CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH
CITY COUNCIL
Regular Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

6:00 P.m. - 10:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

1315 Valley Drive

Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

CITY COUNCIL
Dean Francois, Mayor  
Rob Saemann, Mayor Pro Tem
Mike Detoy, Councilmember 
Ray Jackson, Councilmember
Justin Massey, Councilmember

Karen Nowicki, City Treasurer

APPOINTED OFFICIALS
Suja Lowenthal, City Manager 
Patrick Donegan, City Attorney 

EXECUTIVE TEAM
Brandon Walker, Administrative Services Director
Myra Maravilla, City Clerk
 Carrie Tai, Community Development Director
Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Director
Angela Crespi, Deputy City Manager
Paul LeBaron, Police Chief 
Joe SanClemente, Public Works Director
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990 

To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) are available for check out at the meeting. If you require special assistance to participate in this meeting, you must call or submit your request in writing to the Office of the City Clerk at [phone] or at at least 48 hours before the meeting. 

 

PARTICIPATION AND VIEWING OPTIONS  

Hermosa Beach City Council meetings are open to the public and are being held in person in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Public comment is only guaranteed to be taken in person at City Hall during the meeting or prior to the meeting by submitting an eComment for an item on the agenda. As a courtesy only, the public may view and participate on action items listed on the agenda via the following: 

 

• Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89968207828? pwd=bXZmWS83dmxHWDZLbWRTK2RVaUxaUT092 
• Phone: Toll Free: [phone]; Meeting ID: 899 6820 7828, then #; Passcode: 472825 
• Comment:  Submit an eComment no later than three (3) hours before the meeting start time.
• Supplemental Email: Supplemental emails are available for agenda items only and must be sent to . Supplemental emails should indicate the agenda item and meeting date in the subject line and must be received no later than three (3) hours before the meeting start time. Emails received after the deadline but before the meeting ends will be posted to the agenda the next business day. 

 

Please be advised that while the City will endeavor to ensure these remote participation methods are available, the City does not guarantee that they will be technically feasible or work all the time. Further, the City reserves the right to terminate these remote participation methods (subject to Brown Act restrictions) at any time and for whatever reason. Please attend in person or by submitting an eComment to ensure your public participation.  

 

Similarly, as a courtesy, the City will also plan to broadcast the meeting via the following listed mediums. However, these are done as a courtesy only and not guaranteed to be technically feasible. Thus, in order to guarantee live time viewing and/or public participation, members of the public shall attend in Council Chambers. 

 

• Cable TV: Spectrum Channel 8 and Frontier Channel 31 in Hermosa Beach 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofHermosaBeach90254 
• Live Stream: www.hermosabeach.gov/agenda 

 

If you experience technical difficulties while viewing a meeting on any of our digital platforms, please try another viewing option. View City Council staff reports and attachments at www.hermosabeach.gov/agenda.  

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1.

OPEN SESSION—CALL TO ORDER 6:00 PM

2.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3.

ROLL CALL

4.

CLOSED SESSION REPORT

5.

ANNOUNCEMENTS—UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

6.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

This is the time for the City Council to discuss any changes to the order of agenda items.

• Recommended Action:

  To approve the order of the agenda.

7.

PROCLAMATIONS / PRESENTATIONS

7.a

RECOGNIZING PLANNING COMMISSIONER MARIE RICE FOR HER SERVICE TO THE CITY

7.b

LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE SERVICES AND MCCORMICK AMBULANCE 2024 SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW - 24-CMO-040

(Emergency Management Coordinator Maurice Wright)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file the 2024 Los Angeles County Fire Services and McCormick Ambulance reports for January through June 2024.

7.c

RECOGNIZING OCTOBER 2, 2024 AS CALIFORNIA CLEAN AIR DAY AND UPDATE ON CLEAN POWER ALLIANCE TRANSITION IN HERMOSA BEACH - 24-CMO-038

(Environmental Programs Manager Doug Krauss)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file an update on the City’s transition to Clean Power Alliance (CPA) of Southern California to provide improved renewable energy options to the City and its energy users.

8.

