City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd to call the meeting of the City Council Public Finance and Authority to order. Madam Clerk, may I have the roll call, please?

Councilman Gruhl?

Here.

Councilman Kennedy?

Here.

Mayor Pro Tem Twainey? Here. Mayor McKeon? Here. Councilwoman Vandermark? Here. Councilman Williams?

Here.

Pursuant to resolution number two zero zero one dash five four, councilman Burns has requested permission to be absent from this meeting. If there are no objections, it will be reflected in the minutes.

Alright. Madam Clerk, do we have any supplemental communications?

Yes. We have one supplemental communication email regarding the regional housing needs allocation.

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

No one signed up to speak on closed session items.

Thank you. Including closed session is conference with real property negotiators, government code section 54,956.8, Property twenty one thousand ninety one Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, California ninety two thousand six hundred forty eight, APN 02428116. Agency negotiators, Travis Hopkins, city manager Marissa Sur, Assistant City Manager Ashley Wysocki, Director of Community and Library Services Chris Cole, Community and Library Services Services Manager William Kearl, Real Estate Project Manager, Negotiating Parties Puya Hinari, Pacific Hotel LLC, doing business as Paseo Hotel and Spa, not present under negotiation, price and terms of payment. Conference of Labor Negotiators, Government Code Section 54,957.6. Agency designated representatives, Travis Hopkins, Marissa Sir, Mike Ligliotta, city attorney, Zach Zee, acting chief financial officer, employee organizations, police management association, and the Huntington Beach Police Officers Association.

Counsel, do I have a motion and a second to recess to closed session?

Motion to resist to closed session.

Second?

Yeah. Second.

Second. Alright. Reset to closed session. Good evening to everyone. I'd like to reconvene the regular meeting of the City Council Public Financing Authority.

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

Councilman Gruel?

Here.

Councilman Kennedy?

Here.

Mayor Pro Tem Twining?

Here.

Mayor McKeon? Here. Councilwoman Vandermark? Here. Councilman Williams? Here. Pursuant to resolution number two zero zero one dash five four, councilman Burns has requested permission to be absent from this meeting. If there are no objections, it will be reflected in the minutes.

Thank you. Tonight's invocation will be given by chaplain Jericho. Jericho Roton.

Thank you.

God of mercy and compassion, as we gather tonight, we are mindful that we live in a world where many are hurting. We remember those facing conflict, loss, and uncertainty across our globe, and we ask for your comfort and peace. Here in our own community, guide us in how we live and serve. May we each look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others, to have the same selflessness found in Jesus. Give our leaders wisdom and clarity.

Help our leadership and every one of us to act with integrity, patience, and compassion. May the decisions and plans set in tonight's meeting serve the good of the city and reflect care for every neighbor. Let your peace rest on this room and on Huntington Beach tonight. Amen.

Thank you. The pledge of allegiance tonight will be led by George Foch of American Legion Post one thirty three. It's my honor to introduce mister George Foch up to the podium. George was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps upon graduation from the Illinois Institute of Technology in June 1962. He attended basic school, then flight training, receiving his wings in May 1964.

He served two combat tours in Vietnam, flying over 500 ground support missions in the a four Skyhawk. Between tours, he attended the naval postgraduate school in Monterey and earned an engineer's degree in electrical engineering. He served in various staff and technical positions, was an A six Intruder Squadron Commander, attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, head of the team developing GPS user equipment, was Chief of Staff of the first Marine Amphibious Brigade, and retired with the rank of colonel in 1989. After military retirement, George worked for Hughes Aircraft, then Raytheon as program manager on several software development programs until 2006. Thank you for your service, George.

Thank you. If you're covered, remove your cover. Please stand. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Your your honor, if I might, I wanna make a couple comments about the flag.

I mean, pledge of allegiance and saluting. Sure. I'm sure everybody doesn't know, but the pledge of allegiance is now part of US code title four. And in that code, it also states that persons in uniform should remain silent face to flag and render the military salute. Members of the armed forces not in uniform and veterans may render the military salute in a manner provided for persons in uniform.

So when you see a gentleman or a lady, who is in civilian clothes and they're saluting during the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance, that's appropriate. Also, the pledge of allegiance was written was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. He originally wrote the pledge for the youth's companion and was intended to celebrate or they were celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus's arrival in The Americas. Pledge was later modified most notably with the addition of Under God in 1954, which is the current version. That concludes my remarks.

Thank you

George. Closed session report. City attorney, do you have anything to report from closed

Nothing tonight, mayor.

Council member comments. Council members, would anyone like to make a comment? No? Go ahead.

Just want to make note and say thank you to all of you who are watching or are here to organize the Read Across America at Peterson Elementary School on Friday. It was a wonderful event. I absolutely loved reading to the kids, reading with the kids, and I was lucky enough to get one a great book, The Big Cheese. And I know some other council members also read during that event.

Yes. Also enjoyed the the event with mayor pro tem Butch Twining. He brought a bag of books. I just saw my one, my son Liam's favorite book, which is the the pow pow fish, which is a crowd favorite.

Yeah. I got to hear that book three times. I know it by heart right now. Yes.

Alright. Now we're moving on to the mayor spotlight presentation. So last week, we honored our monthly mayor spotlight awards, and it's a chance for us to recognize folks during, you know, doing good work, their accomplishments, and then celebrating our local community members. So first, we recognize this month's mayor's, excellence award recipient, Richard Legere, who is a water quality specialist in public works. Richard Legere is a dedicated and selfless city employee.

He routinely goes above and beyond his job duties. He navigates the complexities of municipal operations with persistence and professionalism, earning the respect of both colleagues and residents alike. His his compassion is evident in the countless individuals he has has he has assisted from helping elderly elderly residents with daily needs to connecting families with critical resources. The gratitude expressed by residents speaks to the meaningful and lasting impact of his services. And afterwards, said, he was really excited because he's been working twenty five years to receive this award.

So glad he finally got it. Next up was the Marina High School cheer team. Go Vikings. The team made school history by becoming the first cheer team from Marina to advance the semifinals at the national championship in Florida in the game day division. In addition, they earned the highest score ever achieved by a Marina game day team.

Awesome. Then we recognize Kenny Lane for his his exceptional drone skills and videos of Huntington Beach. You can follow him at o c underscore drone underscore productions on Instagram, and you'll really be impressed with his work, which is quite outstanding. As you guys know, Fred's Mexican Cafe celebrated twenty five years in HB this year, and they have pleaded each month to give $10,000 to local charities. This month, Fred's gave a $10,000 check to the Huntington Beach Therapeutic Riding Foundation.

Next up was the Edison girls soccer team. Edison won its first Sunset League title since 2017, beating undefeated Huntington Beach in the league championship game in double overtime. They finished ranking fifth in the county and second among public schools. Lastly, we recognize Zoe Snyder, a junior from Huntington Beach High School. She won a qualifying beach volleyball tournament that earned her a place in the twenty twenty six Gymnaciade, an international competition for top student athletes taking place this summer in Mexico.

As a result of her performance, she has been selected as one of only four girls chosen to represent The United States in beach volleyball at the event. This honor reflects both our tournament success and our standing among the top high school beach volleyball athletes in the country. Congrats to all our mayor spotlight recipients. Up next is our business highlights section. So for tonight's mayor business highlight, Huntington Beach is proud to showcase the people and businesses that make our community vibrant through the highly regarded Minute with the Mayor series, which highlights and celebrates local businesses in our community.

Today's segment features Sweet El Cafe, where Grace and her team bring our personal touch and exceptional coffee experience to locals and visitors alike. And then second, have Wagner Charters. Robert Wagner offers memorable harbor cruises, connecting people with the beauty of Huntington Beach and more, and we'll get into that after. So let's play these two quick videos. What's up h b? This episode of Minute with the Mayor takes us down to Orange And 11th downtown to Sweet El Cafe. Let's go meet the owner Grace. Grace, tell us about Sweet El Cafe.

Yeah. We're a local neighborhood shop. We've been around for about eighteen years. We specialize in specialty coffee Nice. Then a simple breakfast and lunch menu.

And you guys have two locations. Right?

Yeah. We have one in downtown in the middle of a neighborhood. Okay. And the other one is in North Huntington closer to the harbor in the Brightwater neighborhood.

So if someone came in for their first time to Sweet El Cafe, what's one thing they must try?

Anything with our espresso. The Vienna, which is the one that you tried is our layered drink with the sweet cream on top, and it's topped off with the espresso. But even just like a simple latte or a flat white or it's really espresso forward, that's kinda where we shine.

What do you love about having your businesses located in Huntington Beach?

It's been a place where I wanna be a part of the evolving changes, and I'm excited to see where we're gonna be in the next ten years and twenty years and thirty years because it's just growing in just a positive way. Awesome.

That's another local gym right here in Huntington Beach. So remember to support local and keep Surf City thriving. See you guys at the next stop. What's up HP? Alright. That was sweet L. Now we'll go to Wagner Charter.

What's up, Huntington Beach? I'm mayor Casey McKeon, and this episode of Minute with the

Mayor takes us to Huntington Harbor to Wagner Charter Fishing.

Please, guys, tell us a

little bit about Wagner Charters. We've been in business since 2008. I'm actually born and raised here in Huntington Beach. We do Catalina shuttles, deep sea charters, like, for local range or long range fishing, groups of four to six. We also do scenic tours, harbor tours, ash scatterings, party events, work events. Awesome. What would you guys say really keeps customers coming back? It's really our customer service. We get a ton of repeat clients. Probably, at least a third of our clientele is repeat clientele from out of state to some sort of oceanic excursion with their family.

They come back every year as a repeat client because we treat people like friends and family. We want people to feel so comfortable with us that they're giving us hugs at

the end of the day.

That's another local gem in HB. Support local and keep Surf City thriving. See you guys at the next stop. What's up, Huntington Beach? I'm Eric.

Yeah. Alright, Grace. Why don't we let you guys know from Sweet Elle that, she has a new menu coming out on March 16, and she's always been focused on health, but she's taken it even further. So they plan to be as organic and sustainable as possible, bringing in seasonal fruits and organic eggs, you know, working more with local farms. And then Robert, who was trying to get her early, I think he'll still come, speak in public comments.

But just to let you guys know, he does, Catalina, cruises over to Catalina, a lot of people don't know about, any kind of charter fishing, oceanic experiences, ash gatherings, harbor cruises. So make sure you guys reach out to them. His phone number is (714) 478-8541 or wagnercharters.com. So thank you guys. So, the Midnight with America continues to spotlight our Huntington Beach small businesses.

So if anyone, hasn't applied yet, please visit shoplocalhb.com as part of tonight's business highlight. We're also, excited to introduce a new initiative that reflects the city's ongoing commitment to supporting our local small business community. And so later this evening, you'll see under the consent agenda that we will consider the Surf City Small Business Digital Grant Program, which is designed to help brick and mortar businesses strengthen their digital presence. And so we wanted to give a preview of this program and its potential impact before the formal consideration. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to the economic development team.

Good evening, mayor and members of the city council. I'm Kris Casanova, economic development manager joined by Kris Kennedy. Together, we serve as your economic development team. So I'll begin with the rationale for the proposed grant program, and Chris will walk through the details of the grant itself. Tonight's business highlight previews a proposed digital grant program to equip local small businesses with practical digital marketing tools.

Many small businesses struggle to attract customers and maintain visibility in today's digital marketplace. If approved, the Citi funded program would provide grants to train and support up to 15 small businesses in targeted digital marketing strategies. The goal is to help them stay competitive, increase revenue, and continue contributing to our local economy. So this slide here summarizes key findings from a recent survey by the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center. They surveyed over 1,200 regional businesses this past December, and they identified that customer acquisition was one of the top challenges with nearly 20% of businesses not actively marketing.

Business owners cited marketing strategy, AI tools, ecommerce, and digital systems as top priorities for 2026. As more consumers search and shop online, businesses without strong digital visibility face a clear disadvantage. So in response to that, the city is proposing the Serve City Small Business Digital Grant Program to support targeted digital improvements that boost customer acquisition and long term sustainability. So this initiative aligns with the city's, economic development strategic plan by supporting business retention, strengthening our commercial corridors, and protecting local sales tax revenue. It's a targeted investment in long term business stability and commercial vitality.

And with that, I'll turn it over to Chris to walk through the proposed program structure and implementation details. Chris.

Thank you, Chris, and good evening, mayor and members of the city council. The program is a partnership between the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center and is designed specifically for 15 Huntington Beach brick and mortar businesses. Over three weeks, participants take part in group digital marketing training, receive one on one advising from SBDC experts and get hands on instruction in Google and social media marketing. Each business develops a customized paid digital advertising campaign tailored to their target audience. To ensure immediate implementation, every participant receives a thousand dollar grant to launch their campaign.

This program is structured to provide both flexibility and hands on support. Participants attend two virtual group training sessions followed by one on one consulting with SBDC advisors to tailor strategies to their specific business needs. The group concludes with their final in person session focusing on reviewing strategy and implementation. The curriculum centers on creating digital presence. Businesses learn how to optimize their Google business profiles, effectively leverage Facebook and Instagram, launch paid advertising campaigns, and measure performance using analytics.

The goal is to ensure each participant leaves with a practical tools, a clear strategy, and the confidence to execute. To qualify, the businesses must be a Huntington Beach brick and mortar location with an active city business license in good standing. The program is designed for small businesses with between two and twenty five full time equivalent employees including the owner. Research shows small businesses often lack funding, expertise and time to complete effectively in today's rapidly evolving digital and social media landscape. All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and completeness.

If demand exceeds available funding, participants will be selected through a lottery process to ensure fairness and transparency. The total investment for this program is $15,000 fully funded with the city's existing economic development budget, so no additional appropriations will be required. Each grant is issued as a single disbursement upon successful completion of the program, ensuring accountability and participation. The program is structured to deliver measurable outcomes while maintaining strong fiscal responsibility. We look forward to your consideration of this program later this evening. And if you have any questions, staff is welcome to answer that now.

Any comments or questions,

Can I reference the business development?

So this is the type of program that I love to see. But let me just explain, and for those who are watching at home or in the audience who are listening, this is if you own a business or you know somebody who does, two to 25 employees, this is micro, micro business, local business development, definitely apply for this grant because you're not just getting $1,000 at the end of it, you're getting an education as to how you can navigate and spend money across the digital landscape, Meta, Facebook ads, Instagram ads, navigating AI. The spend to return the in the digital world now, and I know this as a restaurant owner, is huge. So even a $200 investment on properly targeted Facebook ads can turn 20,000 to $30,000 a year in extra revenue. So $1,000 spend, which is ultimately what you're going to get after the third session here, is you're going to take all the information you've gotten from an SBDC advisor and then you're going to be able to apply that with $1,000 through a lot of this through the digital spend.

Let's just take, for example, let's say you turn around 200 new guests on $1,000 spend. 200 new guests at $100 a month spend that are repeat customers, that's 50,000 to $100,000 over a one or two year period just in top line revenue. So one might think, okay, 1,000, it's a micro grant, you're helping some of these businesses. That's the type of revenue that can take you from a one unit location to a two unit location, building your brand, expanding across the cities. So I encourage everybody to apply for this program because this is the type of program that we need more of. And I'm glad to see that you put this together and we're actually making something happen here.

That's well said, Andrew. The beautiful thing about this is, you know, the saying sparks start forest fires. This is just the beginning of the development. We we put together an ad hoc committee. Mayor McKeon, myself, and Councilman Gruel, we were fortunate enough to be put on the ad hoc committee for business development, working with Chris Casanova, Jennifer Vianconor, and the community development.

