CITY OF GROVER BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 9
Placement: Consent
Meeting Date: August 24, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: FY 2025-26 Council Goals and Priorities Year-End Implementation Report
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file the year-end implementation report for FY 2025-26 Council Goals and Priorities.
BACKGROUND
Since 2017, the City Council has adopted Council Goals to set priorities for the City organization to implement. The purpose of establishing Council Goals is to ensure the City’s resources are allocated to the most important priorities and the goals will serve as a guide for making resource decisions the budget. The goals are reviewed for possible updates mid-year in the two-year budget cycle and fully reviewed and updated ahead of each new two-year budget.
FY 2025-27 City Council Goals
On March 10, 2025 the Council adopted a set of Council Goals for FY 2025-27 following a goalsetting workshop conducted by the Council on March 3, 2025, as shown in Attachment 1. The Council adopted four broad multi-year goals, as well as two biennial Council priorities for FY 2025- 27, as listed below:
• Broad Multi-Year Goals. These represent goals that the City’s budget is geared toward and what provide a foundation for the day-to-day work of the City. o Public Safety and Community Services – Provide a range of services that foster a sense of safety, enjoyment and well-being for community members. o Economic Development and Housing – Support business attraction and retention, revitalization of commercial areas, and development of housing opportunities. o Community Infrastructure – Provide for long range planning and well-maintained infrastructure, including streets, water and sewer, sidewalks, City facilities and parks.
o Financial and Organizational Sustainability – Ensure fiscal responsibility, operational viability and promote a culture of innovation and customer service. • Biennial Council Priorities. These represent those goals that the Council adopted for focused attention and resources in FY 2025-27.
o Water and Sewer Infrastructure and Needed Resources – Plan for the future, ensure appropriate funding levels, address aging infrastructure and educate the community.
Staff Report: FY 2025-26 Council Goals and Priorities Year-End Implementation Report Page 2 August 24, 2026
o Community Engagement, Rebuilding Community Trust and Civility in Public Discourse – Provide education to the community, use various methods of communication, proactively initiate communication and broaden the audience for City communications.
Attachment 1 shows these Multi-Year Goals and Biennial Priorities along with City Council Governance Norms and results of the visioning exercise done at the workshop. Following approval of these goals and priorities, staff developed FY 2025-26 work programs to identify how the goals and priorities would be implemented with allocated resources and to measure progress made. This step is particularly important since full achievement of these goals typically extends beyond a single fiscal year. The draft work programs were presented to the Council on May 12, 2025 and finalized with the Council’s adoption of the FY 2025-27 budget on June 23, 2025.
Implementation of FY 2025-26 Work Programs
This implementation report shows the status to date of achieving these goals and priorities in FY 2025-26. There has been substantial progress with 100% of the tasks for the Multi-Year Goals and 80% of the tasks for the Water and Sewer Infrastructure Priority and 100% of the tasks for the Community Engagement Priority completed or currently in progress. The only work program item not currently in progress is a water rate study which was put on hold pending the outcome of the long-term water supply study.
Focusing on the two FY 2025-27 Biennial Priorities, below are highlights of this progress recognizing there were numerous other accomplishments by City departments over the past year:
Water and Sewer Infrastructure and Needed Resources
• Implemented updated sewer rate structure to support operations, maintenance and necessary capital projects for the sewer system
• Secured $5 million in bond funding for sewer system capital projects and implemented sewer upgrade project
• Began work with outside consultant to develop a long-term water supply study • Updated the Sanitary Sewer Management Plan
Community Engagement, Rebuilding Community Trust and Civility in Public Discourse • Continued “Coffee with Council” community engagement events along with holding community forums related to the water supply study
• Installed informational boards at all City parks with regularly updated information for the community
• Identified key projects and created templates for mailers for public noticing of major development projects. Courtesy notices have been delivered for all key projects submitted after July 1, 2025.
• Completed biennial Community Survey and presented the results to the Council in January 2026 which indicated a 74% satisfaction rating with City services • Provided a comprehensive overview of State housing law and housing and development issues during a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission in March 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this report.
Staff Report: FY 2025-26 Council Goals and Priorities Year-End Implementation Report Page 3 August 24, 2026
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Receive and file the year-end implementation report for FY 2025-26 Council Goals and Priorities work programs; or
2. Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
ATTACHMENTS
1. FY 2025-27 City Council Goals
2. Year-End Implementation Report
Multi-Year Goals
☒ Public Safety and Community Services ☒ Economic Development and Housing ☒ Community Infrastructure ☒ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☒ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☒ Community Engagement Multi-Year Goals
The City Council established a set of four multi-year goals. The City’s budget and services are directed toward these goals.
Public Safety and Community Services
Provide a range of services that foster a sense of safety, enjoyment and well being for community members.
Economic Development and Housing
Support business attraction and retention, revitalization of commercial areas, and development of housing opportunities.
