Redondo Beach approves $16,336 justice grant budget change
The City Council folded a federal public safety grant into the FY 2026–2027 budget, adding $16,336 through the consent calendar.
Two hosts walk through the week’s edition in conversation — item h13, draft letter discussion, and what’s coming next. Generated by Aware, from this week’s verified summaries.
A routine consent vote carried a small but specific step: put federal Edward Birney Memorial Justice Assistance Grant money into the city budget.
A small grant still needs a formal vote. Redondo Beach City Council adopted Resolution No. CC-2609-076 as part of the consent calendar, authorizing a FY 2026–2027 budget modification to appropriate $16,336 in local formula funds from the Edward Birney Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. The money comes through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, and was listed under the intergovernmental grants fund.
The action came under Item H13, one of the consent items approved together in a single vote. Before that vote, the City Clerk read the resolution title into the record. Earlier in the meeting, council noted a blue-folder public communication tied to H13 that addressed approval of the grant award package conditions, certifications, assurances, and statement.
In practical terms, the vote does not create a new debate over spending priorities so much as it clears the bookkeeping step needed to bring the grant into the city’s budget for the coming fiscal year. H13 moved with the broader consent calendar block, which covered Items H1 through H20 except H8 and H19. With the resolution adopted, the grant funds are now appropriated for FY 2026–2027.
Draft Letter Discussion: Capital Improvement Process (CIP) and Change Orders Recommendations
One statistic drove the discussion: about 80% of reviewed CIP projects had change orders. In a draft letter on the capital improvement process, commissioners said that pattern justified a broader look at how the city plans, bids, and manages projects.
The draft recommendations were direct. Commissioners said the city should separate capital improvement work from maintenance, define scope and costs more carefully before issuing an RFP or bid, set clearer limits for change orders, require competitive bidding when a project’s scope materially changes, and give City Council stronger oversight when major changes happen after a contract is awarded.
Commissioners were careful about tone as well as policy. One said they did not see ill intent and praised the public works director for trying to deliver projects and secure grants, but said the current approach can create doubts when estimates and final costs drift far apart or when council approval is not clearly documented. Another pointed to the scale of professional services spending, while the chair said heavy reliance on change orders can raise costs, extend timelines, and reduce competition.
Council approves consent calendar, minus two items
Redondo Beach City Council approved consent items H1 through H20, excluding H8 and H19. Public comment focused on H20, where a Harbor Commissioner questioned waterfront staffing, harbor messaging, and reported boat ramp scope changes that cut the project estimate from 16.8 million to 8.7 million.
Council approved routine consent items; comment raised waterfront staffing and boat ramp communication concerns.
Council lists lawsuits, labor, property talks
The City Council read 10 closed-session items into the record, covering litigation, labor negotiations, and real property negotiations. The agenda included multiple cases involving the city, one labor item with the Redondo Beach Professional Supervisory Association, and property negotiations at 400 North Harbor Drive and 206 Fisherman’s Wharf.
litigation
Seaside Lagoon permit application moves to council
Council approved final preparation and submittal of a coastal development permit application for the Seaside Lagoon rehabilitation project and adopted an environmental exemption declaration. Before that vote, Harbor Commission discussion centered on whether to pursue wave pool alternatives or stick with phase-one improvements, and commissioners sent a letter urging council to consider other concepts and funding ideas.
This sets the next permitting step for a major waterfront project while leaving unresolved questions about cost, design, and future public use.
Council advances elected officials pay ordinances
After pulling Item H19 from consent, the City Council introduced first readings of ordinances setting salary and benefits for the Mayor, City Council, City Clerk, and City Treasurer. A councilmember asked to revisit the raises in two years, and the item passed on a 4-1 vote.
Council introduced elected-official salary and benefits ordinances, approving raises on a split 4-1 vote.