And we are gonna continue to try and formulate ideas to grow the business. We're already, and they'll talk about it a little bit, being rewarded for the business friendly mantra that has come to fruition. But business development, we are gonna continue to work hard as your city council to help our businesses thrive and grow. As Andrew said, dollars 1,000 may seem small, but the multiple of return is gonna be paramount. But this type of program is not gonna be exclusive to just the 15 recipients.

This type of thing is gonna We're figuring ways to roll out these type of educational programs, do things to generate more business, better business, like our treasurer's financial seminars. Lot of traction. We were kicking around the idea of these types of whether it be Zoom or in person meetings where if you're not an award winner, you can still come and learn and benefit. So we're really gonna work hard and continue to work hard to grow the business environment here in Huntington Beach and to continue to compound this as the business friendly hub of, for sure, Orange County, but we know California.

Chris, can you put the slide back up one more time for people to show them how to apply? So

applications aren't fully we need to work with OCBC following full approval. And then the launch is planned for

April 13 is the goal for if we get this approved for to go online too.

If you follow our newsletter and social media channels and hbbiz.com, then all of that info Awesome. Will be

Thank you.

Contact us.

Butch has something.

I think this program is fantastic for all the reasons that Andrew and Don said. Are you planning on doing this annually now? Is this going be an initiative that you're going to roll out now and continue on?

Yeah. To provide some context, other cities have done similar programs and we've received good feedback from SBDC. So if there's a lot of good interest and we see positive response, we can either continue to expand that program or there's other similar types, maybe AI focused. So, yeah, we'd love to keep it going.

So if somebody doesn't isn't a a finalist this year, they can they can reapply next year?

Hopefully.

Okay. And is there any any thought about expanding it a little bit, say, from, you know, 15 companies to 20 companies? Is that in the budget?

That's always the question. Our goal would happily be for us to be able to budget next year to have more opportunities for more individuals and their businesses to thrive. I mean, that's the mandate you guys have put upon us and that's our goal.

I think that's a good goal. Thank you.

Chris,

I'm saying I can say that implies to both of you guys. Why don't you for one time, in case somebody wants to take a little snippet, screen record meeting, what are the social media channels that our city has? Name them all. I know we have a city website, things like that. But go ahead. One of you guys.

We have the Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. LinkedIn. LinkedIn. But in Twitter X, not Nextdoor.

Jonathan, sir, the Surf City Weekly email. Right?

Newsletter, definitely sign up.

How do people how do people sign up for the newsletter? Where do they go? Julie? Put you on the spot.

You can It's fine. You can go directly to our home page on the website. Okay. And there's a button right there, right when it pops up when you go to the website. And it's a just sign up for the newsletter.

That goes out every week, Surf City Weekly. Great highlights for the city, but, you know, announcements like this. So that's I feel is the best way for people to stay up to speed, make sure it gets emailed to you, and you always say it every week.

Awesome. Maybe in the news it's a digital newsletter, right?

Yep.

Maybe put hyperlinks to every one of our, you know, to the IG account, to the Facebook account, so somebody can just click on it, takes them right there, they can begin to follow. It'd be super easy. That's what we expect here, you

know. Totally.

Streamline. Thank you.

Thank you.

Alright. Thank you. Next, we're moving to the community and events announcement portion of the meeting. Madam clerk, do we have anyone signed up to speak for community events announcements?

Yes, mayor. We have two speakers signed up. Justine Mankoff and city treasurer Jason Smith and also Caroline Osborne. The City Council will now receive public comments for community events announcements only. Each organization is allotted two minutes for its announcement. When your name is called, please approach. Use both podiums. State your name and organization for the record.

It's a little different how you guys do it. I was expecting, like, 50 people to come up. Okay. Good evening, honorable mayor and city council members. My name is Justine Makoff, and I'm the founder and president of FreeRain Foundation at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center.

For the past thirteen years, FreeRain has quietly and consistently served this community. We provide loving sanctuary for rescued horses, horses that were once abused, neglected, unwanted, and we harness their unique intuitive abilities to help individuals struggling with mental health challenges. We are proud to be accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuary. It's a certification earned by only a small percentage of sanctuaries nationwide. But what matters most is what happens inside the fence.

We've worked alongside the Boys and Girls Club, Neenah Beach Police Department, LAPD, Youth Shelters, Sunburst Youth Academy, and many others, offering equine growth and learning sessions to young people who are carrying burdens far heavier than they should. In the presence of a thousand pound horse, walls come down, anxiety slows, trust begins to build, conversations that might never happen in a traditional setting begin to unfold. We're a 100% volunteer run. With more than 80 active volunteers, every dollar raised goes directly to the care of the horses and the programs we provide. We survive and thrive because of the generosity of individuals who believe in our mission and understand that nonprofits are not an extra in this city.

Are essential to the health of a community. We are proud to work in partnership with the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center in the Urban Forest and the Therapeutic Riding Center. Together, we help Huntington Beach not just to be a beautiful city, but a compassionate one. Community connections is the heart of what we do. We have the hug and groom the first Sunday of every month where people come and learn about our program and love on our horses. And we have a three ks Poppy Walk that's on April 4. And I encourage everybody to come. It's a free event. You can learn more about the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, Free Rain Foundation, and the, Urban Forest. Thank you.

Thank you. State your name, please.

Jason Schmidt. Good evening. Couple quick announcements tonight. Thank you to all of our United Way volunteers who made our February free tax prep day a huge success by helping nearly a 100 people who signed up and dropped in to get their taxes completed on time. This was one of the largest events that the United Way has hosted this year in Orange County, and we hope to have a seasonal tax site next year in Huntington Beach.

Our fourth free financial literacy workshop focused on savings and managing debt will be held next Wednesday, March 11 at 05:30 in Central Library and simultaneously online. United Way volunteers will be offering lots of practical tips on how to build out a plan to save money, avoid getting into debt, and consolidating debts to reduce the high interest rates that make it nearly impossible to pay off those debts. Prior financial literacy workshops are now available on YouTube to get caught up before coming out next Wednesday. Finally, our next scam class, the art of the distraction scam, will be held on Wednesday, March 18 at 6PM Central Library. Whether at your bank's ATM or at your house, distraction scams are one of the most common scams and quite easy to avoid.

Steve Levin will teach us how to protect ourselves as identity theft not only costs you money, but also tremendous amounts of time having to replace driver's licenses, debit cards, and credit cards. Speaking of consumer protection, this is National Consumer Protection Week, and the Federal Trade Commission has made available brochures on how to avoid getting scammed. Please stop by the concierge desk at City Hall and pick up your free copy. Thank you.

Thanks, Jason. Was that it? That's it. Okay. Announcement of supplemental communications. Madam clerk, do we have any supplemental communications?

Yes. We have supplemental communications. Seven emails for item number 20 received regarding the licensing agreement between the City of Huntington Beach and the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum. 13 emails for item number 21 regarding the approval of the conceptual design for the Edison Park reconfiguration conceptual plan. Item number 21, a memo updated attachment numbers nine, ten, twelve, and thirteen, and PowerPoint presentation entitled Edison Community Park Configuration Conceptual Plan received from Ashley Wysocki, Director of Community and Library Services regarding the conceptual designs for Edison Park reconfiguration conceptual plan.

Item number 21, one email and one letter received on behalf of the Edison Park Community Group. And item number 23, three emails received regarding the proposed declaration of February 22 as the USA Hockey Day.

Perfect. Now for public comments, Madam Clerk, how many speakers do we have tonight?

We have 33 speakers this evening. Okay. The City Council will now receive public comments for any topic including items on the open session agenda. When your name is called, please approach, use both podiums and state your name and organization for the record. Mr. Amory Hansen, Pat Goodman, Nancy Buchos, Anne McCarthy, Charles Jackson, David Reinerson, Ross Price, Russ Neal, Chris Cluey, Richard Hardin.

Go ahead, Nancy.

Hello, everybody. Good evening. My name is Nancy Bukos. Some of you may know me. I am a long time resident of the Southeast Area. I am an organizer with the Friends of Edison Park Group and a member of the Edison Community Group. I'm here tonight to support option two of the Edison Park conceptual plan with some of the conditions that were stated in the letter that was sent previously. Other than those concerns, I have just a couple that I wanna say out loud and you've heard them from me before, but you know me. Most of you that know me know I'm a little bit of a tired person when I have something in my brain, it sort of just keeps going until it can't anymore. So, humor me.

First, the plan calls to remove 50 healthy trees. I wore my green tonight because I'm a tree person, you all know it. I'm just asking that you keep the trees that you can, and give us the trees back in the form of the larger trees that were discussed at the library community services plan. And more specifically, the large trees. I'm talking the 20 to 30 foot tall, 10 to 15 foot canopy spread.

You know, part of the charm and part of Edison Park that most people take for granted maybe, and we'll see when we don't have it anymore, is that shade. And that shade is really what makes it special. It's a place for families to hang out, for kids to hang out and read across from the high school. And if we take it all away, we're just gonna have an event center and people are gonna be looking for that. So I just really implore you guys to I I know we talked about it, but I'm just asking one more time to keep it in the forefront.

Second is the infrastructure. I didn't really see it in our plan, but if it's in there, forgive me for saying this, but the current system for irrigation is super outdated. Even yesterday, there was a four foot hole in the back of E 2 and a guy was down there, told me he had two days to fix it and it took away from him working on 30 other parks. So, we have this ongoing problem every year at the park and I'm just hopeful that the irrigation system is part of the plan, I just didn't see it. You know, lastly I'll say this, the park plan came to fruition a few years ago.

We talked about it before you guys were all on the council, and you guys even walked the park with me once or twice, and I showed you some of the problems that existed. And back in that time, we just said, know, bring it up to speed. You know, fix the cracks, fix the basketball courts, fix the tennis courts. And now, it's a whole new animal. It's become a lot bigger. And, I just ask that you just remember that some of us really just wanted the park to be upgraded. We loved the way it was. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Nancy. Next speaker please.

Hi. My name is Anne McCarthy. I'm a long term volunteer with AYSO Region fifty six. We run a year round soccer program that serves 12 to 1,600 kids local here in Southeast Huntington Beach. I'm speaking on the shortage of youth soccer fields in Southeast Huntington Beach, specifically fields for soccer, but also football, flag football, lacrosse, etcetera, and specifically fields that have lights.

Both of these plans are being considered tonight include fields along Hamilton that will be lit. We encourage the city to approve either of these plans including these fields. Local fields are imperative to the success of youth sports programs and youth sports programs are imperative in keeping our kids active, healthy, and happy. These fields also provide open space when not in use. We We encourage the city council to approve one of these two plans and move ahead with these fields as soon as possible. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next speaker please.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members. I'd like to speak on agenda item 20 six-one 178, the Surf City Small Business Digital Grant. Huntington Beach is a city built on entrepreneurship. Our small businesses are the backbone of our local economy for family owned restaurants and surf shops to service to serve and provide for our neighborhood retailers that give our community its character. And, Councilman Gruel, you know this firsthand as a local family owned business owner yourself of Calico Fish House.

Running a local business takes a grit, long hours, and constant adaptation, especially in today's rapidly changing digital economy, especially with AI coming forward. Many small businesses are still catching up when it comes to websites, online ordering systems, social media marketing, and digital payment platforms. These tools are no longer optional. They are essential for staying competitive and reaching all the customers that need to be there to see businesses grow. Programs like this help level the playing field.

A modest investment of a thousand dollars grant for 15 local businesses may seem small to some, but for a small business owner trying to improve their website, strengthen their online presence, and modernize their operations, it can be meaningful and a difference and very impactful. And, in turn, it's a win win, not only for the small business, for our beautiful city of Huntington Beach, and of course, it's revenue. Supporting small businesses isn't just good policy, it's good economics for everybody. When local businesses succeed, they create jobs, generate tax revenue and keep our city vibrant and beautiful. As someone who has spent many years supporting local businesses and working alongside entrepreneurs in this beautiful community, I deeply appreciate the council's effort to help our small business owners adapt and grow in this ever changing and thriving world that we live in these days.

Business, when our small businesses succeed, Huntington Beach succeeds. And again, I'm so excited about the Huntington Beach Surf Museum and what's gonna happen with that, but once again, Roz Price. I am a city council candidate for the city for 2026. And thank you. I appreciate it.

Good evening, mayor McKeon and council. I'm here tonight to, ask you to please pull agenda item number 20, to conduct further analysis and be more responsive to the residents' input. This item, license agreement with the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, ISM, this proposal has come before the council a few times, and the same concerns remain unresolved. I wanna bring in a reference report that resident Kim Kramer, he's a neighbor of the library and the surf museum, he produced a report on his own on the incompatibility of cohabitating Main Street Library with ISM, International Surfing Museum. In it, he describes the mission and purpose of Main Street Library and ISM.

I hope you will all listen to it as you make your decision. I'm gonna quote this section on the mission and core public obligations. Main Street Library, it's page 15 of the report, delivers essential services to residents, supports literacy and life lifelong learning, provides student study space and homework support, offers free computer and internet access, supports research, job searching, and access to civic information, serves residents first, functions as routine residents serving civic infrastructure in the downtown area. ISM, on the other hand, preserves and interprets HB's surfing heritage, serves a cultural landmark and attraction. Primary value lies in tourism, identity and storytelling.

Visitation is episodic rather than service driven. The best route for you to take is to pull this item. It is reminiscent of the Central Park Symphony of Flowers episode. The lesson from that debacle is to take your time and do your due diligence before putting city assets at risk of degradation and misuse. This is such a great opportunity to offer honor surfing history and our local surfing stars, but not at the risk of jeopardizing that treasure main street library. Thank you.

Next speaker please.

There is a disturbing pattern to a great many of the decisions that are being made by this city council. The current proposal to move the International Surf Museum to the Main Street Library fits neatly into this pattern. The library master plan concluded that Main Street library was already too small to properly fulfill its purpose and also stated that a surf museum and a library were incompatible in a common facility. Though the consultant caught grief for making that statement publicly, but sure hire a consultant and then ignore their advice. Numerous questions have been raised about the ownership of the collection and the new license agreement finally states that the ISM retains ownership and liability for their own collection.

Odd that the first time this topic is being addressed publicly is buried in the license agreement. The rental fee is set at $500 a month but also includes utilities, staff support and parking. The typical rate for commercial properties in the area is between $2.5 and $3 per square foot. That would imply that the space dedicated to the ISM should be no more than 200 square feet, a 90% reduction from their current location. But wait, wasn't the reason the ISM wanted to move was that they didn't have enough space?

Oh, so in the agreement the ISM is actually getting 1,184 square feet. So shouldn't the rent for that be more like 3,000 to $5,000 rather than 500? And remember the ISM is the same organization that was twelve to eighteen months in arrears on their rent in their current location just before this proposal was hatched. Exactly what business principle is it to reward deadbeats? But wait, there's more.

The city also agrees to let the ISM use the meeting rooms up to 12 times per year at no cost to publicize and promote the ISM to work with them to organize, store and protect all of the ISM properties including the PT collection. The city agrees to co sponsor up to eight surf and Sundays and offer free use of the city's show mobile for those events. The city agrees to make available an off-site work area for the ISM's use at no charge for receipt, storage, preparation and sales of ISM materials. What a sweetheart deal. So whether it was the air show settlement, the proposed symphony of flowers, the citizens commission on library books, the previous attempts to outsource library operations, all the ill advised lawsuits or this current proposal for the ISM, the pattern is clear.

This council either has not thought things through with the thoroughness and discipline that we should be able to expect of our city council members or they simply don't care and are willing to use taxpayer dollars to reward their friends and allies while driving the city into bankruptcy.

Next speaker please.

Charlie Jackson. There is a need to update the vacancy policy in the city charter. Added material caused the update to fail two times. On a future ballot, please have just the replacement policy and nothing else. It's worth reading now and reminding people what it is.

