City Council Meeting Highlights

Highlights from the January 21, 2025 City Council meeting:

• Los Angeles County Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Kane gave an informative presentation on wildfire preparedness on the Peninsula. 
• The Council authorized spending $2 million from deferred CIP projects on additional emergency remediation work in the Portuguese Bend Landslide area. This includes operation and maintenance costs for the City's network of deep dewatering wells through the end of June 2025, as well as additional fissure filling needed in the Altamira Canyon area. 
• Since installation began in September 2024, the City’s 11 wells have removed over 112 million gallons of groundwater that have fueled unprecedented land movement, resulting in significant deceleration.  
• The Council previously authorized $14.7 million for the wells. The City has spent $33 million this fiscal year alone responding to the landslide emergency, with no financial assistance from the state or federal government. 
• The Council considered a recommendation to expand the network with additional wells as a next step in a larger conceptual remediation plan. Rather than have the City drill new wells, the Council directed City staff to explore providing an additional $5 million to the Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District (ACLAD) — a separate government agency that operates its own dewatering wells — in a form of a loan or grant so it could replace existing wells with deep dewatering wells within its boundaries.  
• This workaround is being proposed for cost savings and efficiency, as ACLAD is not subject to the same contracting requirements as the City, and the wells will be located in the jurisdictional boundary of ACLAD. The district is largely funded by assessments paid by the City, its largest property owner (approximately 60%).    
• Following the landslide discussion, representatives from each of the City’s advisory boards gave updates on their recent activities and plans for 2025. The boards are comprised of residents who advise the Council on matters related to Civic Center planning, emergency preparedness, finance, infrastructure, land use, traffic safety, and RPV youth.

For all City Council actions from the meeting, watch video at rpvca.gov/agendas.