What Huntington Beach is about to decide
The council meets Tuesday at 4:00 PM for closed session, followed by the regular meeting at 6:00 PM, Council Chambers, 2000 Main Street. These are pending decisions from the posted agenda — not outcomes. Every item links to the official record.
Source: official agenda (PDF) · Full documents: huntingtonbeach.legistar.com · Next meeting: August 4
✅ What actually passed (confirmed from the Legistar vote record): Per the city’s meeting record, the Consent Calendar (Items 18–29) was adopted 7-0 on a motion by Burns, seconded by McKeon — carrying the $2,500,000 Enterprise Automation SCADA contract, the $397,299.00 R.E. Schultz playground contract, the $97,000 Oak View library roof restoration and the $34,750.00 Old Pirate Drive well abandonment. The council approved the appointment of Zack Zithisakthanakul as Chief Financial Officer 5-0 (Item 30), on a motion by Burns seconded by Van Der Mark, with Gruel and Williams recorded absent. The America 250 Plaque at Pier Plaza, submitted by Kennedy, McKeon and Burns, was approved 5-2 (Item 31) on a motion by McKeon seconded by Burns, with Gruel and Williams voting no. The record carries no separate action entry for the Annual Military Equipment Use Report (Item 25) or for the closed-session items, and the minutes are still marked draft.
🔒 Closed session: real estate, litigation, labor
- Council will meet in closed session to discuss price and terms of payment for two city-owned properties: 17732 Goldenwest St (negotiating with Michael and Christina Bartusick, dba Park Bench Cafe, and Rory Bevins) and 21091 Pacific Coast Highway (negotiating with Pouya Honari, Pacific City Hotel LLC dba Pasea Hotel and Spa). Closed Items 6–7
- Existing litigation on the closed-session agenda includes People of the State of California/Bonta v. City of Huntington Beach, et al., plus four other pending cases (Southwest Voter Registration Education Project v. City of Huntington Beach; Smith v. City of Huntington Beach; Bauer-Oldfield v. City of Huntington Beach; Carroll v. City of Huntington Beach). No public vote is scheduled on these — closed session discussions are confidential. Closed Items 8–12
- Labor negotiations are also on the closed-session agenda covering five employee associations: the Huntington Beach Police Officers' Association, Police Management Association, Huntington Beach Firefighters' Association, Fire Management Association, and Management Employees' Organization. Closed Items 1–5
🚔 Police military-equipment policy
- The council will consider the Annual Military Equipment Use Report (AB 481) — approving the report and renewing Ordinance No. 4255, which authorizes the Police Department's continued use of the listed military equipment. Council must also make findings that the equipment is necessary because "there is no reasonable alternative that can achieve the same objective of officer and civilian safety," that the use policy "will safeguard the public's welfare, safety, civil rights, and civil liberties," that future purchases are cost-effective compared with alternatives, and that prior use complied with the existing policy (or that corrective action was taken where it did not). Item 25
🏗️ For contractors & vendors
- $2,500,000 professional services contract with Partners In Control, Inc., dba Enterprise Automation, for on-call engineering services for the Public Works Utilities Division's SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, a three-year term. Item 26
- $397,299.00 construction contract to R.E. Schultz Construction, Inc. for the Drew Park and Robinwood Park Playground Improvements (the recommended-action text lists the accepted bid as $397,298.35). Change orders up to 10% of the contract amount would also be authorized. Item 28
- $97,000 construction contract to Universal Coatings, Inc. for the Oak View Branch Library roof restoration, with change orders up to 10% of the contract amount. Item 29
- $34,750.00 construction contract to Living Water Industries, LLC for abandonment of the Old Pirate Drive private water well, with change orders up to 20% of the contract amount. Item 27
🪑 Also on the agenda
- New Chief Financial Officer: the council will consider approving the appointment of Zack Zithisakthanakul as Chief Financial Officer and authorizing the City Manager to execute his employment agreement. Item 30
- America 250 plaque at Pier Plaza: a council member item, submitted by Councilman Don Kennedy, Mayor Casey McKeon, and Councilman Pat Burns, would set aside Resolution No. 2017-25 and direct staff to create an engraving template for a Pier Plaza monument commemorating the America 250 celebrations, with a final design vote to come at the August 18 meeting. Item 31
- Resolution No. 2026-32 confirming the cost report for weed abatement on private parcels for the 2026 season, with those charges certified to the Orange County 2026/27 property tax roll. Item 20
- A Memorandum of Understanding and license to use certain space with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. Item 22
- Response letters to two Orange County Grand Jury reports — "California Housing Mandates, The Unintended Reshaping of Orange County Neighborhoods" Item 21 and "Wildfires Hit Home" Item 24 — both to be forwarded to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court.
- A memorial plaque honoring Kolby Aipa on Tower Zero of the Huntington Beach Municipal Pier. Item 23
- The appointment of Debbie Iorio to the City Celebration Committee. Item 19
- Routine approval of City Council/Public Financing Authority minutes from the July 1 special meeting and July 7 regular meeting. Item 18
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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