So here it is. Replacement. In the event the city council shall fail to fill a vacancy by appointment within sixty days after such shall become vacant, the city council shall forthwith cause an election to be held to fill such a vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. If the city, fills the vacancy by appointment, such appointees shall be hold office until an election to fill the remainder of the unexpired term at the next general municipal election. Should the appointment occur after the filing deadline for the next general municipal election, the seat shall be deemed vacant upon certification of the general municipal election, and the vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Sections three twelve and three twelve.

I think we need to really add this if a ballot issue comes up on a future election. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hello. Chris Clewy, Huntington Beach resident. I just want to say thank you, first off, for giving us the full three minutes. I appreciate that. I'm probably not going to take all of them because I think we're all used to speaking for thirty seconds. So thank you, Casey. The couple of things I wanted to go over. First one, I I like that you guys are talking about, you know, helping our small businesses operating in a business minded sense. I would like you to apply that to the city council itself because we would like to know what this litigation is costing us as taxpayers. I read on this agenda, there are six different litigation items in closed session related to various lawsuits that the city has brought that community members have warned not to bring these lawsuits because you're not gonna win.

So I think we deserve an accounting for what that has cost us as taxpayers. Second thing I'd like to talk about. Please leave the libraries alone. I don't know how many other ways we need to say it. The surf museum is great. Let the surf museum have its own place. The surf museum doesn't belong in the library. The library is a place for library books and people going to the library. There is no reason you need to be shoving the surf museum into the library. And then on that topic, we voted to put the banned books back in their spot in the library.

That passed. Passed. It still has not happened. And I'm just gonna say flat out, that's an absolute gift for my campaign for state assembly because I can point to this city council and say they do not follow the law. They are not interested in listening to their community. They do not care what the will of the people is. So thank you so much for that. I really appreciate it. Anyways, please listen to your community. Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening council members. My name is Richard Harden. I'm a resident here of Huntington Beach. I own my own here. Lived here for a long, long time. I own a business here and I'm here just really to just urge you to adopt either one of the proposals for the Edison Park. I really don't care which one it is. I don't have that much of an interest in which one it is. They both seem very nice well thought out programs. But it's been five years since that was started.

Somebody thought about that and said, hey, we should do some work on this. And that's a long time. And I have a I have a personal interest in it because in spite of how it might look, I actually played basketball at that park twice a week. And part of the improvements there is the basketball court. And I I made a little handout for you guys just so you could see what we do.

The the park I used to play at at that park in 1980, and it was the best park it was the best basketball park you could play in. It really was. Now, it's, as you can see from some of the pictures, it's not. They're not even 10 foot regulation goals anymore. But it's also one of them that it remains one of the busiest places to play. Like I played last night and there was plenty of people to play. There were there are people there almost every night. It's a very busy place. It really deserves to have some some some health. And it's included in both both programs.

But one of the things that I wanted to say here is that it's included in phase b if you decide to do it in a phase thing. And I thought that's miss Wysaky has been very, very pleasant with me. I've bugged her a bunch with the emails about this. But I may disagree with her on this. I think phase b should be the first thing you do. Why? Two reasons. One, the most important I think is because it includes a parking lot. If you're going to add a bunch of venues to this thing such as a skate park and a new playground, you better have the parking for it. So you need to update the parking lot in order to do that.

It'd be terrible for somebody to come to a ribbon cutting ceremony and not have a place to park. Right? And the other reason is selfish is I wanna see the basketball courts improve before I can't play anymore. I'm 66. Alright? And I don't have any more of the games I got in me. But I've got a few more. But I'd like to see it get done before then. So if we get started on it, start with B. Start with phase B. What's the difference? Phase A, phase B? Start with B. Get that done first then add the other new venues to it and you're already ready for it. You would hate to to not be able to use any of those things because there's no parking to use them. Make sense? That's it.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Thank you, mister mayor. My name is mister Amory Hanson. I'm speaking tonight in support of I m 20, the mayor and councilman Burns and Vander Marksidem allow the memorandum of understanding, to allow the International Surfing Museum to use space in the Main Street branch library. Surfing is a major part of Huntington Beach's history, and continuing to have a museum of surfing is important for Huntington Beach's future. Having an excellent surfing museum could be a welcome improvement for future bids by Huntington Beach for surfing at future Los Angeles Olympics. In addition, I hope that the surfing museum will be part of the creation of a new cultural neighborhood on the 500 Main Street. Let's continue to share what it means to be Surf City. Once again, I urge a yes vote on I m twenty. Thank

you. You. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Russell Neal, and I live in Huntington Beach. So the story is supposed to be that Huntington Beach is losing, Losing all these court cases and wasting taxpayer money, fighting useless lawsuits. We have lost cases regarding housing mandates, voter ID, and protecting children and parents from destructive influences. So why not throw in the towel, they say.

But are we losing? Parental rights have a winning streak at the Supreme Court, Mahmoud v Taylor and the recent blocking of California's a b nineteen fifty five, an anti family law this council courageously opposed. While our voter ID charter amendment passed by our voters was struck down by our democrat controlled courts, voters themselves are placing a similar statewide measure on the ballot this November. Voter ID is required by 36 other states and polls at 80%. We are hardly on the losing side of this issue.

Likewise, stopping the state's community destroying housing mandates is going to require the our neighborhood voices initiative. In the meantime, this council's resistance to tyranny has bought us time while neighborhood destruction proceeds in other cities. And those other cities that have rolled over on arenas to avoid builders remedy have found the legislature passing more laws that will force builders remedy on them anyway. There is no end to the hatred people like senator Weiner have for families and single family neighborhoods. So not only is this council on the right side, you are on the winning side.

The tide is turning. Our long nightmare is coming to an end, and this two hundred fiftieth anniversary of America will see a new birth of freedom. Thank you.

Thank you. Please call up the next 10.

Next group of speakers please approach both podiums. John Ridelli, Brother Steven Gerrard Sibloski, Tony Riccobono, Ding Joe Curry, Mark Curry, Craig Von Freeman, Betty Flynn, Elaine Keeley, Tim Geddes, Chris Reeney.

Go ahead, sir.

Good evening, mayor and city council. You might have this, I think it's six page written comment that was submitted. I'm not gonna be able to get through it, but I hope you might have a chance to, to look at it more in detail when you have time. Good evening. My name is John Medellia, and I've enjoyed living in our great city of Huntington Beach for well over twenty years.

You might have remembered me in the past. In fact, I graduated from Edison High School in '74, and I presently instruct bocce ball via the City Sands recreational program. Before that, I was part of the group that led the effort in late two thousand seventeen for the four synthetic resin bocce ball courts we now have at Myrtle Park. In fact, I created a 35 page report. I'd gone to all the different courts here that have bocce courts, all the different cities, and took measurements, took photos, and I created this port this report that was widely given to the city officials there at the time in late two thousand seventeen.

I called it bocce ball courts for Huntington Beach. I have witnessed firsthand the steady growth of bocce ball participation in Murray Park from the time these courts were completed and open to the public. In early twenty twenty. On numerous occasions, I have seen more than two courts being played on at the same time. I have also heard from my bocce class students located on the opposite end of city, far from Myrtle Park, a full six, seven miles away, driving all the way from the Edison Park area.

That distance and time to travel plus the cost of gas can add up over time. Four courts are essential, not just for casual play, but also for properly running standard 16 team double tournaments. Two courts simply can't meet that demand. Four courts will help ensure the likelihood that Bocce players will not have to wait to gain access to an available court or have to be put on a waiting list or have to reserve a court in in advance. In case you do not know this, it's not a new idea.

In fact, the city's own 2009 master plan for Edison Park included bocce ball courts as a planned amenity. Unfortunately, those plans were never realized. The last thing I would say is the relocation of the pickleball courts behind the fire station is a happy compromise for our sports players. I had envisioned that location. I can live with it.

Bocce. Thank you.

Hey,

Mark. Good evening. My name is Mark Curry. I represent the Edison Park Community Group. Good evening, mayor and members of the city council.

On behalf of the Edison Park Community Group, local residents, family and long time users, we respectfully request approval of Option two of the Edison Park conceptual plan with several community recommendations incorporated. Edison Park is a deeply valued neighborhood space, and these recommendations reflect consistent community input focused on safety, infrastructure, environmental stewardship and long term stability. First, infrastructure. Improvements are essential. A modern irrigation system will protect both the new and existing trees and green spaces.

Walking paths should be repaired and resurfaced with the ones that have drainage issues, particularly on the West Side, needing to be corrected to eliminate flooding and safety hazards. We also urge the city to coordinate and stagger the three major projects that are going to be happening together, ASCON, Magnolia Tank Farm and Edison Park to minimize traffic congestion and disruption. During construction, strict safety measures must protect the two on-site oil wells. In terms of design enhancements, larger lidded trash receptacles will improve sanitation, selectively widening paths will enhance ADA access and also allow for emergency vehicles access. Shaded areas, simple outdoor fitness equipment and clearly marked dog waste stations will better serve the entire everyday park user.

We also request sound attention walls on the north side of the pickleball courts to reduce impacts on adjacent residents. Finally, we ask that the community remain engaged throughout the design phase. These additions are practical and reasonable and will allow and align with the city's goals, incorporating them into option two will welcome will ensure Edison Park remains a safe, welcoming, and sustainable space for generations to come. Thank you.

Thanks, Mark. Next speaker, please.

Brother Steven Gerrard Sidlevsky, beloved mayor, council, and citizens, I am delighted to provide, the council mayor, an additional package. You've already received the bible bookmark on new USA person hood cities. I'm giving you another. There has been a revision on the resolution in support of a Huntington Beach declaration of a safe preborn personhood city. And that occurs in item number five where it says California motto is Eureka, the Golden State, and the revision is, and citizens prefer to honor the golden rule.

So I've given you the update on that wonderful resolution. Beloved mayor and council, you have, I think, four more city council meetings before Mother's Day. It's a wonderful time for you to contemplate and go ahead and put on this resolution on the agenda. I've spoken with your city, clerk's office, and they talked about the protocol and what's required for something to go on the agenda. It sounds like you have to decide by Wednesday at five p.

M. To get this resolution on the agenda. And how you go about doing that, of course, I don't know, but you do know. I've also provided you the wonderful, precious feet pin that is provided by the Heritage House out of Snowflake, Arizona, and it talks about our journey of life in our mother's womb. And if you look at our journey of life, on day 21 already, our brain and nervous system are discernible, and our heart stops starts beating.

In five weeks, we begin moving, and the heart already has its four chambers. So let the beating heart show you there certainly is life in the womb. And I hope you'll proudly wear this wonderful pro life symbol, which is called the precious feet pin, and that's the size of our feet at ten weeks when we're developing peacefully in our mother's womb. I'd like to thank the citizens that keep signing the California Preborn Personhood Advisory Petition as I go out and do all the petitioning too. And finally, I'd like to say you probably won't see me in two weeks because I'll be actually in Sacramento at the California March for Life on that Monday, March 16.

And I'll just end with smile. Your mom chose life, everybody in this chamber. God bless you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi. I'm Betty Flynn, organizer of Friends of Edison Park and All H. B. Parks Matters Group. I'm speaking on item twenty six thousand one ninety three, the Edison Park Conceptual Plan.

I support the approval of option two, however, I'm not a fan of the pickleball court placements behind the fire station. In option two, we have three youth and family elements. We have the soccer fields, together. Having the pickleball courts, a pickleball courts placed right in between an area that's for children, youth sports, and families would bring that pickleball has a lot of adults playing and a lot of spectators. I just don't think it's a good idea to be having so many of the spectators and the players and then the game itself being played in an area that is designated, you know, by the look of the plan to be an area for family and children's sports.

That's just my opinion. I know there's concerns about the noise from the pickleball courts and that's why those were plopped from option one in the area that they were to behind the fire station. But I believe the city did two noise studies. The last one was done I think in 2025. And that found that they did not exceed the city noise standards between the hours of 7AM to 10PM for pickleball.

Because I know there's concerns with the noise levels for the residents of a Stillwell. So I'm hoping that we can kind of figure out some kind of better flow or placement. If you look at option one, it has the tennis courts with the overlay for the eight pickleball courts. Why can't we keep that that way because in the end we'd still get to the 16 pickleball courts and have the tennis courts and everything, all the ball sports would be in one area. I am looking forward to having irrigation system upgraded because the one we have now is just subpar.

And I'd also like to see new trash cans. The cement ones like the ones in Central Park that have the, you know, dome lid over it and also have a clear and concise emptying schedule for the trash cans because there is a big litter problem and overflowing trash can problem at Edison Park. I would also like to urge you to replace at least half of the trees that are gonna be cut down with large, fully grown trees, especially by the pickleball courts. Thank you.

Thank you. Ding Jo.

Good evening, mayor McKeon and members of the city council. My name is Ding Jo Curry, and I'm speaking on behalf of the Edison Park Community Group, a group that actually has been advocating for Edison Park ever since 2021. So much what you are hearing tonight from residents and park users, I think most of them do reflect the detailed list of the 14 items that's outlined in the February 28 letter regarding this agenda item 20 six-one 193. So even though the letter already been emailed to each of you and with copies to our city manager, Travis Hopkins and Ashley Wysaki, I am presenting this letter to you tonight as part of the city council meeting record for today. Our primary and the most important request is very straightforward, and that is for you, the city council, to approve the Edison Park conceptual plan number two and incorporate those 14 detailed infrastructure, safety, environmental and design conditions outlined in this letter into a final approved action tonight.

So incorporate those items in your approval action tonight. These 14 items are all very representative of over the years of community input, and we have done community input surveys from the very early on with ongoing consultations with various groups, including the pickleball groups. And I think that these requests of 14 items are reasonable as well as responsible for the park. So this letter, once recorded, will also serve as a documentation for the official city council record for future CEQA consideration so that these community identify requests and also mitigations remain part of the documented project history for Edison Park. I wanna thank mayor McKeon.

You have been there since you've taken on this project as a lead to consistently work with our group, Edison Park Community Group Leaders, and we appreciate that because collaboration does matter. So thank you for that. And we stand ready as a group to continue partnering with the city to ensure that Edison Park remains a, first of all, safe, balanced, beautiful, and functional as well as sustainable space for generations to come. So thank you for your action, and we hope that you would adopt option two with items of 14 that we outlined for you in the list. Thank you.

Thank you, Ding Jo.

Tony Riccobono, 20 nine year resident of Huntington Beach. Mayor McKeon and City Council, thanks for letting us speak. I'm here to speak in favor of option two of the Edison Park conceptual plan. I've been involved in this process for the last several years with all the different pros and cons and different plans and so forth and a lot of the trade offs that have been made. And ultimately, I think Option two is a reasonable plan for moving forward.

I and others had a lot of concerns about Option one. There were a lot of concerns particularly about the noise. And despite the noise studies and so forth, those did not alleviate our concerns. Option two does alleviate those concerns to a large extent, which just to be clear, you still need to pay very close attention to the noise and whatever mitigations you can do. But option two is an improvement. Option two, address those concerns and other concerns like the addition of the bocce ball courts and so forth. So ultimately, think that's the most reasonable plan to move forward with. I fully support that plan. I encourage you to move forward with that plan. As others have stated, please make sure you pay attention to the design elements, the irrigation.

If you're going to put new trees in, try to put the largest trees possible in so that the shade comes within the remaining of my lifetime. I want to be able to enjoy that shade while I still can. And with respect to the letter from the Edison Park Community Crew, I think our request is not just to consider those elements, but you know, make them part of the plan. Make them part of your vote tonight. As you vote to approve the plan, make sure you include those elements as well. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hi, Elaine.

