Huntington Beach City Council/Public Financing Authority Regular Meeting – August 18, 2026

The Huntington Beach City Council met on August 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The agenda included study sessions on the Landify proposal for repurposing the former gun range and on proposed improvements to the Huntington Beach Sports Complex. The council also considered the introduction of a police officers' memorandum of understanding (MOU), approved consent calendar items, discussed design for an America 250 plaque, and introduced two ordinances related to parking and beach regulations. Public comments covered a range of topics including police compensation, the sports complex, flock cameras, and financial concerns.

Consent Calendar

• Items 19–25 were approved unanimously (7-0). These included: approving minutes (July 21, 2026); a license agreement with Saddleback Church for the Senior Center; authorizing a DHCS/CalOptima agreement for fire services; approving the Operation Stonegarden grant for police; adopting a resolution for the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program; amending the West Orange County Water Board budget; and approving the response letter to the Orange County Grand Jury report on PFAS.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Pat Goodman urged the council to postpone the police MOU (item 26) until after the November election, citing a $31 million structural deficit and the appearance of political influence.
• Mary Mattis requested a pedestrian safety measure (flashing stop sign or signal) at the intersection of 11th Street, Lake Street, and Memphis Avenue, noting dangerous conditions for students and families.
• Frank Legrosso, Finance Commission chair, asked the council to refer the police MOU to the Finance Commission for objective financial analysis, similar to the sports complex review.
• Reed Parker (HBPD detective) and several other officers (Nicholas, Taylor, Bernard Atkins, James Bulls) spoke in support of the police MOU, arguing that competitive compensation is essential for recruitment and retention as staffing has fallen below 200 sworn officers and the department struggles with unfilled positions and overtime.
• Dane Sensor criticized the city's handling of small businesses, specifically mentioning Basilico's restaurant and asking the council to join a lawsuit against the governor.
• Amory Ant and Roz Price supported the America 250 plaque design.
• Andy Einhorn criticized Councilman Twining for his actions regarding signs on a wall, alleging illegal cell phone use and misinterpretation of symbols.
• Tim Geddes raised questions about the design of the America 250 plaque and offered a "meritorious minute" on candidate Brenda Glim.
• Ryan Wynne (performance coach) spoke about the sports complex, emphasizing the need for turf improvements and better facilities to compete with other venues, and noted that less than one in four American kids get required daily activity.
• Multiple speakers (including Kanan Durham, Ellen Riley, Mia, Bethany Webb) criticized the police MOU, the city's financial management, the air show deal, lawsuits, and the use of flock cameras (automated license plate readers). They requested agendizing a review of flock cameras and releasing usage policies.
• Parker Bosworth asked the council to direct staff to agendize a full review of the flock contract.
• Eric Richmond Massey made statements about housing and city employees.

Discussion Items

• Landify Study Session (Item 17): Chris Cole (Community and Library Services) and Jonathan Bryden (Landify) presented a proposal to transform the defunct outdoor gun range in Central Park East (8 acres, contaminated soil) into usable open park space. Landify would import clean soil from construction sites, using tipping fees to fund the landform creation; the city would incur no upfront costs. Council discussion focused on feasibility, contamination, and the MOU process. The council directed staff to draft an MOU for a feasibility study.
• Huntington Beach Sports Complex Study Session (Item 18/Item 26-723): Zach Zithisakthanakul (CFO) and Commissioner Dave Chennault presented the Finance Commission's eight recommendations: (1) CEQA first, no agreements until complete; (2) issue an RFI to maximize value; (3) all upgrades follow city procurement rules; (4) establish minimum base rent plus revenue share; (5) modernize parking and field use rates; (6) independent audit of HBSC partners; (7) move agreement oversight to Treasury/legal; (8) public engagement before facility changes. The commission highlighted that the sports complex loses about $1 million annually, usage is declining, and 80% of revenue comes from parking. The council discussed the recommendations and agreed to continue discussions in breakout groups, with no formal vote.
• Police Officers' MOU (Item 26): Assistant City Manager Marissa Sur introduced the proposed three-year MOU with base salary increases of 8%, 4%, and 5% (total projected cost ~$9.8 million). The item was for introduction only; a final vote was scheduled for September 1 or 15. Councilman Kennedy moved to refer the MOU to the Finance Commission for a financial impact analysis and to direct the city manager and CFO to prepare a 5-10 year financial analysis on bankruptcy risk. After a substitute motion to move staff recommended action failed (3-4), Kennedy's motion was amended to a two-week timeline and passed 4-3 (Gruel, Van Der Mark, Williams opposed; Kennedy, Twining, McKeon, Burns in favor). The Finance Commission will report back at the next meeting.
• America 250 Plaque (Item 27): Staff presented two design options after input from the Historic Resources Board and Community and Library Services Commission. Council members preferred a cleaner design (left-side rendering) with stacked names and larger cannon images, but needed to verify sandblasting feasibility. Councilman Burns offered to remove his name to make room for Medal of Honor recipients. The item was not finalized; staff will work with the vendor and return with a revised design.
• Ordinances for Introduction (Item 28): Two ordinances were introduced: Ordinance 4350 updating parking meter regulations (Chapter 10) to allow modern technology (e.g., multi-space pay stations, eliminating coin payment requirement), and Ordinance 4351 clarifying beach regulations (Chapter 13.08) including definitions of facilities and permit requirements for commercial/organized activities. Both passed 7-0.

Key Outcomes

• Police MOU (Item 26): The council referred the proposed MOU to the Finance Commission for a financial impact analysis and directed the city manager and CFO to prepare a 5-10 year financial analysis on bankruptcy risk. The commission must report back within two weeks (by next meeting on September 1, 2026). The staff-recommended substitute motion to proceed with the MOU failed 3-4.
• Landify (Item 17): Council directed staff to draft an MOU with Landify for a feasibility study on the former gun range site. No city funds are committed at this stage.
• Sports Complex (Item 18/Item 26-723): No formal vote; the council agreed to continue discussions via breakout groups with city staff, Finance Commission, and partners.
• America 250 Plaque (Item 27): Staff will work with the sandblast vendor to determine feasibility of the preferred design and bring back a revised version.
• Consent Calendar: Approved 7-0.
• Ordinances: Introduced 7-0; second reading and adoption will occur at a future meeting.