it so it comes from the city?

Comes from the city, yes.

Okay, and so we've been um piloting that so to speak um with republic already.

So republic staff goes out, they make an evaluation, they submit a form to us, we review the form and grant or ask more questions or go out ourselves and take a look.

But but there is a process.

Okay, okay, that's good to know.

So any anybody who's aware of that and also for all of us to consider and think about, especially when it comes to the way in which this is gonna hurt our business community because these rates are specifically for residents, but then the rates are also gonna go up significantly for all the businesses as well on the commercial side of things.

So uh for the commercial side of things, the regular dumpster rate is uh like 12 to 14 percent, but that's primarily due to the landfill increase.

The recycling rates go up a little bit too, to also like 12 to 14 percent.

Um, and then the organics rates are they're higher, but it's to reflect the actual cost of providing that service.

It's an expensive service.

So thank you.

Anybody else?

Uh just so these businesses they can apply for an exemption and then it's simply the city council's discretion on whether or not, or is maybe it's a zoning administrator decision.

It would be public work staff discretion.

Okay.

And and it it they have to meet criteria.

We can't just say, okay, you know, sure sounds good, you don't want to do it.

It they have to either not generate the material or legitimately not have the space for another container.

Got it.

And in Huntington Beach, that's more common than you would think.

It's an older city, there's small enclosures downtown, is I mean the alleys and things are so tight, so it it's a space constraint is a a real issue here.

Just one last question on enforcement.

So I have a a trash bag in my kitchen, put it in there, tie it up tight, throw it in the in the brown bin.

So they're gonna come lift my lid and like cut my bag open to see if there's no organic waste in there.

I can't answer that question at this time because we haven't implemented lid lifting, but um hopefully no, we wouldn't be doing that.

So lid lifting is it just random auditing essentially, or like who gets lid lifted?

Is that I mean there's a certain percentage that we're supposed to inspect based on routing and things, there's a there's a the protocol we have to follow.

You guys already do that with green bins, right?

Anyways, feel like I've seen it.

People throwing trash in the green bins.

I've seen them get busted.

I saw a neighbor on my street, they got a little thing that we didn't pick you up because we saw trash, there are cinder blocks in his green.

Yeah, that's so that would be most of that kind of stuff would be driver originated because they know when they're when they're using the automatic arm to lift the container and it's you know 150 pounds too heavy for the machinery that that's generally how those originate now.

So in regards to in regards to compliance oversight, infrastructure management of this program, how many how much will it cost us on the administrative side in regards to the city it's like itself?

Are we gonna have lit uh are we gonna put out uh uh um job offers for lid lifters?

How many new roles do you think we'll need, or are we gonna kind of just dilute it and emulsify it into the existing roles that we have?

So a lot of the services will be provided by republic staff um where and that's part of the rates that are being implemented.

Okay.

We anticipate adding one full-time employee on the city side, and that will be shared between residential and commercial.

So um it won't exclusively affect the network administration or for compliance management?

Mostly for compliance and enforcement because enforcement is something we can't delegate um under the law.

To Republic.

Correct.

Yes.

We're the we're the municipality, we're the we we're the ones that have to issue any w warnings and notifications.

Uh thank you.

All right, thank you.

That was uplifting.

Thank you.

All right.

Moving on to consent.

Item 16 through 21.