Hello. My name is Elaine Keeley. I'm the president of the Friends of the Library of Huntington Beach, an independent nonprofit five zero one c three organization. Through our membership and community support, we have donated millions of dollars and given thousands of hours in volunteer time to the library. We believe that the library is a public resource for all residents of Huntington Beach, and strengthening our library strengthens our whole community.

We are nonpartisan but pro library. We fight to keep the library as a public good, freely available to all. We have offered to donate to the library $825,000 over the next three years. All we ask in return is that the city follow the laws and not censor books, and that we are able to remain in our library space so that we can earn the money that we give every cent plus more for library materials. We donate back to the library and our donations can only be used for library materials due to the way our nonprofit is set up.

These terms are in our grant agreement and we have proposed to the city which is on our website for anyone to see. The city still has not agreed to accept our donation. The city, wants an MOU and we're willing to sign a reasonable MOU if it contains only standard business terms and if the city will sign the grant agreement, which is legally necessary for us to donate as we are accountable to the IRS. We urge the city to accept this donation at no taxpayer expense for the good of the library and for the good of the entire community. Thank you.

Craig von Fryman. I am a fifty plus year resident of Huntington Beach. I'm here to speak in favor of Edison Park Option B, as someone who grew up playing in that park, doing all the sports on all the different fields, being in the community center, walking the park with all our dogs over the years and just enjoying the open space. That's why Option P 2 is most appealing to me is that I have a fifty year relationship with some of those trees. I don't want to see them go.

I don't want to see that open space. The city fights against development but they don't want to keep a beautiful open space a beautiful open space. Option b is I'm sorry, option two is the best option of the plans out there. I would support that. In addition to the library item, the surf museum is nice but the museum doesn't belong in the library. As someone who's grown up surfing Huntington Beach for forty plus years, it's nice to have the museum. What you really should be bringing back is the old surf theater. That was Huntington Beach. That was the experience that I grew up with. It was amazing.

So leave the library alone, work on the museum, bring back the theater and support option two for Edison Park. Thank you so much.

Thank you mayor for giving us all three minutes. Good evening city council, Tim Geddes in the house. I hope you will eventually act on my communication for closed session reporting and become more transparent. I would like to have the City Council respond to what needs to be done by the next meeting on March 17, which happens to be Saint Patrick's Day. I would like to make Saint Patrick the patron saint of transparency and that he become a symbol for protecting the community and chasing the snakes out of local government.

It may take until November. It may take longer but the citizenry needs to needs to live without fear of recrimination from the state, loss of local control in our housing, and poisonous pandering to special interests. Regarding housing, you have known for two you have known for two years this month that you would lose your battle over housing mandates. You you knew it. Judge Catherine McCall knew it.

Then city attorney Michael Gates knew it, and now everybody knows it. Two years ago, did you just hope for the best and plan for the worst? It doesn't appear so on the last part. Now you have to scramble to come up with something by the middle of next month. How many dodging how much dodging the bullet do you think you can still do?

You will be blamed for the fallout. Trust me. You will be blamed for the fallout. We need transparency to return to the shores of of Surf City and protect us from partisan paganism. Just just like the South Africans voted to do on 03/17/1992, we need to end political apartheid in Huntington Beach by showing the hardcore MAGAs and extreme fundamentalists the door.

We need to restore unity and hope for our our residents. I feel lucky even shamrock lucky that we may have a new four leaf clover of council candidates dedicated to finding greener pastures for our city after the stony ground of the last four years. It's time to halt your anti community grievance crusade and to and for us to turn megaism to mega wasm. It is I will I will I will show up here in in two weeks. I won't be wearing green or orange.

I will be wearing white for transparency, and I'm sure it's mag patron saint won't mind. I will close with the ex exclamatory saying, by both Saint Patrick and Indiana Jones, I

Next speaker, please.

Chris Rainey, lifetime resident. I'm against agenda item 20 as it is written because it short changes the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, the city, and the patrons of Main Street Library. The Surfing Museum proposes through their newsletter to synergize with Main Street Library with objectives including fostering interdisciplinary learning by integrating library and museum holdings, integrate catalog and curate the PT collection into a research center, and create a sustainable partnership. The city license agreement doesn't mention learning, integrating resources, or a sustainable long term partnership. Instead, the museum gets discount rate, free parking, and other perks for five long years.

When the license agreement was posted, exhibits a and b were either blank or missing. As of this morning, exhibit a was posted in supplementary communications, exhibit b was still missing. That's a red flag. The license agreement doesn't address real problems and conflicts. It gives the surf museum two rooms, support for 12 board meetings a year, event promotion, a workspace, free parking when available, and free utilities, all for $500 a month.

The agreement notes that the electrical system is maxed out and the museum must consult before with the city before they plug in any more electrical things. This is a problem if the museum wants to increase its digital engagement. The surfing museum proposal reads like a partnership to create a destination research library with a rich online presence. Instead, they're going to get two rooms in a neighborhood library with no AC. The license agreement reads like a sub rental agreement.

It doesn't give meaningful detail about who's managing the collection, who's processing the collection, who's handling the metadata, digital asset management and content management systems. These are all important parts of online museum practice. Are the librarians supposed to do that? Also, terms of archival practice, the city license agreement talks about best archival practices. You can't do that in a building that doesn't have air conditioning.

My own archive tried this. We partnered with a museum and it dissolved over collection management, items disappeared, we never found out who stole what. The agreement's worrisome from a business standpoint too. The Zuma is getting a lot for $500 a month, way below market rate. You can't rent a bedroom in this town for less than $7.50 plus utilities and forget about free parking.

The museum also made a profit of $12,000 in 2024 on their nine ninety form, so half of their annual profit would go to paying the museum license. The surfing museum has been behind on rent in the past. What guarantee do we have that there won't be another Meadowlark situation? What happens if foot traffic goes down because the museum goes from a destination with good parking to side rooms with bad parking? Does the MOU address any of this? Lastly, how do we know this will not encroach on the library? It's a community library for the community which it loves. The museum, the community, and the city deserve better.

Next speaker, please.

Hello. I'm a fairly long term can you hear me? Am I using the right mic? Because of the height, you know, I've never I've never what? Oh, thank you.

No. The one to your left right there.

Is that good?

Help her out.

Oh. Oh, this one? Oh. Yeah.

There you go. I

brought the one shoes. I'm wearing the wrong shoes. Okay. I'm getting we're getting an adjustment.

All

right. We're not.

No just go ahead.

We're not. Thanks Julie.

Thank you. Okay. Long term resident of Huntington Beach property owner and I'm speaking for the many people that have spoken to me that they would love to live in Huntington Beach and own or rent property but they can't afford it because there's not enough available housing. And that's what I'm speaking to now. This city has unfortunately spent millions of dollars, could be 10, fight with lawsuits fighting the housing element proposed by the state.

I personally am sick of lawsuits period even even in my own personal life and and fighting the state and we've lost each time the lawsuits against the housing element. So I'm strongly recommending and hoping that we can move forward with it. And the housing element is of diverse sizes. It's not density, it's not expensive. There are a lot of low cost cobras proposed as well as middle and higher income.

So it's not just all for low income people. It's a diverse regulation and we need you to know the details. So that's what I'm wishing that that will happen, that you people will finally get us that housing element. I'm on some oversight committees, plural, for the city and for school districts, construction oversight committees. And one of our meetings the construction, the facilities, the facilities manager said there's no way that my children or my son would be able to live in this city until I die.

Could never afford to live here. So I really want you people to understand what what we're facing when we don't adopt the housing element, which again is a multifaceted. It's not all low cost, it's not all rentals, it's not all houses even. It can be some apartments. So that's what I'm just hoping you will consider that people who live here now, many of their children will never be able to live afford to live here. Thank you.

Thank you. Next 10, please.

Kathy Graham, Dan Rug, Aaron Spivey, James Torres, Bart Kalimpoder, Anne Palmer, Paula Schaefer, Gimo Trasso, Robert Trasso, Tony Bisson.

Okay. Good evening. My name is Dan Rugg. Mayor, council members, staff, I am the general manager of the Huntington Beach Concert Band, and I'm here just to talk a little bit about there's been a lot of talk about the library, Main Street Library, and the Surf Museum moving in. I'm not for or against that.

I think that it could coexist, but just wanted to let everyone know, if you weren't aware, that the Huntington Beach concert band has had our sheet music storage in there for the past thirty years. And there were talk about trying to digitize it, but unfortunately there's some copyright laws that make that not a possibility. So we need the storage space and we would like to work with the library services and with the city, with the surf museum to find a home for our sheet music so we can continue the fifty three years that we've served this city. I also run the concerts in the park, and we will be celebrating America two fifty this year. We have multiple military bands coming to the park this year, and we need our sheet music.

So with that, I know that Ashley, I I think you're working on some solutions for us and we appreciate that. Really just wanted to let the city know that we're proud to be part of the community, we're proud to be representing Huntington Beach with with the summer concert series and with other musical events in the city, and I'm hoping that we can come come up with a solution. Thank you.

Thanks, Dan. Next speaker, please.

Council members, Paula Schaefer here. I urge you to vote no on the license agreement with the surfing museum. The attached agreement does not not include exhibit a or B until this morning and B was never presented. And of these two exhibits are integral to understanding the terms as they are proposed. Exhibit A was the designated space within the library and exhibit b was to include a nonexistent nonexhaustive list of programs to be presented.

How are the taxpayers supposed to be able to determine what space the museum would use and occupy and how it would be used if these exhibits are never presented. And providing them eight hours before the meeting is absolutely inexcusable. And why would the city consider subsidizing this nonprofit organization? I have nothing against the surfing museum. However, it's been in existence for years, and yet it struggles to keep the museum open.

It's not open regular hours. It's been closed January and February, and it intends to be closed for the month of March. It doesn't obviously have sufficient staffing or volunteers to maintain accessibility to the public. It was months behind in rental payments at the city you know, to the city for at its current location. So why are you giving it a sweetheart deal?

The agreement requires the city staff to work with the museum on potential staffing, gathering statistics, and programs, assist in analyzing, organizing, and and storing the museum's property. Potentially, the city is supposed to provide the show mobile at no cost and also provide additional separate workspace for the museum. Now is this in addition to the space that's designated in Mysterious Park Exhibit A, as well as parking at no cost? This is a terrible agreement, and it should be voted no. I don't even suggest that you hold off on it because I think it is such a terrible agreement and it's such a terrible idea.

However, at a minimum, I think you should hold off until we get the update to the library master plan because you're not even considering that. This seems like it's a done deal. I think that's a terrible idea. Thank you.

Kathy Graham, and I am here today to try and promote the positive parts of pickleball and also to say that we would like to vote definitely for option two. I've been to every meeting at Edison Park since 2021, February and on. I've been playing pickleball at Worthy Park since the dedication ceremony ten years ago. We desperately need at least 16 new pickleball courts in Huntington Beach, if not more in the future. And I don't understand why it's taking so long, but I whatever.

Pickleball is a multi million dollar sport. It's the fastest growing sport in the world. It will be in the Olympics in the future. Every day at Worthy, at least a 100 plus people play pickleball from 7AM to 10PM. There's about 30 every four hours. An eight year old can be on the same court playing with an 88 year old. All ages play together, getting in shape, laughing, and socially interacting. There's no other sport that's so inclusive. I've made a 100 plus friends over the years, met people from every state in America and from many different countries around the world. We are definitely ambassadors.

For the city, Huntington Beach will bring in revenue. People plan their vacations around what cities have pickleball courts. And, again, I would love to vote for the 16 courts. If you have no idea how much fun the sport is, if you've never played it before, I invite you to come to Worthy and visit and talk to us. If you don't have enough friends, play pickleball.

There's a lot of great people out there. And Worthy's next to the playground, so the lady that did make the comment that it shouldn't be near pickleball courts, we are responsible adults, we have kids, dad plays pickleball, mom watches the kid on the playground, then they switch. I mean, we're always looking out for the kids. Worthy has been there for ten years. It has never been resurfaced.

It is looking a little, a lot shabby. The paint's almost gone. Cement is showing. And I'd love to work with Ashley to, possibly have it resurfaced in the future soon, so that people don't trip and hurt themselves. I do know a man who can re who did resurface the courts at Loews Cab and Costa Mesa pickleball courts, and I'd love to work with Ashley and all of you in the future. And we also have the number one fifty year and older pickleball champ that lives in Huntington Beach. Psychology.

Thank you.

Good evening. Ann Palmer, three plus resident of 30 resident of Huntington Beach. I'm here to speak on item number seventeen twenty six dash one twenty five regarding the housing element progress report. This is a mind bogglingly tedious government report and although thankfully our city does not have massive numbers of housing units to report the document was meticulously and comprehensively prepared. So thank you city, thank you staff, I read every cell.

Mind boggling. Anyway, I say thankfully because up and down our state right now many cities are frantically processing paperwork, expediting undesired huge high density housing projects, and the frustration of their citizens is dramatic. They're forming legal action groups, they're forming neighborhood protest groups, but the truth is they've lost already. They are trying to spend money on legal action and we set the road for them. They know that they aren't going to win, but they also know that they got bamboozled.

They submitted housing elements and that housing element only gets them so far. So they're frantically trying to hit their halfway mark to half of all the development and what we have here in Huntington Beach, we're not frantic, we don't see that level of development and you know why? Because you all bought us time and I want to thank you for that because otherwise we'd be seeing in any neighborhood 10 story buildings going up next to homes. Across the state, the majority of people do not wanna see that happen. So thank you again.

We have not lost money. We have gained our way. We in Huntington Beach because our requirements were delayed while our city in good faith challenged the state are not out of compliance despite what people want to tell you. We are not being fined. So thank you again to our law department for helping us out with that.

I think a lot of people want to know what to do next and again we haven't lost but there is a way forward if citizens are interested there's a statewide organization called our neighborhood voices. That organization exists solely to put an initiative on the ballot in 2028 that returns housing zoning laws to local authorities. That means if you want high density housing, you can so have it but if you don't you can determine what the needs are and frankly right now California is not growing. If you say affordability the things that drive affordability are not inventory they are economy including recession and income.

You.

Thanks, Ann. Next speaker please.

Hi, Bart Callender, Huntington Beach resident. I'll keep it really brief. I love pickleball. All ages are playing pickleball. It's growing tremendously. So I just would advocate for the existing pickleball course and any additional pickleball course that can be created for free public use. Thank you.

Thank you. Go ahead, Robert.

Thank you, Casey. Good evening. My name is Robert Trazo, and I'm here to talk about Item 20 six-one 193, please. My wife and I would want to sincerely thank you for the time and effort that you've all invested in this park issue. We've had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Mary McKeon, mayor Pro Tem Twining, council members Williams Kennedy, Gruel, Vandermark, and Burns, both individually and in small group settings.

And you've all taken the time to listen thoughtfully to our concerns, and we general genuinely appreciate that. We're here tonight to express our support for option two. We support this plan primarily because it relocates eight of the pickleball courts to the southeast portion of the park, moving them farther away from the residents. So that change, in our opinion, reflects a meaningful win win compromise and we are very grateful to see that consideration reflected in RGM's option two. And it's not just us, we're in favor of option two.

Since November 2025, my spitfire of a wife and several other community members collected six seventy four signatures of residents in favor of a plan to move the pickleball courts to the Southeast portion of the park. So we'd like to officially turn in copies of all six seventy four signatures, names and addresses of those in support of moving the pickleball courts to the Southeast. We also please respectfully ask that additional sound mitigation measures be incorporated for the new pickleball courts. Even with the relocation of the eight courts, noise remains a significant concern for nearby neighbors. Thoughtfully designed sound barriers and other mitigation strategies would really go a long way toward protecting the quality of life of those residents.

