Huntington Beach City Council/Public Financing Authority Regular Meeting – October 6, 2026

The City Council/Public Financing Authority met on October 6, 2026, beginning with a closed session at 4:00 PM and reconvening publicly at 6:00 PM. The meeting included an invocation, pledge of allegiance, council member comments, a Mayor’s Spotlight presentation, business highlights, community event announcements, a public hearing, consent calendar, and several discussion items. Key topics included the annual assessment for the Downtown Business Improvement District, legislative advocacy contracts, a lease assignment for the Park Bench Cafe, a firefighters grant, Main Street seatwall improvements, introduction of a police management MOU, establishment of an Art Center Advisory Committee, and a new item on the Independence Day Celebration Finance Subcommittee.

Consent Calendar

• Items 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22 were approved unanimously (7-0). These included: approval of minutes (14), quarterly listing of professional services contracts (15), HBTBID annual report for FY 2026-27 (17), a workers’ compensation third-party administration contract (20), rejection of bids for the Well 4 Facilities Upgrades Project (21), and award of a construction contract for Newland House Museum & Water Tower Restoration (22). Items 16, 18, 19, and 23 were pulled for individual discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ryan Rustin (owner of Sugar the Surfing Dog) expressed gratitude to the council for inducting his dog into the Surfing Hall of Fame and praised the city’s improvements, safety, and business climate. He endorsed incumbents.
• A candidate for city council (name not given) criticized the council for name-calling and costly lawsuits, calling for respectful, transparent leadership and responsible spending.
• Jeannie Paris celebrated the record-breaking Pacific Air Show attendance and cited a 27% reduction in crime and the greatest reduction in homelessness since 2022.
• A resident thanked the council for cleaning up Main Street, removing homeless encampments, and restoring planters and fountains.
• Dean Schwartz advocated for non-smokers’ rights, citing health hazards of secondhand smoke and urging the council to take action.
• Janet (last name not provided) supported incumbents, noting decreased homelessness and increased safety, and dismissed claims of a bad reputation.
• Another speaker listed council accomplishments: fighting state housing mandates, cutting red tape, reducing homelessness by over 20%, and strengthening police force.
• Nadim Altamimi and Nick Torres opposed the sister city relationship with Ramat Gan, Israel, calling it an endorsement of genocide and espionage risks. Torres also accused council members of being “bought and sold by Zionist paymasters.”
• Linda defended the sister city relationship, citing Judeo-Christian values and blessing Israel.
• Perry Clitheroe criticized the council for not having a housing element update on the agenda, calling their zoning policies misguided and illegal, and endorsed the Surf City 4 candidates.
• Chris Clue (candidate for Assembly District 72) condemned anti-Semitism and white nationalism displayed by earlier speakers, criticized council’s library policies and budget deficit, and urged support for his candidacy.
• Bethany Webb (via Zoom) criticized the air show giveaway to Code 4, the library book controversy, and claimed the council created a deficit and lost the Olympics due to reputation.
• Other speakers addressed library book policies, infrastructure needs, housing affordability, and support for various candidates.

Discussion Items

• Item 16 – Legislative Advocacy Contracts: Staff reported renegotiated rates: state contract reduced to approximately $32,000/year (from $90,000) for monitoring only, federal contract reduced to $60,000/year (from $78,000). Councilmember Gruel and Williams expressed concerns about value and alignment with city priorities. Motion to approve as amended passed 5-2 (Gruel no, Williams no; Kennedy, Twining, McKeon, Burns, Van Der Mark yes).
• Item 18 – Park Bench Cafe Lease Assignment: Staff presented a 10-year lease amendment and assignment to 2R2S LLC, a local family with restaurant experience. Councilmember Williams questioned the lack of public disclosure of LLC members and moved to continue the item for more transparency. Substitute motion failed 2-5 (Gruel and Williams yes; Kennedy, Twining, McKeon, Burns, Van Der Mark no). Original motion passed 5-2 (Gruel and Williams no; others yes).
• Item 19 – Firefighters Grant: Fire Chief McCoy reported a $294,621 grant for 10 Lucas automatic chest compression devices. Motion to approve passed 7-0.
• Item 23 – Main Street Seatwall Improvements: Public Works staff described a $541,750.28 contract with Rolcom, Inc. for new seat walls and painting, funded $400,000 from Visit HB and $200,000 from the Infrastructure Fund. Motion to award contract passed 7-0.
• Item 24 – MOU with Police Management Association: Introduction of a three-year MOU with total projected cost of $971,641. Received and filed unanimously (7-0).
• Item 25 – Art Center Advisory Committee: Resolution 2026-38 establishing the committee. Passed 5-2 (Gruel and Williams no; Kennedy, Twining, McKeon, Burns, Van Der Mark yes).
• Item 26-865 – Independence Day Celebration Finance Subcommittee: Councilmember Williams introduced a proposal for a subcommittee to review past audits and contracts and provide recommendations. After extensive debate, a substitute motion was adopted: the subcommittee (working with CFO Zach) will review the current RFP and existing contract deliverables, make edit suggestions based on a 2017 audit, and report back by the next regular meeting (October 20, 2026). Motion passed 6-0-1 (Van Der Mark abstained).

Key Outcomes

• Approved unanimously: Consent calendar items 14,15,17,20,21,22; Item 19 (firefighters grant); Item 23 (seatwall contract); Item 24 (MOU introduction).
• Approved 5-2: Item 16 (legislative advocacy contracts with modified terms); Item 18 (Park Bench Cafe lease assignment); Item 25 (Art Center Advisory Committee).
• Approved 6-0-1: Item 26-865 (Independence Day subcommittee with amended scope).
• Public hearing closed: The Downtown Business Improvement District annual assessment was approved 7-0 with zero protests.