What Buena Park is about to decide
Buena Park held two City Council meetings on this date: a Regular Meeting (public hearings at 6:00 PM) covering routine business and a public hearing, and a separate Special Meeting devoted entirely to closed session. Both were held at the Council Chamber, Civic Center, 6650 Beach Blvd. This brief covers both, each item marked by which meeting it came from. These are pending decisions from the posted agendas — not outcomes. Buena Park has since posted signed minutes for both meetings; the outcomes are summarized in the first box below. Every item links to the official record.
Source: Regular Meeting agenda (PDF) · Special Meeting agenda (PDF) · Full documents: horizon.agendalink.app
✅ What actually passed (per the city’s signed minutes): Per the minutes of the regular meeting, the aquarium and butterfly conservatory deal at 7711-7733 Beach Boulevard (Item 6A) was approved 5-0 — motion by Sonne, seconded by Traut; Sonne, Traut, Ahn, Franco and Hoque in favor, none opposed (Vice Mayor Hoque took part by teleconference). The vote adopted Ordinance No. 1769 (Development Agreement No. DA25-1) and Resolution No. 15145 (the variance). As the minutes summarize the staff report, “the City would sell the property to Buena Park Boardwalk, LLC. for $3 million, the appraised fair market value of the site,” and “would provide up to $15 million in financial assistance through the Economic Development Fund.” One resident, Linda Luistro, spoke at the hearing with concerns about the city’s financing of the project; staff told the council the anticipated opening date is May 2029. The $769,978 Toro Enterprises sewer contract (Item 5A) passed 5-0 (Ahn/Sonne, Resolution No. 15143), and the publicly available pay schedule (Item 5B) passed 5-0 (Traut/Franco, Resolution No. 15144). The consent calendar (Items 4A–4G) passed 5-0 on one motion (Traut/Sonne), including the $26,942.74 final payment to Golden Coast Construction, the Korean Community Services amendment, the Conflict of Interest Code (Resolution No. 15142) and the Language Access Policy amendments; the Grand Jury response (Item 4G) was “APPROVED the recommended action as amended,” with Mayor Traut’s rewording of the response to Finding 1, which now says the city “partially agrees” and points to the Buena Park Metrolink Station as a possible express bus pick-up site. The police crime-data study session (Item 9A) was a presentation with no vote; the Interim Police Chief said he would return in October with another report. The Korean Food Festival discussion (Item 9B) did not happen — the minutes note, “This item was pulled from the agenda.” From the closed session, the minutes of the special meeting state that “no reportable action was taken for Item Nos. 3A - 3E.”
The headline: the Regular Meeting's public hearing would approve a development deal for an aquarium and butterfly conservatory at the long-vacant 7711-7733 Beach Boulevard site — and, the same day, the Special Meeting's closed session shows the city negotiating price and terms for that identical address with a party named "Arizona Boardwalk," plus a separate real-estate negotiation with McDonald's over a nearby parcel.
🐠 Beach Boulevard: an aquarium deal, and closed-session land talks nearby
- Aquarium and butterfly conservatory at 7711-7733 Beach Boulevard: public hearing on an ordinance approving a Development Agreement (DA-25-1), a resolution approving a Variance (V-25-1), a Purchase and Sale Agreement, an Owner Participation Agreement, and a Reciprocal Easement and Maintenance Agreement — for an entertainment development described as an aquarium, a butterfly conservatory, and associated retail on this city-owned parcel. Regular Item 6.A
- Same address, closed session: the Special Meeting's closed session includes a real-property negotiation for 7711-7733 Beach Blvd. between City Manager Aaron France and a party identified as "Arizona Boardwalk," over price, terms, and conditions — held the same day as the public hearing above. Special Item 3.A
- A second, separate property deal: closed session also covers real-property negotiations for 7861 Beach Blvd. between the City Manager and McDonald's, over price, terms, and conditions. Special Item 3.D
🚧 Contracts & public works
- $769,978 sewer contract: the council will consider awarding a contract to Toro Enterprises, Inc. for the 4th Street Sewer Upsizing Project, plus $70,000 in contingency funds and $35,000 in construction engineering funds, plus a $4,980 purchase order to the Solis Group to administer the Community Workforce Agreement (with a further $2,490 CWA contingency). Regular Item 5.A
- $26,942.74 final payment to Golden Coast Construction for completing the 2025-2026 Annual Wheelchair Ramp Program, plus direction to file a Notice of Completion. Regular Item 4.C
📋 Consent calendar: compliance & community agreements
- Opioid treatment services extended: Amendment No. 1 to the agreement with Korean Community Services (KCS) would extend Medication Assisted Treatment services in the community from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Regular Item 4.D
- A resolution would adopt an amended Conflict of Interest Code for designated city officials and personnel under the Political Reform Act of 1974. Regular Item 4.E
- The council will consider amendments to the City Council's Language Access Policy No. 45. Regular Item 4.F
- The council will consider approving the city's written response to the Orange County Grand Jury report "Connecting Orange County to LAX." Regular Item 4.G
- Routine items: minutes of the June 23, 2026 Special and Regular meetings Regular Item 4.A, and resolutions approving claims and demands Regular Item 4.B.
🎙️ Study session: police data & a Korean food festival
- Interim Police Chief Brad Geyer will present on police department crime data and reporting, seeking council direction — no formal action is proposed. Regular Item 9.A
- Staff will seek direction on a proposed three-day Korean Food Festival in spring 2027, in partnership with Hugh Entertainment — a discussion item, not a contract award. Regular Item 9.B
⚖️ Closed session: litigation & labor
- Two anticipated-litigation matters: one where the city is weighing whether to initiate litigation itself (one potential case) Special Item 3.B, and a separate one where the City Attorney has advised there is significant exposure to litigation against the city (one potential case) Special Item 3.C.
- Labor negotiations: closed-session direction to the city's negotiator covering the Buena Park City Employees' Association, Technical/Office/Professionals Association, Management Unit, Police Association, Police Management Association, and unrepresented employees. Special Item 3.E
🗳️ Also on the agenda
- A resolution approving a publicly available pay schedule for city positions, presented by HR Manager Rebecca Valdez. Regular Item 5.B
- Certificates of recognition for a youth microgrant project, Buena Park graduates, and a former Rotary Club president. Regular Item 2
Council Brief summaries are produced from official public records by our automated newsroom and reviewed before publication. Items are described as posted; the council may amend, continue, or remove items at the meeting. Spot an error? hello@councilbrief.com — we publish corrections.
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