We also respectfully ask that the mature trees slated for removal be replaced with the largest, most mature trees feasible, not just small saplings, so that the character and canopy of the park can be preserved for current and future generations. So I really, from the bottom of my heart, I wanna thank you very much for thinking and acting win win and we ask that you please vote for option two. Thank you.

Thank you.

I am a little short, so

can I do this? No.

It's lower. Lower.

No. The one that Robert was just speaking.

Over here. Yeah.

Over here.

Okay. Thank

you. I can't grow any more. Okay. Hello, mayor and city council members. My name is Guimotrazo, and I'm here regarding item two six Dash one six three Edison Park reconfiguration.

First, I wanted to thank you for the work you've done to bring forward the win win option two plan. It reflects real effort and thoughtful consideration of community input and we appreciate that. We gather 674 resident signatures presented by my husband just now that opposed to the original option one plan and asking for a more balanced approach. As you move towards final approval, we respectfully ask you to consider the long term legacy of your decision. Please preserve as many healthy, mature trees as possible and plant as many large canopy trees as feasible.

These trees are living infrastructures. They provide shade, cooling, beauty, and character that serves families for decades. At the existing tennis court site where up to eight pickleball courts may operate, we would like to request additional sound mitigation through sound proofing wall, berms, dense hedges, tree, or a combination to protect nearby residents for years to come. We also ask that you maintain four tennis courts through a dual use and if feasible, widen pathways to strengthen emergency access and safety. Tonight's vote will shape the park for generations to come.

We respectfully support moving forward with option two and appreciate your stewardship of our community. Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is James Torres, and I have owned my house in Huntington Beach since 1998. I live on 5th Street in downtown with my beautiful wife and my 12 year old son. And I plan on being there till we celebrate our three hundredth anniversary as a country and handing it off to my, at that point, middle aged son. So that's the that's my plan. I I'm actually here not to speak about that so much.

I'm here to speak about, item twenty six one ninety three. This, and the speakers before me are very eloquent. I've been to some of those meetings. I'm asking that I believe when you do in any project that you should always get community input, and take it seriously and do as much as you can. So regardless of what you do, whether you do option one or option two, at least consider the option to input.

Because they did a lot of work on it. They didn't just show up and throw something together. There were a lot of people doing a lot of things. And it's amazing. And again, I don't live right there, but I'm with a y s o and they asked me to, since I'm a board member to come down and speak to it to say, hey, keep the fields lighted, and all that good stuff for the soccer fields.

So that's really what I wanted to talk about. Just to make sure that the fields are safe so that the kids can play. And also because I'm the safety director for a y s o fifty six. Also, we probably should make in some sort of effort for all of the fields at all the schools to get them as level as possible and as safe as possible. So anyway, I'm I really appreciate everybody on the city council the I'm just gonna call you the magnificent seven.

From the film. I know what your other nickname is. But I'm gonna go with that one. And I also want to point out that I think that it's kind of expensive, either option one or two. In fact, it's very expensive.

I remember going to a Johnson fabro library meeting, and I asked one question, I said, how much is this going to cost? And he said, a boat load of money. So this stuff that we're talking about here is a boatload of money. So I think keep in mind that maybe pay as we go, you know, like, shopping channel flex pay, you got to, if we don't have the money, we kind of, I think that's the one of the most important things is not to, it's to try to get the most bang for the buck with your RFQ RFPs, whatever you guys are doing, but it's expensive. So the community plan is cheaper.

That's just another point. But anyway, do what you're gonna do. I support you guys no matter all of you, all seven of you. And thank God for thank God for United States Of America. Appreciate your service. God bless you all.

Thank you.

Thank you. You.

Speaker, please.

Hi. My name is Tony Bisson. I'm a resident of Southeast Huntington Beach. And just by virtue of being in the community, I've attended several meetings and public events about Edison Park. And those those people who live near the park are very active and it's wonderful to see.

And they they they support community project. And so I would hope that that the city council would really take into consideration the the second option that has had so much input from those people. They're consistent and they've they've really been involved for a long time. Specifically, the moving of the pickleball as far away from Stillwell as you can get because I know there's people love pickleball and I'm sure it's a wonderful game. I've played it a few times myself, but it has an obvious noise pollution problem.

It is unreasonably loud. A well hit pickleball paddle, you know, if you hit in the center, that sweet spot, 85 decibels. That's the equivalent of me shouting over here. Shouting. If a pickleball game was going on in here reverberating off these walls, it would be very bothersome to most people's hearing.

And, when you, you know, you put eight or 12 of those chords together, it's it's a it's a it's a significant noise impact on a wide area, thousands and thousands of feet away. So, I can stand out here on on on this mezzanine up here outside and hear worthy park pickleball. No problem. So, it's that loud. And, I guess, the the important thing is isolating pickleball and keeping it, like, as many courts as possible as far away from residents as possible is is the solution to the demand for pickleball courts.

I'm not against people having a good time playing the game, getting exercise, getting outside. That's great. But, if you just put two pickleball courts in the middle of a park like they do in Costa Mesa, you've basically wrecked that park and and, you know, people using it. Pickleball really needs to be in as few locations as possible, dense as possible, or better yet, moved indoors. I used to live in Carlsbad, California and there they wrap the pickleball courts in this material.

I don't know what it's called, but it's it's a sound mitigation solution. Huntington Beach is a much richer city than Carlsbad. We can afford to wrap our ball courts. And, you know, people in there might swelter in the heat, but at least their noise pollution will be contained somewhat. And, I I also appreciate the city council giving us three minutes to speak tonight. I've been to so many meetings where we've had under three minutes. It's been like, you know, like rapid fire comments. So thank you for that. The community matters. And I can tell by your giving us three minutes. Thank you.

Thank you. Call the remaining?

Last remaining group. Linda, Danny Morris, Andrew Einhorn, Carolyn, Robert Wagner.

Perception versus reality. Perception is the way individuals interpret and understand events shaped by personal experience, bias and emotions. Reality by contrast consists of objective facts and events that actually occurred regardless of individual interpretation. In discussions around American elections, some perceive widespread voter fraud as significant issue. However, available evidence consistently indicates that while isolated instances of voter election fraud do occur, they are exceedingly rare and not sufficient to alter the outcome of national elections.

Furthermore, the presence of voter identification laws not does not necessarily correlate with lower instances of election irregularities. In fact, analysis of election data have shown that states with voter ID requirements had also reported instances of voter election related issues. Underscoring the importance of distinguishing between perception from documented reality. Understanding the difference between perception and reality is essential to foster informed and fast fact based public discourse. Thank you.

Thank you.

Andy Einhorn, non citizen voting is non existent. A department of homeland security review of 49,500,000 voters, they found that registrations were falsified by a percent of point zero two. People pursuing legal status have no incentive to risk detention, deportation, or their path to citizenship by voting illegally. Trump repeats the lie that the twenty twenty election was stolen as reflexively as breathing. Yet, the Heritage Foundation's own data shows the truth.

Out of 1,300,000,000 presidential ballots cast from 1982 to 2024, only 1,620 illegal votes were discovered at a rate of point zero one two. Heritage cases from '82 to 2025, that combined with independent voter project data, which included state, federal, and local elections, even had a lower rate of fraud. For example, California, the Heritage Foundation reported 71 illegal votes in forty three years, which turns out to be a percent of point zero three. Texas had a 113 illegal votes. Florida, 93.

Both Texas and Florida, by the way, had twice the rate of California's voter fraud. Texas has voter ID and still shows a higher fraud rate than California, despite California much larger voting population. Reality, illegal voting is statistically insignificant, and stricter voter ID laws do not reduce fraud. The Huntington Beach voter ID scam is not reform. It's voter suppression designed to manufacture distrust and erode confidence in democracy.

Huntington Beach deserves leadership grounded in facts, law and integrity, Not conspiracy driven delusion. Thank you.

Next speaker please.

Hi there. Thank you for just a moment to speak to you all. Good to see you all again. I wanna say thank you for those that showed up at the Read Across America this year and previous years. It's such a great opportunity to open up a safe, creative book and share it with the children. So, that was so much fun Friday. Many of you were there and the kids really appreciated it. So, thank you. Also, I could say something about everything. If anyone needs a ride to the DMV to get an ID, I would gladly take you.

Also, the I spoke to some of the surfers because I went to a lot of the town halls about what's going on with the libraries. And it was my understanding from the architect, he said they were gonna be building a new building, but I could be wrong that they're gonna be incorporating it to the used book area where nobody actually traffics in that that area of the Main Street Library. So, the surfers like it. And, I say it's Surf City USA, so I would definitely respect the surfers opinions and they really like the idea. It would definitely bring people down to Main Street and I think we all know museums are a place to reflect and most people are silent.

So, I think it would pair well with the library. Not too many people visit that library right now as well. So, it could bring some more people there. Truth. Second, I've been going to Edison Community Center for fifteen years with my kids. And I'm actually here just to speak for all those that aren't here that are at home doing homework or at basketball practice. The 2,000 students that are at Edison High School, I could probably work on getting their signatures, but that's kind of a joke. So we all know that we need some more outdoor activities for the children. I love bocce. I love pickleball.

I love tennis ball. I love roller skating. I love trees. But we also have to take in consideration that we have a wide amount of youth in this area and and they need options. Don't know if they know that the skate park is temporary. So I noticed that it's gonna be put a little smaller and the tot lot's still there. So I looked at all the options. I've been, like I said, going to the meetings since 2001 and it's been very confusing. My mouth is drying up. But basically, I just wanna say, I don't like any of these options, but we gotta get the thing going.

And I appreciate everything that Ashley's done. We've paid good money to have RGM look into this. So I say, let's get the ball rolling. Keep the option open for open land for a pump track. The kids want a pump track and keep the skate park because the kids are skating in it now. And that's all I wanna say. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hi. My name is Carolyn Osborne. I'd like to read a quote from something that was posted 01/31/2025 from Udbeh Farooq, who is an Islamic scholar in San Diego. Quote, no one can stop Islam in America. This is not your country. This is our country. This is the land of Allah. If you wanna live in a place with no Muslims, I suggest you go to hell. Also, he said, this religion of Islam will enter every household. The global nation of Islam will be victorious.

Please keep in mind that there are over 50 Islamic countries already. Here are a few examples of why we all need to start caring what Islam says because they're acting. In Minnesota, a 120 year old bar was closed, it's called Palmer's. It was sold to Muslims because natives quit going there because of safety concerns. In Texas, Muslims are pressuring store owners to stop selling alcohol, cigarettes, and lottery tickets in their own stores.

In New York City, every Friday now, they close down Times Square so they can perform something called a Dawah. It's to prosthetize people and show us make a show of force by the space you take. New York City also has their prayers five times a day blaring on sounds loud loudspeakers starting at 5AM. Now, this goes on all over the country where they have an influence. New York City, you probably heard, also wants to ban dogs in people's homes and increase taxes on dog owners.

In Hamtramck, Michigan, the All Islamic City Council voted to allow animal sacrifice in 2023 with no permit or restrictions. But if we were to kill animals, we would be charged with a felony. In Dearborn, Michigan, a pastor told the Islamic city council that he objected to the renaming of streets to a controversial Arab named Osama Siblani. The mayor, on camera, told a Christian he was not welcome in the city and would hold and would hold a parade when he leaves. He never apologized.

Remember, there's over 50 Islamic countries. Countries in which they can be in without requiring the native populations to change their way of life and put our American values second to theirs. What's happening in our state? Thank you.

Thank you.

Robert. Hello. I'm going to be a little light hearted here. Tough to follow that, but my name is Robert Wagner. I own and operate Wagner Charters out of Huntington Harbor. Me and my father run it together since 2008, proudly serving this community for over fifteen years. We are residents for over forty four years here. I'm born and raised in the city. Truly love serving this community and what we do. We offer private boat charters for Catalina shuttles, fishing charters, ash scattering, group things for work events.

Pretty much anything you want a boat, we have you covered. We have a 30 foot vessel, has beds, bathroom, kitchen. We're doing shuttles across to Catalina all the time. I see a lot of residents going to Newport and I see a lot of residents going to Long Beach and using the Catalina Flyer or the Catalina Express. For the same exact cost, you can have your own private boat with your own family and have your own memories out of our own harbor supporting a family business.

So just wanted to come in and say a little bit about what we do and say hi and thank you to the city for featuring us a little bit and showing a little bit of what we do. Plug the website. Wagnercharters.com or wagnerchartershb for Instagram. (714) 478-8541 is our direct number. And if anyone here has any questions or comments or anything, I'd gladly answer any questions you have or hand you a business card and hope to bring you aboard soon, all of you.

Thanks Robert. Thank you. Go ahead Roger.

Hello guys, how are you? First, I want to talk about the library. Please, please, please don't mess with the library. That's one of our national treasures is a library. Library is the most important thing. That's how you could judge societies is by their libraries. And this one over the country, The US has got the most amazing library system. But when you start putting things inside it, a museum inside a library and all this. I mean hey, I learned surfing in Huntington Beach with Corkys, surf school. I mean I've had It's really important to me that there is And it's Surf City.

And it should be a museum and it should be a stand alone so that way everybody can appreciate it. I don't know about the main street, I mean the main library because there's a lot of parking issues and all that stuff. But please, please, please don't mess with the library by putting things in there that isn't library related because it's really important they have their space so they can put the stuff they need to put in there whoever decides whatever they put in there. Sooner or later we'll figure that out. The second thing is the that's really important to me, please.

Library is the most important thing over here. We get it for free. People that are broke, it doesn't matter how rich or broke you are. If you privatize it, then they're gonna have library cards, and then you have to pay for it and all this stuff. That's always what happens. So please don't mess with the library. That is so important to everybody, not just me, the kids, everyone. Oh, please. I don't know why it's always such an issue. And we owe it to our librarians not to ever kick them out and then do privatize it.

I don't know if the privatization is still going on or not, but please don't do that. Next thing is the flock system. You know the chief police has a stand in that looks like him, but he's never here. He's supposed to be here. It's a lack of respect to you guys and for the city because we're supposed to have him here every single time. Where is he? In Israel again? I mean, how many times does okay. The chief of police, the fire department, everyone is supposed to be here at city council. If it isn't, it's it's thinking that you guys are not worth anything.

It's an insult to you and us. And by the way, they had a tournament, a poker tournament a week ago. The police department did. And or the foundation, no permit. No permit. They didn't have anything. They didn't pay a permit for a for a poker tournament. But if anybody else did it, we'd get shut down. We'd get people arrested. Come on. Seriously, mean, do like You're supposed to you're supposed to do what you preach. And if the police can't do that, then why should anybody follow the rules? Alright.

That concludes public comments. Next, the council committee appointment announcements. Council members, do you have any council committee appointment announcements? Alright. AB AB one two three reporting, does anyone have anything to report? Openness openness and negotiation disclosures, does anyone have anything to disclose?

I spoke with the POA.

I did as well last Monday, the twenty third.

I spoke with the POA as well, and I also attended, OCOG last week.

Alright. POA yesterday. Thank you. City manager's report. City manager, do you have anything to report?

Yes. Thank you, mayor. Mayor and city council, I'm proud to announce that the city of Huntington Beach was offered or excuse me, honored by the Orange County Business Council at their turning red tape into red carpet awards ceremony last week. The City of Huntington Beach received the major award for our streamlined Surf City program. The award we received, one of three categories.

It was the economic development category where there was public agencies that were nominated and we were one of 14 nominees. And the award honors innovative public agencies that support economic growth through cutting red tape. And I would like to have our community development director, Jennifer Villasenor, provide a little bit of information on our Streamline Surf City program.