CITY MANAGER REPORT

8.a

PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR UPDATE

8.b

POLICE CHIEF UPDATE

9.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Howard Lee Comment Two

Tap/click on this to see entire message please and then scroll down. HB Council, staff, and others: Are you monitoring that Spectrum ch-8 was OUT AGAIN most of last week and then somehow was restored for the weekend but then went out yesterday morning, Monday 9/24, and has been out ever since. It's playing a black screen with white text stating "This channel is currently unavailable". There's a city council meeting tonight, and yes, again, we are aware of other ways people can view the meetings but this defect has been occurring repeatedly since the mostly propaganda and other stuff was added to the meetings replays evidently by Spectrum, due to playing slides with replays being too difficult for the City Clerk's operation. Also to view replays, council, school, commission or other civic meetings/stuff is being made more and more difficult to view due to these outages. Residents with Spectrum cable TV Ch-8, still thousands in city, who don't have streaming and are not interested in streaming, view the meetings and meeting replays on their cable TV that they pay City Franchise Tax and Utility Users Tax to the city (some 11% of their TV bill). I.e., those who don't hang by their cell phone all day long (btw, they'll have serious neck issues when they are my age) who prefer their cable-TV. This clearly appears to be aimed at eliminating people from seeing the meetings easily under the guise of "the equipment is at end of life" as they have for over 45 years now, that is before especially the city councils of the last 6 years. Kindly restore Spectrum Ch-8. Or is this in fact intentional to again avoid people from being aware of all the likely trickery to be accomplished in the last few meetings of the council troika that is to be losing one, if not two of its elite? Please excuse typos. I've wasted too much of my life bringing this type of information to your attention, information THAT SHOULD BE unnecessary -- if you all were doing your job for the men, women, children and businesses of this city. Most respectfully, Howard Lee

Anthony Higgins

Dear City Council, The city continues its blatant discrimination against seniors, the mobility disabled and immunocompromised who want equal access to speak publicly via zoom on important non agenda items. This is just the way our city rolls under the leadership of city manager Lowenthal abd City Attorney Donegan and it must be changed; but that change can only come at the ballot in November. Here is the backstory. Dear City Council, During Public Participation on non-agenda items, why is it that someone may attend a meeting in person and speak to the details contained in their ecomment AND those that can't attend in-person, specifically the elderly, mobility disabled and immunocompromised are not afforded the opportunity to Zoom-in and do the same? Why? Discrimination against the elderly has no place in our city government. Well, we all know why.... Councilman Massey, Jackson & Detoy supported by City Manager Lowenthal and City Attorney Donegan felt it was MORE IMPORTANT to MUTE the voice of a couple of bad actors than it was to give voice to the elderly and the mobility disabled. That is just the way our city is run these days. But it's worse than that. Public Participation on non-agenda items is often the only avenue open to residents to speak publicly about decisions gone bad or their unintended consequences. But the city says you must attend the meeting in-person exercise this right. The elderly and disabled who cannot attend are not given the opportunity to speak remotely on non agenda items via zoom even though zoom is working and available to everyone for agenda-items. This is not the city government we deserve. Will any of you stand-up for change? Anthony Higgins

Howard Lee

Please be sure to also find my comment with attachement PDF re: Check Registers and more under Consent Item 11.c

This is the time for members of the public to address the City Council on any items within the Council's jurisdiction and on items where public comment will not be taken (City Manager Reports, City Councilmember Comments, Consent Calendar items not pulled for separate consideration, and Future Agenda Items).

The public is invited to attend and provide public comment. Public comments are limited to two minutes per speaker and shall only be taken from those present in City Council Chambers. No remote public comment will be taken during this time unless required by the Brown Act. A total of thirty minutes will be allocated to this initial public participation item. This time allotment may be modified due to time constraints at the discretion of the Mayor or City Council. Another period is also reserved for general comment later in the meeting for those who could not be heard at this time.

No action will be taken on matters raised during public comment, except that the Council may take action to schedule issues raised during public comment for a future agenda. Speakers with comments regarding City management or departmental operations are encouraged to submit those comments directly to the City Manager. Members of the audience will have a future opportunity to speak on items pulled from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion, Public Hearings, and Municipal Matters when those items are heard.

10.

CITY COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS

10.a

UPDATES FROM CITY COUNCIL AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEES AND STANDING COMMITTEE DELEGATES/ALTERNATES

11.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The following matters will be acted upon collectively with a single motion and vote to approve with the majority consent of the City Council. Councilmembers may orally register a negative vote on any Consent Calendar item without pulling the item for separate consideration before the vote on the Consent Calendar. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Councilmember removes an item from the Consent Calendar, either under Approval of the Agenda or under this item before the vote on the Consent Calendar. Items removed for separate discussion will be provided a separate public comment period.

• Recommended Action:

  To approve the consent calendar.

11.a

WAIVE READING IN FULL OF ALL ORDINANCES ON THE AGENDA

Recommendation: 
Staff recommends City Council waive reading in full of all ordinances and resolutions on the agenda and declare that said titles which appear on the public agenda shall be determined to have been read by title and further reading waived.

