Manhattan Beach City Council selects memorial design and site
A unanimous vote places a permanent tribute at the civic center plaza, with 24 fallen service members currently identified for its inscription.
Two hosts walk through the week’s edition in conversation — council selects design and location for, staff announcements, and what’s coming next. Generated by Aware, from this week’s verified summaries.
The selected memorial has space for future names; lighting and other site details remain to be worked out.
A permanent memorial now has a design and a place. The Manhattan Beach City Council unanimously selected “Portal of Honor” and chose the southeast side of the civic center plaza for a tribute to residents who died in military service. The design pairs two granite panels with a passageway shaped by the silhouette of a uniformed service member. One panel would carry the names of 24 people identified so far; the reverse would leave room for future names.
The City Council chose from three finalist designs and three possible plaza locations. One alternative placed the memorial near the existing stage, a spot a public speaker favored for visibility and ceremonies. Another was near existing benches. A resident supported the memorial and thanked those who researched the names. The project grew out of City Council direction in October 2023, and $150,000 was allocated from the public arts fund.
The selected artist’s proposal has a $100,000 budget. It includes three glass windows alongside the granite, while lighting is not part of that artist budget. Staff said $50,000 on the city side was allocated for engineering, site preparation and installation, and that lighting options would be evaluated. City Council members discussed possible changes to the opening and lighting while preserving the design’s proportions. Those details remain to be worked out before the memorial is installed.
Staff Announcements: Coastal Commission hearing and Housing Task Force applications
The Manhattan Beach Planning Commission heard a staff update on two housing efforts with different timelines. Staff said the Coastal Commission would consider a first round of housing-element zoning text amendments the following Friday. Staff expects to report back to the Planning Commission in December.
Staff also reported that the Manhattan Beach City Council had directed the creation of a nine-member citizens housing task force. Applications are open through November 9, with appointments expected to go to the City Council for consideration on December 1. Members would be drawn from across the community, and planning commissioners would be eligible to apply. A councilmember would provide oversight.
The task force would give community input on the city’s next housing element and on the regional method used to assess housing needs. Staff said the regional deadline for local input falls before the end of January, so the group needs to meet soon after it is formed. The broader housing-element work is expected to run into spring 2030, making this a commitment of roughly two-and-a-half to three years.
Resident presses City Council on police hiring
At Manhattan Beach City Council public comment, a resident asked how many of the seven police officer positions approved in 2023 have been filled. The resident raised concerns about police morale, requested a debrief of FIFA World Cup operations and called for clearer community notice about armed robberies.
Residents seeking safety information and a staffing update have specific questions for the City Council to answer.
City Council approves new paid parking zones
The Manhattan Beach City Council adopted resolutions 26-0014 and 26-0015 to establish parking zones and time limits for a system replacing individual meters with pay stations and ParkMobile. Rates did not change; the City Council directed a 15-minute wait before drivers can start another parking session in the same zone.
Drivers will need to pay by license plate and observe zone time limits when the new system begins.
City Council approves revised country club lease
The Manhattan Beach City Council unanimously approved a revised lease with Bay Club, combining three agreements and offering extension options through 2082. Annual rent would rise from $670,000 to $1.68 million beginning in January, with later inflation-based adjustments; the City Council will discuss how to use the additional revenue separately.
The lease changes how much the city collects from the property and for how long.
Resident urges City Council to address police concerns
At Manhattan Beach City Council public comment, a resident urged more transparency about city finances and concerns within the Manhattan Beach Police Department. The speaker praised the police officers association president for speaking out and cautioned against treating election results as an endorsement of the city’s direction.
The resident asked the City Council to respond to questions about police leadership and the city’s finances.
- Manhattan Beach City Council. A resident spoke in support of the planned memorial art piece recognizing fallen soldiers, thanked those involved in researching names, and expressed personal connection through family military service and aerospace history in Manhattan Beach.
- Manhattan Beach City Council. A resident raised concerns about police department culture and morale, asked about hiring progress for seven approved officers, requested a World Cup debrief, and urged better community notification about armed robberies and other issues.
- Manhattan Beach City Council. A resident described recent incidents including smash-and-grabs and a home invasion by squatters, and urged the City to focus on curbing crime to keep Manhattan Beach safe and enjoyable.
- Manhattan Beach City Council. A resident and Vietnam veteran congratulated election winners but warned against interpreting results as approval of City direction. The speaker raised concerns about City finances and police department issues, praised the police officers association president for speaking out, and urged Council action and transparency.
- Manhattan Beach City Council. A resident complimented the City’s stormwater community meeting and staff responsiveness, and requested an update at the next meeting on the 28th Street project scheduled for November 17.
What we didn’t fit in this Sundays edition
MANHATTAN BEACH had 16 more items this week. Here are sixfour — the rest are on Aware.
- GOVERNANCEGeneral Public Comment: Crime Impacts and Need for Enforcement Focus. A resident described recent incidents including smash-and-grabs and a home invasion by squatters, and urged the City to focus on curbing crime to keep Manhattan Beach safe and enjoyable.
- GOVERNANCECommunity Organization Announcements and Upcoming Events (Multiple Speakers). Multiple speakers provided one-minute announcements, including thanks to MBPD volunteers, arts support, veterans events, an El Niño town hall, holiday open house details, housing task force recruitment, World Kindness Day, and a police fundraiser event.
- GOVERNANCECultural Arts Commission Action Plan for 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Unbudgeted Projects). Council approved the Cultural Arts Commission’s proposed action plan for 2028 Olympic/Paralympic-related cultural arts projects totaling approximately $350,000, including watch parties, exhibitions, a public art map, utility box art, conservation work, and a commemorative design. Funding included $335,000 from the public art fund and $15,000 from the general fund.
- GOVERNANCEGeneral Public Comment: Stormwater Outreach and Project Update Request. A resident complimented the City’s stormwater community meeting and staff responsiveness, and requested an update at the next meeting on the 28th Street project scheduled for November 17.
- GOVERNANCEReport on Preparation and Actions Taken for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fire, communications/emergency management, and police staff presented a detailed report on Manhattan Beach’s planning and operational readiness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup team hotel mission, including planning documents, exercises, interagency coordination, communications templates, and fiscal impacts. Council received and filed the report.
- GOVERNANCEApproval of Consent Calendar (excluding Item 5). Council approved the consent calendar as a block, excluding Item 5 which had been pulled for separate consideration.
- GOVERNANCECertificate of Recognition: Hometown Fair Board (54th Annual Hometown Fair). The City recognized the Hometown Fair Board for time commitment and the success of the 54th Annual Hometown Fair. The board president and other representatives spoke about the event’s success despite heat and thanked City partners. Certificates were presented.
- GOVERNANCECity Manager Report and City Attorney Report. The City Manager and City Attorney provided end-of-meeting reports; the City Attorney stated there was nothing to report that night.
- GOVERNANCECouncil Requests / Reports (AB1234) and Future Agenda Items. Council moved through council requests/reports (including AB1234) and future agenda items with no substantive reports recorded in the transcript.
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