Thank you, Travis. The Streamline Surf City program was introduced in early twenty twenty four, and it includes 28 initiatives that are designed to modernize and simplify the city's permitting process. There's a bunch of different layers to it, but importantly some of the key aspects are it provides 20 fourseven online permit access, real time project status updates, app based inspection scheduling, zoning code updates. We looked at eliminating unnecessary and duplicative review processes across all of our permitting areas, instant solar permits and express permits, expedited plan review, and there's more to come. It's always evolving.

We're always looking for new things and initiatives to put into the program. The improvements that we're making, they provide increased certainty for our applicants, improved customer satisfaction, and it holds us accountable to the public, to each other, and to our goals. We really probably need to thank Jasmine Daly. She's our building official. She came up with the concept and all of the programs, and it's been through her leadership that we've completed so many of the initiatives, and she never lets us stop.

In addition to Jasmine, probably Gus Santos, he's our inspection manager, Sokar Kong, our permit center supervisor, Melanie Wu, Derek Bowles, and our entire permit center, plan check, planning, and inspection divisions along with all of the other development services departments like public works and fire and of course our economic development staff.

Awesome. Go ahead, Don.

I have the honor here of showing this beautiful award that was given. This is the epitome of listening, leading, and winning. This is this is something that I would like to say, along with community development, this beautiful, it's called the turning red tape into red carpet. This is a fulfillment of a promise of the Fab Four. You know, they started out with promises made, promises kept.

And one of them was to streamline the business friendly environment. The metrics that Jennifer just cited are indicative of a, an initiative that's come to fruition and is gaining so much traction. What's really iconic about this award is out of 15 or so other vendors, participants, applicants, whatever you may be, contestants. The people that came in second place was the city of Santa Ana. And the reason they got the award is because they put together an RFP to to copy what Huntington Beach is doing. Yeah. I mean, that tells you the power of what's going on. So Casey accepted the word. I'm gonna just give it to Casey. He should've been presenting this, but he's humble tonight.

No. Gracie, Casey, Pat, and back then when Tony Strickland, they came into office and they had a lot of promises. They're fulfilling a lot of them. And one of them was to really expedite the entire permitting process. We sat with Jennifer V.

Sr, Andrew, myself, and Mayor McKeon and her staff on our business development committee and went through the metrics that she just did and talked about some of the other things. It's incredible what they're doing, how they're expediting things, using applications, using technology, using the ability to have your inspections almost via Zoom through the app. It's just fantastic. Jennifer, you and your team, Casey, you and the Fab Four, know, light heartedly but with all seriousness. Fantastic work, Jennifer.

You and your team, fantastic work. And for the residents of Huntington Beach, this is a sign of listening and applying what we can do up here, working with our team, and the end result is not the award, but what the award stands for, and that is a job well done, and the residents are super stoked on it. Congratulations.

And I'll just conclude, you know, it's something everyone should be really proud of. So to put you in the room last Thursday, we're at the Disneyland Hotel for the Orange County Business Council Awards and there was 15 total candidates, municipalities in Orange County that were up for this award and in front of that room of a thousand people, they read Huntington Beach's name as the winner for our streamlined program where we've cut the red tape at City Hall, as Don mentioned, and we've increased permits issued by 23%. As Don also mentioned, what's amazing is that Santa Ana and other cities have come to Huntington Beach because they want to replicate what we're doing. And as Don mentioned, Santa Ana actually in their request for proposal said, we want what Huntington Beach has. And they got second place.

So if you think about it, we got first and second actually, which is pretty cool. But now this it's a it's a major award, as I say, Jennifer. So thank you to Jasmine and everybody. And I think it's appropriate that she puts this on her desk in her office or at least in community development for a little while and we can pass it around. So job well done, guys. It's amazing work and a lot more room to go. So thank you. Anything else, Travis?

That's all tonight.

Alright. Moving on to consent calendar. Does anyone would like would any council members like to pull an item?

I'd like to pull number 19.

19. Anybody else? Alright. I'd like to move the balance, 14 through 18, please. Second. Second by Vandermark. Madam Clerk, call the roll, please.

Councilman Gruhl?

Yes.

Councilman Kennedy?

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Twainey?

Yes.

Mayor McKeon? Yes. Councilwoman Vandermark? Yes. Oman Williams? Yes. Item passes six zero one.

All right. Gracie, number 19.

I wanted to pull the budget so we can review some information. We had a revised budget, then we have the forecast for twenty five-twenty six. And then we were discussing earlier about some of the variances, how these variances came along and where the funding came from and where some of the expenses came from. So thank you, Robert.

Thank you. Good

evening, mayor and council. Tonight, I'll review the city's midyear budget requests and our second quarter general fund forecast. I'll explain why these requests are needed, how they're funded, and show that the city can support them while continuing core services. Let's start with the purpose of the presentation tonight. The goal tonight is to walk through the midyear request, explain the needs behind them, identify funding sources and review our second quarter forecast.

This forecast helps confirm the city has financial capacity to maintain current service levels. Before we look at the requests, let me briefly explain for you for the public's benefit what a mid year adjustment is. The city operates on a yearly cycle that starts July 1 and ends June 30 each year. The mid year adjustments are compiled in February and presented in late February or early March. As mid year adjustments allow the city to update adopted budget when new needs arise or conditions change.

These adjustments typically address urgent items or costs that were not known during the budget adoption and rely on available resources to avoid disruptions of services. With that in mind, let's look at the overall review. These requests focus on safety, operations and infrastructure. Most items are one time in nature and supported by the fund balances and reimbursements. Funding comes from the existing balances and grants which helps avoid any impact on ongoing services.

The total request for all the funds is 1,470,000. I'll walk through how each fund starting I'll walk through each fund starting with the infrastructure fund. The infrastructure fund supports facility improvements and required inspection services. The first request is community and library services. It's for the Newland House Museum renovation for 390,000.

This additional funded is needed to complete exterior renovations after asbestos, lead paint and preservation related conditions were identified during this inspection. And the second request is public works. They're requesting professional service contract services for construction inspection for 140,000. This funding ensures the continuity of required inspection services during staffing vacancies which costs will also be recovered through permit project related reimbursements. So the total for the infrastructure request is 530,000, which will support facilities and other physical assets and protect the city's infrastructure.

Next is the grant fund request. The grant fund request is externally funded for a planning project that's already been approved by the city council. It's for the community development and it's the California Coastal Commission Local Coastal Program Planning Grant for $499,000. This request allows the appropriation of funds to be executed for the coastal commission grant agreement to allow for reimbursement of eligible project costs through the grant term. The total grant funds request is $499,000.

And finally, we'll look at the special revenue requests. The special special revenues are funds that are requested using restricted funds that support the very specific programs that are being asked for. The first one request is for the from the police. It's for a $160,000 is the first piece of it and it's the airport it's the air support maintenance and equipment upgrades. This request funds advanced purchases of turbine wheels with long lead times, replacement of aircraft spotlight system to support crew safety and mission effectiveness, scheduling a one hundred hour inspections needed to maintain airship readiness through the remainder of the fiscal year.

And the second police request is for $150,000 from the narcotics forfeiture. And these funds support essential investigative software and overtime for narcotics enforcement activities that directly enhance criminal crime fighting capabilities. And the next request is with the city manager for HB TV three control room broadcast infrastructure re re refresh for eighty one thousand nine hundred and nine hundred ninety three dollars. The funding replaces the aging and failing broadcasting equipment to ensure reliable compliant public meeting and support enhanced virtual and hybrid meeting requirements. In addition, there's a new state law that's requiring public comments to have the capability of catch capturing statements through an online forum.

And the last request is the community and library service. The Aravallos Park Playground grounding for $50,000. This request is required for grounding of playground equipment to address safety issues related to overhead electrical lines discovered after the project had been approved. The total amount is $441,993 and it's all supported by restricted funds dedicated specifically used to maintain those targeted programs for those required services. So next I'll move on to the the for the forecast, the second quarter forecast.

So the forecast reflects the actuals to date and projected activity through the year end. The revenues are tracking over budget and departments continue to manage their spending carefully. Importantly, the forecast will show that the city has sufficient resources to support their safety and service levels and infrastructure needs. So now we'll start with the revenues. This slide shows the revenue categories grouped together.

The first column lists the category followed by the fiscal year twenty five twenty six adopted budget, the revised budget, the current forecast, the variance between the revised and forecast and the percentage of that variance. So now I'm going to walk through the key variances of each of the categories. The first variance is the tax variance which is a negative $470,000 and that's mainly due to a downward adjustment in the 1% Bradley Burns sales tax. The revenue, the second category, the revenue from other agencies and charges for service variance includes approximately $2,000,000 driven primarily by additional fire reimbursements, dollars 500,000 from county waste and recycling payments, dollars 300,000 from fire inspections, $200,000 from a police emergency response, and about a 150,000 from other service related revenues. The variance for the fines and forfeitures and use of money and property of approximately $1,000,000 is primarily related to additional interest received.

The license and permits of $376,000, it reflects several small changes all across building planning and general permit activity. And the last revenue of other revenue and non operating revenue is largely due to the waterfront settlement which is an additional 3 almost 3,300,000.0 in addition to what we budgeted. So now we'll look at the expenditures. So this slide is grouped into three categories with all the columns working the same way. The personnel expenses are showing a savings of $4,800,000 and that's driven by the successful implementation of managed hiring across the entire organization.

Operating expenses are showing an overage of $2,700,000 but that's primarily due to an offset that's directly tied to the revenue of the fire reimbursements. And the other additional portion is the addition of professional services needed to maintain current service levels due to the heavy vacancies. So overall you have additional 7,500,000 coming in in revenue and you're saving over $2,000,000 in your expenses. So that's that's approximately $9,000,000 surplus over what you've budgeted. So great job.

Key takeaway, the mid year requests, they address the critical needs, they rely on existing funding sources and they're supported by available balances or additional grant funding. The city identified for these the city has identified funding for these costs and most of them are at the at the direct at the direct allocation for the purposes they're designed for. The city's general fund maintains a sustainable financial position this fiscal year that supports increased safety and service levels along with positive infrastructure projects. Thank you. And with that, I'm happy to take any questions.

So I'd like to thank you for putting this report together earlier also for sitting down with me and pointing out where these variances came from. I know before we had projected a deficit of several million dollars. Will we be in a deficit at the end of this fiscal year?

For this fiscal year, no. We're not forecasting a deficit. And at the same time, what was budgeted for reserves, we should not have to utilize any of our reserves for this fiscal year because we're managing the hired managing is doing very well and creating a great savings.

Okay, thank you. And so I appreciate all the clarification. I know Andrew had a few questions as well.

So I just want to make that clear and repeat that. We are not in a there is not a budget deficit right now.

There's not a forecasted deficit for this year's actual forecast.

Correct.

We're forecasting a surplus. Yeah, think

that there one thing I've noticed when it comes to kind of municipal finances is that there's some confusion over the terms, the words deficit suddenly creates this sky is falling idea that we're gonna immediately go into bankruptcy. We are an incredibly financially sound city. You know, a city budget is an authorization to spend, and then we manage, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but we manage throughout the process in order to decrease expenses, attempt to increase revenue. We true up at this midyear stage and then we reflect those numbers so that we can better manage on a go forward basis from an operating perspective, correct? That's correct.

Okay. So I think it's important to kind of talk about this. Gracie obviously made the point we're not running currently running a deficit. And then in regards to our reserves, have roughly $400,000,000 in reserves plus another $200,000,000 give or take in the general fund reserves.

It's not the 400,000,000. I don't have the exact number, so I don't wanna myth quote you on that. But it's well over 100,000,000, I can assure you that.

I'm talking total reserves investment You and

said general fund at the last word, so that's what Oh yeah.

For general fund reserves.

Full reserves is probably over the $400,000,000 mark.

So our tax revenue was down, which I think is important to note. And obviously we had projected that about a year ago when we foresaw what was going to happen with the interest rates. And ultimately, our tax revenue is driven, well, from a significant level by car dealerships when interest rates are higher, people are buying less cars, etcetera. However, we were able to increase revenue through license and permits, which I think goes specifically to the streamlined program that we've talked about. So that's a key piece of it.

And then in regards to the personnel and the managed hiring, the total savings on that, can you talk on how we add back to the budget some of the savings that exist by holding positions and managing the hiring process? And then how that money goes into the general fund? Sure. So thing we do inside the budget, we account for an attrition rate, which is approximately $7,000,000 So we have

to overcome a $7,000,000 savings and then on top of that, they've you guys have provided managed hiring to the city manager and they've done a phenomenal job. Got the set they've received the $7,000,000 and an additional almost $5,000,000. So what that will help you do is offset any additional overdue costs, any area that you're identifying as utilizing fund balance.

And so you've been able to overcome all of that by properly managing your city. So the city initially in our last in our original budget meeting, we projected a little bit over a $1,000,000 deficit. We had stronger revenues and obviously there was conservative budgeting, including these unfilled positions, delayed spending, etc. So we ended the year with this $9,500,000 surplus, which essentially is an $11,000,000 swing. Now can you explain to the people that are watching that those funds aren't typically directed towards the reserves or infrastructure.

They can go towards particular projects, but that's what we're now reallocating here for these needs on this timeframe on an as needed basis.

Yes, that that's correct. So the savings what what we're doing is we're reallocating them to any of our needs. That's part of the strategy of of operating the finances of the city. And then the other thing is if you are When you do identify reserves to create additional savings so you can maintain and keep your reserves. Great.

Thank you.

Thank you, Robert and Zach as well in our pre council meetings. Andrew really sized it up that cut my talk time in half, so that's a blessing to everybody else here. But let me touch on a couple of things, reiterate a couple of things. Because the shock wave when when it was stated that we were gonna go into the sacred one fifteen fund, something that was forbidden, foreboding, We did not go into the one fifteen fund. Is that correct?

So at this current point, the $1.15 fund is budgeted for us to utilize 1,500,000.0. So as long as we maintain that surplus of the 9 and a half million, we will not need to use it.

Okay. And I feel pretty good we'll maintain that $9,000,000 because this is the end of the cycle true up, so to speak?

Yes, yes.

Okay. So that's good news there. Show me the line real quick again on, the the waterfall of the waterfront settlement. What line item was that here?

That's on the revenue slide on under the other revenue and non operating revenue.

The 10,000,000 or the

Yeah. It was budgeted budgeted at 6,700,000.0.

Okay.

And then we're forecasting at 10,000,000. So we'll be receiving approximately 3,300,000.0 in addition to our budget.

And that's from the waterfront, lawsuit. Correct?

That's correct.

And I'm glad you said that. Excuse me. An opportunity to segue into Huntington Beach is winning. We are winning. See, when when you win, people wanna forget about that. But we won, what was it, close to 30,000,000 or north of $30,000,000?

$38,000,000 Don.

In that waterfront settlement. In that lawsuit. Yes. We won. Yes. Oh, okay. In addition to that, it, it's to be known that we also had a 5 plus million dollar amplify win as well in a lawsuit. Is that correct?

Yes, 5.2 Okay. 5

So that's $35,000,000. So I wanna give credit where credit is due. When people talk about, we, we lost this, we lost that. This budget tells me that we're getting actual dollars from a gigantic lawsuit win. Is that a fair statement?

Yes.

Okay. Fair enough. That's good to hear. Aside from that, I just let's see if there's anything else I wanted to cover. Andrew did a fantastic job for me. This is amazing. I I I think that's it for now. I just wanted to reiterate that I think as a team, you've been fantastic, you and Zach. I commented that before in the presentations. I think you show a very easy to digest form of articulation in your slides and things like that. I appreciate that. There's room for all of us to improve, but I think we're headed in the right direction. Is that a fair statement as well?