- Redondo Beach Harbor Commission. Multiple speakers commented on the wave pool concept and Seaside Lagoon planning. Some supported exploring a larger, revenue-generating vision and public-private partnership; others opposed placing a commercial wave pool on state tidelands/public parkland, raised Coastal Commission feasibility concerns, and urged proceeding with phase one improvements.
- Redondo Beach Harbor Commission. One speaker raised a point of order requesting equal time to present a separate Seaside Lagoon concept ("Seaside Lagoon 2.0") if time was being granted for the wave pool presentation. No Zoom comments were reported during this opening non-agenda comment period.
- Redondo Beach City Council. Council approved the consent calendar items H1–H20 excluding H8 (continued) and H19 (pulled). A Harbor Commissioner spoke on H20 regarding strategic plan priorities and waterfront staffing and raised concerns about boat ramp scope changes and communication with the Harbor Commission.
- Redondo Beach Budget and Finance Commission. Two residents spoke on non-agenda items. One urged improved financial reporting timeliness, procurement controls, and budget forecasting; another raised public safety concerns about pine cones from trees on Artesia and about crosswalk/traffic markings near a parking area.
What we didn’t fit in this Sundays edition
REDONDO BEACH had 47 more items this week. Here are sixfour — the rest are on Aware.
- GOVERNANCEAnnouncements and AB1234 travel expense reports. The Mayor and councilmembers provided announcements, including regional housing (RENA) timing, 9/11 memorial thanks, community events, coastal resilience/beach nourishment planning, and recognition of “functional zero” homelessness status for a third year.
- GOVERNANCECouncil adopts code changes on penalties, infractions, and hedges. On second reading, Council adopted ordinance changes covering infractions, general penalties and continuing violations, and a new municipal code chapter on hedges. All three measures were approved on the consent calendar.
- GOVERNANCECouncil referrals: request for Measure FP police station design presentation and cost/inflation information. A councilmember requested that the Measure FP police station designer present to Council on cost and value engineering and that the police association and police management unit provide perspectives; discussion included timing, conceptual design stage, and inflation impacts of delay.
- GOVERNANCEPublic participation on non-agenda items (multiple topics). Council heard non-agenda public comments on: support for a surf park/wave pool concept; a request to expedite a dental office lease/permit process; Artisia Boulevard pedestrian-friendly improvements; green space/tree preservation; meeting civility and communication; irrigation repair thanks and criticism of LNG ordinance documentation; traffic speeding on Pearl Street; and concerns about Harbor Commission process and unsolicited wave pool proposals.
- GOVERNANCEItem H15: Claim for Los Angeles County MTA Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds. As part of the consent calendar, Council adopted the titled resolution approving filing a claim for FY 2026–2027 Transportation Development Act funds.
- GOVERNANCEDesignated Fishing Areas Along the Waterfront (Discussion; Item Tabled to Next Month). The Commission discussed confusion about where fishing is allowed around the harbor, lack of signage and online information, and the waterfront director’s authority under municipal code. After discussion, the Commission tabled the item to the next meeting to form a subcommittee and coordinate with stakeholders.
- GOVERNANCEItem H16: Surplus Land Act exemption for 179 North Harbor Drive. As part of the consent calendar, Council adopted the titled resolution declaring City-owned property at 179 North Harbor Drive exempt under the Surplus Land Act as necessary for the City’s use.
- GOVERNANCEHarbor infrastructure updates cover breakwater, docks, and coastal planning. Staff reported the Army Corps breakwater repair was expected to finish by the end of October, with work shifting to the middle breakwater. Staff also said HUD procurement rules changed the path for basin slips and dock infrastructure work, with bids and winter construction planned, and gave an update on the Local Coastal Program amendment and sea level rise assessment headed toward Coastal Commission review.
- GOVERNANCEItem H7: Painting rail bridge crossing Artesia Boulevard; bidding exemption. As part of the consent calendar, Council adopted the titled resolution declaring painting of the rail bridge crossing Artesia Boulevard as maintenance and exempting formal bidding requirements under the City Charter.
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