11.b

CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES - 24-CCO-059

(City Clerk Myra Maravilla)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council approve the minutes for the Tuesday, September 10, 2024 Regular Meeting.

11.c

CHECK REGISTERS - 24-AS-027

Howard Lee

Be sure to click/tap this comment and then do the same to view the attachement for comment.

(Administrative Services Director Brandon Walker)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council ratify the following check registers.

11.d

REVENUE REPORT, EXPENDITURE REPORT, AND CIP REPORT BY PROJECT FOR JULY AND AUGUST 2024 - 24-AS-030

(Administrative Services Director Brandon Walker)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file the July and August 2024 Financial Reports.

11.e

ACTION MINUTES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD MEETING OF JULY 15, 2024 - 24-AS-031

(Interim Human Resources Manager Cynthia Stafford)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file the action minutes of the Civil Service Board meeting of July 15, 2024.

11.f

CITY’S TREASURER’S REPORT - 24-AS-028

(City Treasurer Karen Nowicki)

• Recommended Action:

  The City Treasurer recommends City Council receive and file the July 2024 and August 2024 City Treasurer’s Reports.

11.g

CASH BALANCE REPORT - 24-AS-029

(Administrative Services Director Brandon Walker)

• Recommended Action:

  The Administrative Services Director recommends City Council receive and file the July 2024 and August 2024 Cash Balance Reports.

11.h

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM STATUS REPORT AS OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 - 24-PW-035

(Public Works Director Joe SanClemente)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file the Capital Improvement Program Status Report as of September 9, 2024.

11.i

ACTION MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 17, 2024 - 24-PW-034

(Public Works Director Joe SanClemente)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file the action minutes of the Public Works Commission meeting of July 17, 2024.

11.j

ACTION MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 - 24-CDD-057

(Community Development Director Carrie Tai)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive and file the action minutes of the Planning Commission regular meeting of September 17, 2024.

11.k

APPROVAL OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF SPECIAL EVENT LONG-TERM AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH INDIVISIBLE ARTS FOR STATE OF THE ART - 24-CR-021

(Community Resources Director Lisa Nichols)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council approve the initiation of long-term agreement negotiations with Invisible Arts for State of the Art, authorizing staff to proceed with drafting the terms and conditions for Council’s future consideration and approval.

11.l

APPROVAL OF 2025 IMPACT LEVEL III RETURNING SPECIAL EVENTS - 24-CR-022

(Community Resources Director Lisa Nichols)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council approve the Parks, Recreation, and Community Resources Advisory Commission’s recommendation to:

  1. Include three Impact Level III returning special events on the 2025 Special Events Calendar as proposed in the Staff Report; and
  2. Two “Nothing Weekends” as proposed in the Staff Report on the 2025 Special Events Calendar.

11.m

APPROVAL OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT WITH WILLDAN ENGINEERING FOR STAFF AUGMENTATION SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - 24-CDD-055

(Building and Code Enforcement Official Guillermo Hobelman and Community Development Director Carrie Tai)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council:

  1. Approve the proposed fourth amendment to an agreement with Willdan Engineering for plan review and staff augmentation services to increase the not-to-exceed amount by $100,000, resulting in a total not-to-exceed amount of $395,000 and a term ending June 30, 2025 (Attachment 1); and
  2. Authorize the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest the attached fourth amendment subject to approval by the City Attorney.

11.n

APPROVAL OF FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT WITH CIVIC SOLUTIONS, INC FOR ON-CALL STAFF AUGMENTATION SERVICES - 24-CDD-052

(Community Development Director Carrie Tai)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council:

  1. Approve the proposed first amendment to an agreement with Civic Solutions, Inc. for staff augmentation services to increase the not-to-exceed amount by $20,000, resulting in a total not-to-exceed amount of $50,000 for the remainder of the two-year term ending June 30, 2026 (Attachment 2); and
  2. Authorize the City Manager to execute and the City Clerk to attest the attached first amendment subject to approval by the City Attorney.

11.o

APPROVE GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY THROUGH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM - 24-PD-005

(Police Chief Paul LeBaron)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council:

  1. Approve grant agreement of $80,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for their Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) (Attachment 1);
  2. Add estimated revenue of $80,000 in the Grant Fund; and
  3. Appropriate $80,000 in the Grant Fund for traffic enforcement operations to reduce alcohol-related accidents and other primary crash factors.