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay. That's good to hear. So, we'll keep doing what we try and do best, and that's drive revenue, manage inefficiencies. You guys keep keep an eye on the ball over there. And I would say that Huntington Beach, you can feel that, your city council, your leadership leadership team, everybody involved in trying to be good stewards of the dollars. We're doing the best we can, and I think this shows that, by virtue of, the secret thumb pole, are we good or are we bad? We're winning. Thank

you. Don, just to just to clarify for the community. So in 2023, we won $38,000,000 from the state in our lawsuit for the redevelopment loans. Dollars 38,000,000 plus the $5,250,000 Amplify oil spill lawsuit, so $43 plus million. So it's a fair point to make. Thank you guys. All right, anyone else?

Yeah. I've got some questions. I think this is slide nine we got pulled up here, yeah? Okay, so looking at the grand totals and just for the benefit of the public, where did it all start? Well, we started with, for revenue, 300,101,868.

And then we have this revised budget where there's a little bit of a bump. You can see we wind up at 300,000,590. But what we end up with in that forecast is $3.00 $8,000,000 approximately. And so you can see the difference in the variance in the next column over there, it's $7,500,000 really the jump if you look at where it all started to where we wound up from the adopted budget to the forecast, the difference there is about 8,000,000 and $18,000 I guess my question to you in terms of that difference whether we look at the variance of 7,500,000.0 how much of that is coming from a one time bucket?

So of the 7.5? Yes. So first the 1,500,000.0 is of section 115. So obviously if we maintain the surplus, we won't actually have to utilize it. And then $3,300,000 is coming from the waterfront which is a one time funding source that we should receive for two more budget cycles. So approximately $5,000,000 of that.

Okay, so if I'm looking at that $3,300,000 from the waterfront, you can see in that right column under the revised forecast variance, just above the 7,500,000 Is that in addition to the adopted budget of the $6,700,000 that we see there? So there's a certain amount of waterfront that we already allocated to begin within the adopted budget, correct?

That's correct. We adopted 2.5. 2.5. Yeah and so we're anticipating approximately $6,000,000 this fiscal year.

Okay. So we're adding from that 2.5 basically like 3.5 more Correct. To get to Okay. I just want to know where that came from. And then if we go to the next slide, Slide 10. So I think it's pretty remarkable. We go from originally in that adopted budget, 300,000,000 to we wind up with great surplus there. I mean the difference that I see is about $8,000,000 or if you look at that variance, 7,500,000.0. But yes, what hurts us is looking at these grand totals at the bottom. We started off at $299,000,000 as you can see, but we wound up increasing things pretty radically in the revised budget and then came back down a little bit in the forecast.

And the difference between the adopted budget and the forecast is about $8,500,000 And so I suppose if you take from the previous slide, the forecast revenue, which was $308,120,437 and then you subtract the forecast expenses that we see in front of us there, $308,068,548 we do wind up with the surplus. And if my numbers are right, the surplus is 51,889, is that right? That's correct. Okay. And then we it seems like we did really well on on the revenue end.

I mean, we superseded, you know, but what happened you think on the expense end where we are looking at almost copping up another 8,500,000?

So what happens on that every single year, you'll what the a city will carry over all of their open purchase orders. So any contracts that are open will be carried over. So at the beginning of the fiscal this fiscal year, we'll also look at all of our open purchase orders and carry them over. And this year it's approximately 8 and a half million, which we also have an identified amount in our fund balance to completely cover that. So when we you actually look at what you increased on your revenues of 7,500,000.0 and what your savings is of 2,000,000, that's your true surplus because we already have money allocated to cover that first revision.

And next year when we carry over the purchase orders again, the fund balance will also follow that as well. So although it it will look like it's not quite the surplus, it is because we have the additional funding to the side that covers that $8,500,000 from the adopted budget to the revised budget for the purchase orders.

Okay. So if we didn't have that carryover coming over, we probably would be in a surplus then of over $8,500,000,000 and some change. But it's just something that carries over year after year after year. Is that something that we could have foreseen when we put together the adopted budget at February? Could we

have seen that come in from the previous year coming over before or? Yeah, so you don't adopt what carry over but what we can do in this upcoming fiscal year is we can revise our revenue to match it which which they didn't do. So it can't really revise it after it's done. Right? But this fiscal year we plan on revising it so when we when you do show a $9,000,000 surplus like this, you 'll be able to more clearly see it.

Okay. So anticipating for fiscal year 2627, we can probably see what we will wind up be carrying over at that point. But even if we're aware of it, wouldn't put it into our our adopted budget?

We won't know on what will carry over until after July 1. So you won't be able to adopt that. So it would just be a carry over for the open purchase orders.

Great. Alright. Thank you. Absolutely.

One last question, Robert. Kind of in line with Councilman Williams right there. As they say in the courtroom, it's hard to unring the bell. So when we started with our, beginning of the year budget presentation, you know, we did forecast, you know, kind of a scary deficit. Here we are mid year and winding up, you know, in the black.

And you kind of just touched on it with Councilman Williams on what you'll be doing different. I think we should be cognizant of trying to be more accurate with our forecast because the residents, if you tune into one meeting and not the second meeting, you're gonna have a message that resonates that completely is contrary to what we've just now seen. So it I think now with you you here, we can do a better job of, you know, trying to minimize the shock wave of I'm not gonna call it misinformation, but information that could have been articulated differently. And in so, I think it'll paint a much better picture for our residents in regards to, really back to my word, the stewardship of the dollar, which is important to everybody up here, everybody that works here, and of course very important to our customers, which are the residents. So that's our goal, right?

Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you.

I would say to that point, especially when it comes down to transparency, we should probably avoid having these on consent calendars so that we can process go through and procedure. Councilman Williams has talked about the consent calendar. And thank you very much, Gracie, for pulling this one off because this was a necessary conversation. I know personally a goal for me, and I don't know if this is feasible, but love to work with everyone on it, is we can get some sort of a financial dashboard that's kind of living and breathing so the residents can just go online and kind of see where we're at with their own objectivity. You know, like when you go to McDonald's and it just constantly shows how many burgers they've sold? Yeah. Something like that.

Are we good?

Yeah. I'd like to make a motion to move item 19.

Second.

Councilman Gruel? Yes. Councilman Kennedy?

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Twining?

Yes.

Mayor McKeon? Yes. Councilwoman Vandermark?

Yes.

Councilwoman Williams? Yes. Item passes six zero one.

Alright. Next items are administrative items, the the Surf Museum. Staff, please introduce the report.

Yes, Ashley Wysaki, our our community and library services director will provide the staff report on the International Surf Museum.

Alright. Good evening, mayor McKean and members of the city council. Tonight, we will present information on a license agreement to support the relocation of the Huntington Beach International Surf Museum into the Main Street branch library. On 07/01/2025, council directed staff to study the feasibility of colocating the Surf Museum within the underutilized space at the Main Street Library. Staff returned to the council on 12/16/2025 with a study session to review initial findings.

This presentation provides the results of that work and outlines the terms of the proposed license agreement. Representatives from the surf museum board are here this evening to also answer any questions. Colocating the surf museum and library would strengthen the cultural identity of the downtown area and support the continued development of a cultural hub with the art center and library. The partnership would increase programming opportunities, public events, and educational collaboration, which together help reinforce Huntington Beach's Surf City USA. The museum's current facilities have significant limitations including low ceilings, limited display areas, and deferred maintenance that affects the preservation of artifacts.

Covering key obligations, the city would provide dedicated space for the museum within the Main Street branch library. The city would maintain all common areas used by both partners. The city would provide reasonable support including co sponsorship of up to eight Surf and Sunday events per year and free use of the showmobile. The city would also offer preservation and collection management guidance for museum materials including the PT collection. The city would provide additional reasonable space to the museum and allow up to 12 annual meetings.

The museum would receive a dedicated work area in in, the library branch for receiving and preparing displays. Parking at the art center would be available on a first come, first served basis, and the city would assist with promoting museum events through our regular marketing channels. Key obligations of the surf museum include the museum would pay 500 per month in base rent along with late fees and annual CPI adjustments. The museum is solely responsible for funding all improvements within its designated space, including any compliance or permitting costs. The museum would pay for staff time associated with showmobile use.

Maintenance, repairs, upkeeps of all improvements within its area would be the responsibility of the museum. Relocation and improvement costs are costs are expected to be supported by Visit h b, and no city funding will be provided. Exterior signage would require city approval. The museum would support joint visibility through publicity and fundraising that highlights both the museum and the library. Staff in the museum would collaborate on grant opportunities, and the museum would track programming and visitor statistics.

This slide shows how approximately 9,500 square feet of space within Main Street Branch Library would be used by the library and surf museum. The museum's footprint is approximately 1,200 square feet of dedicated space which includes office and storage areas, the PT collection research library, and the museum gift shop. The 20 foot tall walls in the library would allow display of historic surfboards that cannot be accommodated in the current facility due to the low ceiling height. The library keeps nearly 4,000 square feet of its own dedicated space, which includes stacks, research space, a computer lab, and staff work areas. Oops.

About 3,600, square feet would be shared including a reception, staff kitchen, and restrooms. The blue room remains a shared programming space. The 2nd Floor would remain shared storage space as well. So tonight's recommendation is to approve the and authorize the execution of a license agreement between the city of Huntington and the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum for the use of a designated space at the Main Street Branch Library located at 525 Main Street. This concludes our presentation and we are available for any questions you may have.

Any questions, anyone? Yeah, no, I'll start. So I just want to really appreciate everyone's hard work on this. I appreciate the residents I've met with actually last Friday. Met with Gloria Alvarez and the head librarian, Karen, at the Main Street Library.

Really appreciate their time to walk me through, look at the facility. We talked about, obviously, the the surf museum coming in, some concerns they had. I felt confident after leaving that meeting that this this will work based on the room I saw to the left. That's basically for storage now, understanding more of the footprint of the artifacts from the surf museum, how it can be bifurcated. I appreciate Karen's communication and her plans to make things work, to reshuffle some of the books around to the computer room, some circular, know, used book sale shelving.

Looked like there's some room to add additional computers in there. Understanding, you know, the surfboards would be put in the main room, you know, sliding some some of the tables out from the wall, you know, working to to upgrade those desks to have outlets that can then be, the power cord run to the wall with a bumper on top to prevent tripping. A lot of things, obviously, that I've said before with cross collaboration with the Art Center across the street, I think it just really drives, will drive traffic. I know Gloria had mentioned she doesn't believe so, which is okay. But up Main Street, I really I really do feel people will go up there.

We've talked before about meeting with business leaders, how they really wish we had more culture in the city. And I just think with the location across the street from the art center, they could really cross pollinate very well, pollinate very well. I think you have events at the art center, catering, you know, over at the Serve Museum, outside by Lake Park. So I just think there's lot of things there that that make sense. And then worst case in the agreement, in section two, there is a sixty day termination clause if things were really to go sideways.

So that gives us flexibility in the future. Obviously, no one is the intent is to to pull that trigger yet, but it gives the city flexibility and option, to make sure this works, to work with, you know, the surf museum. If other opportunities present come forward in the future, pursue those as well. But I think it just makes sense. I mean, we're surf city. I just take such offense to the comment that was made earlier by the public speaker calling the the ISM, quote, deadbeats. I mean, it's just such disrespect to our surfers, to our surfer community. We are Surf City. We have the WSL fiftieth anniversary coming up this year. We wanna show strong for it.

We wanna get ready for the US Open this summer. We wanna get those artifacts in, show well. So I really think it just makes a lot of sense to fuse these two together. And worst case, like I said, if it does go sideways, we have that termination clause in Section two with sixty day notice. So I think it makes sense. I think it's worth trying. I think Surf City deserves it.

I agree with you, by the way. That was inappropriate, I'm just embarrassed that we even had to hear that. However, I'll also jump on your statements in regards to the synergy that I think can occur here. I think to some degree we're overthinking this. This is a temporary opportunity to drive more traffic into the library and collaborate with the surf museum.

And we are Surf City USA. It's that simple. We're decreasing costs by sharing resources as well. And there's been all this talk about, oh, they're only paying $500 Well, on the one hand, we can't say that we want to provide free services for residents and then on the other hand say we're not jamming them enough, we're not charging them enough. So you can't have it both ways when you make that argument.

If this doesn't work, it doesn't work and then we move on to another solution. We have a wonderful library master plan that's by no means complete that we're in the process of working through right now, which very well could roll out a subsequent opportunity for another surf activation or partnership or collaboration. But in the meantime, why wouldn't we give it a shot? It makes complete sense. It's common sense.

Go ahead.

On that note, the term collaboration is very simple. People working together to achieve a shared goal. Sharing ideas, combining skills or resources, coordinating efforts, working together for a common outcome. One of our fine residents presented a report by Ms. Kramer.

Halfway through that report, she was citing things that, I was trying to write them down as quickly as I could, but many of the things that mister Kramer cited were benefits to the library, were exact the same type benefits to our international surf museum. That's called symbiotic, symbiosis. So I believe that the collaboration, the shared resources, the combining of skills, working towards a common outcome, which would be to deliver more book readers who learn about surfing and to deliver more surfers who enjoy reading books under one roof that right now is underutilized from the standpoint of attendance. So we have now an incredible building with an iconic address. And as my council members have said, we are surf city.

Look at it this way. If if we had an incredible building as a surf museum and I was on the city council of a city nicknamed Book City and somebody said, I wanna go to the surf museum, I'd say let's do it. But we are a surf city, so let's offer the opportunity to collaborate with the library. Shared interests, shared goals, it's symbiotic. And this is not a bro deal.

This is propping up, what our city fought so hard to get that nickname, Surf City. And it's gonna bring that culture to life, living, breathing. And I thought of someone, I heard about that 20 foot ceiling. I I see a display of a giant 20 foot wave. The feeling of a bottom turn off a 20 foot wave right there on that. In Hawaii, we call that three foot. But anyway, I love the idea. I think our residents are gonna enjoy it. It's gonna bring so much excitement to that. And as, mayor said, with the art center right across the street.

And the ideas that, are percolating for enhancing and developing the art center. The symbiosis between the library, surf museum, art center. It's the triangulation of three great destinations combined into two locations. It's a win for everybody. I'm excited to see it move forward. I'll be supporting this. So, thank you for bringing it forward. Thank you for the representation. And I'm excited. It's a win all the way around.

I too will be supporting this agenda item. From the first time I saw it saw what the proposal was, I felt like it was the right thing to do. The current location of the SURF Museum is kind of off the beaten path, and I think that's part of the reason that they don't get the kind of attention that they need. And to be on the 5th Block of Main Street, which doesn't get the type of attention it deserves either because really the first two or three blocks of Main Street get a lot of the attention. I think this is going to be good for everybody, all of our businesses on Main Street, all the way up through the fifth Block.

And I think it's going to it's the old rising tide lifts all boats. I think the the the surf museum at the the Main Street Library is going to lift a lot of boats with a lot of our company with a lot of our businesses on the 4th And 5th Blocks Of Main Street. So I will definitely be supporting this. Thank you.

Gracie.

So when this was brought forward, by PT and said, hey, we have this idea. We didn't know if it was going to work, but after looking into it further, we realized this this actually is a great combination. There are a lot of kids here in the city of Huntington Beach who go to that who go to the library, and I think it'd be great for them to come out here and be exposed exposed to our actual surf culture, the one that was brought here by our legends. Many who are, you know, here today, thank you for coming and for pushing this forward, bringing it to our attention. I think this is a great combination.

And, you know, as Casey says, there are some concerns, but if it doesn't work out, then we'll figure something else out. I think this is a great opportunity from everyone. And who else to collaborate with a project like this than to our legend here in Huntington Beach. It's not like we're just handing out money to strangers. It's not a huge cost, and they've earned their place here as our part of our history in Huntington. So I think this is going to work out great.

I'll just share my support. It's a no brainer.

Thank you. Misspoke earlier when I said Lake Park. I meant Triangle Park. So with that said, I'll move the item. Second.

Councilman Gruel? Yes. Councilman Kennedy? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Twainey?

Yes.

Mayor McKeon?

Yes.

Councilwoman Vandermark? Yes. Councilman Williams?

Yes.

Item passes six zero one.

Do us proud, gentlemen. Alright. Five years in the making. Without further ado, the Edison Park reconfiguration conceptual plan. Staff, please introduce the report.

Alright. Good evening again. Tonight, we are presenting the conceptual plan to reconfigure Edison Community Park, including background findings from technical studies, the proposed improvement options, phasing and costs, and our recommended action. We'll walk through the project background, existing site conditions, the tree and noise studies, the proposed improvement plans, potential phasing and cost estimates, and next steps. Edison Park's reconfiguration effort began in 2021 and has included robust public outreach, technical assessments, and iterative design work with our consultant team comprised of landscape architects, RJM Design Group, and engineers, Geosyntech.

And this evening, RJM Design Group is, with us. Between May and October 2021, we launched a project website, conducted two online surveys with a hundred and sixty and two hundred ninety five participants, held two workshops, and completed an online feedback survey. These activities established baseline community priorities for the park. City council approved the conceptual plan option c on 11/16/2021, then withdrew that approval on 03/01/2022 to allow further outreach. We hosted an additional workshop in August 2022 with a 145 attendees and another online survey with 450 responses, then provided a summary update to the Community and Library Services Commission in November 2022.

Since twenty twenty twenty three since 2023, we've paired more outreach with focused technical studies. In 2023, staff worked with the Edison Park Community Group and directed additional studies to confirm landfill constraints, oil well locations, and potential noise impacts from pickleball. The commission recommended approval of the conceptual plan on 03/12/2025. Following further community input, option two was developed. The CEQA one five one eight three environmental compliance checklist was finalized last month.

And at this point in the presentation, I would be remiss if I did not thank the residents for their continued engagement over the last five years of this project. Edison Park is our second largest park at 40 acres, designated as a community park in our recently approved Parks and Recreation Master Plan. There are long serving amenities, portions of which overlay a former construction materials landfill. Site settlement, aging facilities, and environmental constraints shape where and how we consider reinvesting in improvements. This section introduces the physical constraints, settlement zones, and utility considerations that inform amenity placement in construction methods.

Two of the four post tension tennis courts have shifted to the point of severe grade changes and cracking. These courts are closed to the public. Settlement has also affected portions of the tot lot and softball areas. While building on the landfill is possible, construction costs can triple and require additional permits and agency review. Building outside landfill limits greatly greatly reduces complexity and cost.

The visuals illustrate the settlement patterns and inform where structural solutions or relocations are most appropriate. A non intrusive magnetometer survey confirmed two abandoned oil wells near Stillwell Drive in Magnolia Avenue. As long as the project avoid this avoids disturbing these wells, no re abandonment is required. Design elements are arranged to ensure compliance and safety. We completed a comprehensive arborist assessment of the park's tree inventory to guide removals, replacements, and long term canopy health.

Here are the findings and our re replacement approach. Of 234 trees surveyed, 67 were hazardous and 15 were in decline, leaving 152 healthy trees. The plan follows the city's one to two replacement standard, meaning two new trees for every tree removed to expand and strengthen the canopy. Future phases will emphasize larger, more mature trees in key areas including around new and dual striped quartz to enhance shade and assist with sound mitigation while respecting oil well setbacks and view corridors. Staff will engage with the community when we embark on this portion of the project.

Two professional acoustical analysis analyses were assessed assessing pickleball noise relative to city standards and neighborhood receptors. RK Engineering Group modeled 16 courts under conceptual plan c and projected maximum levels of 61.2 decibels at Stilwell and 56.7 decibels at Breton, well below our municipal code's 75 decibel daytime standard from 7AM to 10PM. A receptor at Edison High School was also, installed. Michael Baker International's 2025 study for relocating courts west of the fire station used similar methodology and found levels below their assumed fifty and seventy decibel thresholds. Together, these studies show the proposed courts do not exceed city noise standards.

The project was reviewed under CEQA section one five one eight three applicable to projects consistent with the city's general plan. Michael Baker International determined the project is statutorily exempt under CEQA one five one eight three because it's consistent with the general plan and covered by the 2017 general plan FEIR with feasible mitigation measures applied. No additional environmental action is required. Additionally, based on prior measure c opinions for similar park redesigns, this project would not require a vote of the people because it preserves public access and use of the park. We present two conceptual options.

The commission approved plan in option two, which reflects subsequent community input after the 2025 commission approval. Both modernize amenities, improve circulation, and enhance recreation areas. First, the commission approved plan. Key elements of this plan include a reconfigured parking lot with approximately addition 74 stalls and an entry aligned to Posten Lane and Eddys and Posten Lane and Edison High School. It should be noted the CEQA checklist resulted in no longer considering the parking lot to align with Edison High School due to additional impacts.

We proposed six full basketball courts, two dedicated tennis courts, eight dedicated pickleball courts, plus dual striped overlays on two existing courts to give us a total of four tennis courts and 16 pickleball courts and a hitting wall. A new all inclusive playground with rubberized surfacing and shade and enlarged all wheel plaza. We also reconfigured walkways, shade shelters, and refurbishment of the exterior community center restrooms. Three use soccer overlays and approximately 200 new trees applying SeptED, which is crime prevention through environmental design principles to improve sightlines. Sightlines.

Option two incorporates additional community feedback received in late twenty twenty five. Option two maintains many features and in addition relocates pickleball courts west of the fire station in response to community input, adds approximately 50 stalls beyond the reconfigured lot, adds two bocce courts with associated shade structure. Phasing allows portions of the park to remain open while work progresses and ensures like for like amenities return to the community at each phase. However, phasing can increase total cost and extend the construction timeline. First, we'll cover the commission approved phasing sequence.

Phase a at 5,820,000.00 will demolish condemned tennis courts, a play area, skate spot, and temporary pickleball courts. The we will then convert two existing tennis courts to eight pickleball courts, build the all inclusive playground, and enlarge all wheel plaza, shade shelter, and refurbished exterior restrooms and add parking. Phase b, at approximately $7,000,000, will demolish handball wall handball walls, basketball courts, and existing parking. We will install two new play two new tennis courts, overlay courts of eight pickleball and two tennis, six full basketball courts, a hitting wall, additional parking. Phase c at just under 1,000,000 will replace walkways and install three soccer fields and park paths.

Option two has a similar sequence with amenity differences. Phase a at just under 6 or just over 6,000,000, demolishes similar demolition similar to commute commission approved plan, converts two existing tennis courts to dual use dual use pickleball courts, constructs the all inclusive playground, enlarged all wheel plaza, eight dedicated pickleball courts, and refurbishes exterior restrooms. Phase b at 7110000.00 demolishes handball, basketball, and parking, installs two new tennis courts, four bocce courts with shade, a hitting wall, six full basketball courts, and additional parking. Phase c at just under 1,000,001 million replaces walkways and installs three soccer fields and park paths. We've developed preliminary cost estimates for phase construction and for full build with no phasing.

Phasing maintains access but does raise total cost and duration of the project. Phase a, again, at $5,800,000 phase b at $7,000,000 and phase c just under $1,000,000 If we were to do a no phase to this project, it would be $13,700,000 These figures are preliminary and based on conceptual plans. You can see on this side the cost for an option two phasing plan. Phase a at 6,000,000, phase b at 7,000,000, phase c at just under 1,000,000, and a no phasing total of $14,000,000. Again, these are all preliminary estimates based on early design.

So pending council directions, city steps are detailed next steps are detailed engineering plans and specifications including a refined preliminary construction estimate, and then we'd advance into construction either in a phased or single project approach. In our budget, we currently have $4,352,000 available, in the CIP via Park Development, Quimby, and AES sources. Phasing helps keep amenities available and ensures like for like replacements at each stage, but it does extend the timeline and and increase total cost relative to a single build. So all that being said, this evening's recommendation is to approve one of two conceptual design options for the Edison Park reconfiguration plan and authorize staff to move forward with initiating either a phased or complete development of the design and bid package for construction of the updated facility. That concludes my presentation.

You all will indulge me. I've never worked on something this long in my life. So I was just going to give a quick history going back. Gracie will attest to this 2021. You know, the previous council was, I think they had actually approved at that time of plan that if you all know Southeast where I live, that's my hood. Passions run high down there and that plan that the previous council put forward. The community vociferously rejected and we had barbecues at the park and the residents were asking for their input. Please listen to us and this five year journey has done just that. The Edison Community Group organized, got together. It was amazing.

Continue to work with them. Obviously, got elected in '22. Really dove in deep. Wanna thank, you know, Mark Curry, Ding Joe, the Trasos, Nancy Bukos, their architect, Max Mariama, a great man, from Edison, who's an architect. Really diving in, listening to them.

Several meetings, several phone calls, several iterations, walking through the the limits of the landfill. We didn't know back in '21. The geotech analysis that showed us the boundary of the landfill, which limits the elements that we can place. We can't add it really additional weight to it, so that shifts everything to the east. Realizing that we're actually keeping the same amount of square footage of sporting elements, just shifting them outside of the landfill, you know, removing those southern tennis courts that are sinking. There's drainage issues. And all through this time, talking to residents, asking when is Edison Park gonna get done? When is Edison Park gonna get done? You know, families approaching me. Again, I live across the street.

You know, the playground is in such disrepair. I'm like, want my kids to to be able to have an amazing new playground. I'm like, it's coming. I promise you. And then the years tick on, and here we are. And so I'm really optimistic and and hopeful we're gonna land the plane tonight. And the plans that are in front of us represent all those nip and tucks and and tweaks and, you know, meetings with the residents, understanding their concerns. Even the last plan with the Trazos, who live on the north side of the park, came up with their own plan and asked, can we move the the middle pickleball pickleball court south? They had some other elements. And through Ashley and and RGM's great work, we're we're able to to to fit that in there behind the fire station where the pickleball courts clearly exist.

I know now the neighbors to the South of Hamilton have concern. However, the pickleball courts are pretty much there right now anyway. So I'm optimistic that that noise will not encumber their quality of life. If it does, there's there's some noise mitigation efforts, you know, we can we can look at. And we even we're able to get in Bocce Ball, the gentleman up here that spoke very passionately about Bocce Ball.

So all those things and then, you know, streamlining now the the parking lot, which is circuitous and we're making it more streamlined as it hugs Magnolia. There were concerns about looking at these additional parking spaces in a parking field. But as you're coming down Magnolia, past Edison to Hamilton, we're going to now have more landscaping open space berms on the north side of the park to block that view corridor of a parking lot. These plans maximize the outdoor green space that's really important to Edison Community Group. There's a lot of design elements that we can incorporate as we get into it.

And that leads me to the list that the community group presented, and they touched on it tonight about the 14 items. High level, this is a conceptual plan, like a 30,000 square foot view. As we get into design and construction documents, we can focus on these fine details that they want. But to run through them, Modern irrigation system as part of the project, as we phase it out, if that's the route we decide to go tonight, any irrigation systems that are part of the project, of course, will be modernized and irrigated appropriately. Walking path repair and drainage, same thing.

If that's part of the project, those elements will be upgraded. The one item they mentioned, which I've talked to Ding Joe about, open the community center patio. That's not part of this project. The Edison Community Center is not part of this project. Opening that patio creates potential safety issues, so I don't see how that's possible. Project coordination and traffic mitigation, of course. We'll coordinate with ASCON and tank farms being in that same area. Oil well safety during construction, of course, absolutely. Tree canopy preservation, yes. Ashley touched on it, our two:one tree replant ratio.

We talked about budget. If budget allows, installing as many mature trees as possible. Enhanced trash receptacles, of course, as part of the design drawings come in, we'll make sure we put in the best trash receptacles possible. Path widening for access, yes, as part of that project, we'll make sure they're ADA compliant, of course. Shaded picnic areas, I mean, we'll look into it. I can't sit up here tonight and say that's a guarantee, but of course, you know, we'll give that direction if that's possible. Fitness equipment, they mentioned, you know, outdoor exercise equipment like fixed bars, I guess if Andrew wants to do some dips and some pull ups, he can knock that out. That's a possibility. I talked to Ashley who could possibly do that. Dog weigh stations, those are always funded by private nonprofits.

That's not a function that the city performs at Dog Beach. Those are third party charitable organizations that do that. But of course, we will reach out to them to see if those charity groups can provide and maintain those dog waste stations. Preserve green buffers, that's the goal of these two option plans is to maintain maximum green space for the residents and design those to be very pleasant and efficient. Dual stripe quartz and noise mitigation, we touched on it. You know, if you guys if Ashley could pull up that option b plan on the screen real quick. Thank you. Keep going.

Clean or base?

Keep going. Yes, keep going. There you go. So the middle pickleball courts will be the hybrid and then the southern will be the fully dedicated pickleball. So that was They wanted to clarify that. That will in fact happen. And then lastly, ongoing community engagement, of course. I mean, I've I've talked to Max a lot. He wants to be involved in this. I committed to him that he will be in the design elements. We're gonna figure out a spot for him. So just wanted to rifle through all those. I know you guys have a lot of questions, but I thought it's important. Again, five years in the making to kinda walk you guys through where we are. And the fact that we came up with option two, the Trasos, we're really appreciative.

They came up here and spoke tonight about it. I was not confident we could pull it off. We did. It still maintains the level of safety that the police need to be able to drive through the parking lot and view the the skate park, view the playground, be able to come back out and still get that pickleball in there where it currently exists. Thank everyone for all the hard work and I'm sure you guys have questions and comments.

Can I hop in?

Okay. All right. So I think that just based off of observations of meeting with folks over Edison Park, couple meetings where people have come out to make public comment, many people. Certainly people want something done. That's very clear tonight.

There were some that were fine either way, but without fail if there was a preference that came to the surface, it certainly was option b. In fact, we heard one resident say they've collected hundreds of signatures in opposition to option a. I think it is important to point out, and this is on the record with the agenda and the attachment, that the Edison Park Community Group had sent this letter out and they desired option two, and they desired that we would, they said we further request that the following recommendations be incorporated as conditions of approval. And so just for the benefit of the public, know, sometimes it's easiest to assume that we as a council can all get together and look at these things together and discuss these things together. We can't do that unless it's happening right here, right now.

So this is really the only time where we can all be together and review something and discuss and consider. And so as Casey had gone through these 14 different conditions, I think it would be beneficial to the public and to the residents. If we went through just kind of one by one, you did kind of read them off, but this is our opportunity to discuss them and we can just share whether or not we think it's reasonable or not. Starting off with, I'll just read off what they wrote. They desire option two of Edison Park conceptual plan and we further request that the following recommendations be incorporated as conditions of approval.

And so it goes on. So number one, you brought up the modern irrigation system kind of gonna be baked in regardless of what other what option we go with. So is it safe to say that everyone's on board with a modern irrigation being installed? I mean we heard there was a four foot hole there before. It took a guy out of work for a couple of days. He wasn't able to address dozens of parks.

Yeah. Just wanna clarify that as part of the project. Absolutely.

Yes. Okay.

So

baked in already, nothing to sweat about. If if that's a condition for them and we're already gonna do it anyways, easy to say yes to that condition. In terms of the walking path repair and drainage, again this is one of those things that is baked in so it should be easy to say simply yes to this. This baked in already. There's yeah, sure, there's cracks, there's holes, there's divots, there's things that need to be repaired.