11.p

APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH CLEAN POWER ALLIANCE FOR BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - 24-CMO-039

(Environmental Programs Manager Douglas Krauss)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council:

  1. Approve the Building Electrification Assistance Program Participation Agreement with the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) (Attachment 1);
  2. Add estimated revenue of $250,000 in the Capital Improvement Fund; and
  3. Authorize the City Manager to execute and the City Clerk to attest the agreement subject to approval by the City Attorney.

12.

PUBLIC HEARINGS—TO COMMENCE AT 6:30 P.M

12.a

APPROVAL OF NEW 2024 SPECIAL EVENTS - 24-CR-020

(Senior Recreation Supervisor Brian Sousa)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council hold a public hearing to approve the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission’s recommendation to include the following new special events on the 2024 Special Event Calendar:

  1. The Frosty Olympics south of the Pier on Saturday, October 12, 2024; and
  2. Darc Sport Pier to Pier Run south of the Pier and the Strand north of the Pier on Friday, November 8 through Saturday, November 9, 2024.

13.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

13.a

AWARD OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENTS FOR ON-CALL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING SERVICES - 24-PW-033

Anthony Higgins

Dear City Council, While i appreciate the city's efforts to study traffic conditions again, there are things you could be doing right now to improve resident quality od life and health that dont require a lot of study. For instance reducing the speed limits on 27th to 20mph for the plain and simple reasons identified in the above pdf. tony higgins

(Public Works Director Joe SanClemente)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council:

  1. Award a contract for on-call transportation planning and traffic engineering expertise services to Hartzog & Crabill, Inc. at a not-to-exceed amount of $600,000 for a term of three years ending October 1, 2027, with an option to allow the City Manager to extend up to two additional years (Attachment 7);
  2. Award a contract for on-call transportation planning and traffic engineering expertise services to Michael Baker International, Inc. at a not-to-exceed amount of $600,000 for a term of three years ending October 1, 2027, with an option to allow the City Manager to extend up to two additional years (Attachment 8);
  3. Award a contract for on-call transportation planning and traffic engineering expertise services to Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. at a not-to-exceed amount of $600,000 for a term of three years ending October 1, 2027, with an option to allow the City Manager to extend up to two additional years (Attachment 9);
  4. Award a contract for on-call transportation planning and traffic engineering expertise services to CR Associates, Inc. at a not-to-exceed amount of $600,000 for a term of three years ending October 1, 2027, with an option to allow the City Manager to extend up to two additional years (Attachment 10);
  5. Award a contract for on-call transportation planning and traffic engineering expertise services to General Technologies and Solutions LLC (GTS) at a not-to-exceed amount of $600,000 for a term of three years ending October 1, 2027, with an option to allow the City Manager to extend up to two additional years (Attachment 11); and
  6. Authorize the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest the proposed agreements subject to approval by the City Attorney

13.b

REPORT ON THE CITY’S ENFORCEMENT OPTIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND OVERALL DISCUSSION ON ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS - 24-CA-004

(City Attorney Patrick Donegan)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council receive a report on the enforcement options for administrative citations and provide direction, if any, to staff on different or additional options related to administrative citations.

13.c

INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE HERMOSA BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO UPDATE THE TITLE AND ROLE OF CERTAIN CITY PERSONNEL, 24-CA-005

DETERMINATION THAT THE ORDINANCE IS NOT A PROJECT UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
(City Attorney Patrick Donegan)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council:

  1. Introduce by title only and waive first reading of an Ordinance of the City of Hermosa Beach, California, amending various sections of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code to update the title and role of certain city personnel and determine that the ordinance is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and.
  2. Direct the City Clerk to publish a summary ordinance.

13.d

CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO SENATE BILL 450 (ATKINS) - 24-CMO-041

Carolyn Petty

Please unanimously support this resolution. It is imperative we maintain control over local land use. We rank near the top of the densest cities in the country. We cannot maintain a quality of life if more density is forced upon us by the state.

(City Manager Suja Lowenthal)

• Recommended Action:

  Staff recommends City Council consider adopting by title a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Hermosa Beach, California expressing opposition to Senate Bill 450 (Attachment 1).

14.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

This is the time for Councilmembers to schedule future agenda items and to ask questions about the status of previously approved future agenda items. No discussion, debate, or public comment will be taken. Councilmembers should consider the city's work plan when considering new items. The tentative future agenda items document is provided for information only. 

14.a

TENTATIVE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - 24-CMO-043

Attached is the current list of tentative future agenda items for Council’s information.

15.

PUBLIC COMMENT

This time is set aside for the public to address the Council on any item of interest within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council that could not be heard under the first public comment opportunity because there were too many prior public speakers and the thirty-minute maximum time limit was exhausted. 

16.

ADJOURNMENT