Community Infrastructure
Provide for long range planning and well-maintained
infrastructure, including streets, water and sewer, sidewalks, City facilities and parks.
Financial and Organization Sustainability
Ensure fiscal responsibility, operational viability, and a culture of innovation and customer service.
Council Priorities
The Council has many important projects underway.
Two top priorities were established for significant and additional progress during the year.
City Council Governance Norms
Through discussion, the City Council agreed to the following norms for governing. These are to be followed within the confines of applicable laws.
1. Maintain a Citywide perspective
while being mindful of our
districts and communicate with
our community.
2. Work together as a body,
modeling teamwork and civility
for our community.
3. Disagree agreeably and
professionally.
4. Listen to one another.
Communicate with each other.
Seek to understand.
5. Assume good intent.
6. Demonstrate respect,
consideration, and courtesy
to others.
7. Share information and
avoid surprises.
8. Keep confidential things
confidential.
9. Respect the Council/Manager
form of government and the
roles of each party.
10. Communicate concerns about
staff to the City Manager; do not
criticize staff in public.
Water and sewer
infrastructure and
needed resources
Rebuilding community trust,
community engagement, and
civility in public discourse
Strategic Plan
CITY OF GROVER BEACH • April 2025
Prepared by
Attachment 1
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
MULTI-YEAR GOALS

Major Plans and Initiatives Lead
Department
Year-End Status
Public Safety and Community Services: Continue
delivering a variety of community events, including the Summer Concert Series, Holiday events and other
community gatherings
City Manager’s
Office
Staff delivered numerous successful and wellattended events, including modified 2025 Summer Concert Series at 16th Street Park during
Ramona Garden Park construction; game nights
at the Community Center; movie nights at 16th
Street Park; West Grand Block Party to celebrate
the newly completed Streetscape project; as well
as the annual Holiday Parade. 2026 events thus
far have included the Tour of Grover Beach bike
parade, Mother-Son Dance, Ramona Garden
Park project ribbon-cutting, and return of the
Summer Concert Series to Ramona Garden Park.
Public Safety and Community Services: Achieve 100%
compliance with weed abatement and defensible space
requirements along with 100% compliance of State
mandated fire inspections
Five Cities Fire
Authority
FCFA achieved 100% compliance of the weed
abatement and defensible space requirements
through a robust public outreach, inspection and
enforcement program and achieved compliance
of the SB 1205 State Mandated Inspections
through the engine company and contracted
services inspection program.
Public Safety and Community Services: Respond to all
Fire and EMS related emergencies within 6 minute or
less 90% of the time
Five Cities Fire
Authority
FCFA responded to all Fire and EMS related
emergencies in 8 minutes or less 90 % of the
time and less than 6 minutes 50% of the time.
Public Safety and Community Services: Continue to
enhance technology in the Police Department by deploying e-citations, additional community cameras, and new
Tasers and bodycams.
Police
Department
Police Department met this goal by fully
deploying new e-citations, community cameras,
tasers, and body worn cameras.
Attachment 2
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
Public Safety and Community Services: Focus on
community traffic concerns and deploy one full-time
motorcycle officer.
Police
Department
Police Department met this goal by training and
deploying two full-time motorcycle traffic officers
along with one part-time motorcycle traffic
Sergeant.
Economic Development and Housing: Prepare the 7th
Cycle Housing Element (2026-2028) following
identification of updated Regional Housing Needs
Allocation
Community
Development
Department
The RFP for the 7th Cycle Housing Element
Update was advertised on June 30, 2026, with a
deadline to apply by August 14, 2026. Six firms
submitted proposals for this scope of work which
include reviewing building heights and
commercial spaces among other issues.
Economic Development and Housing: Promote
reopening of West Grand Avenue and the “West End”
businesses following the completion of the streetscape
project
City Manager’s
Office
City hosted the “West Grand Block Party” in
September 2025 featuring live music,
entertainment and food and craft vendors to
celebrate the completion of the West Grand
Avenue streetscape project, drawing hundreds of
residents and visitors.
Economic Development and Housing: Pursue
additional opportunities for affordable housing building on the success of the Cleaver and Clark Commons project
and “Cabins for Change” and “Balay Ko on Barca”
temporary housing facilities.
City Manager’s
Office
City continued to support People’s Self-Help
Housing and HASLO in the completion of the
Cleaver and Clark Commons project which
opened in January with a ribbon cutting event in
May along with supporting 5CHC with its two
temporary housing facilities. Additional efforts to
support affordable housing were discussed with
the Council as part of the March 31st special
meeting with the Planning Commission on
housing and development issues.
Economic Development and Housing: Expand tourism
and visitor opportunities in Grover Beach through hotel development, short-term rental permitting, and Visit
Grover Beach marketing platform.
City Manager’s
Office/
Community
Development
Department
City continued to partner with Verdin Marketing to
maintain and enhance the Visit Grover Beach
platforms, increasing followers and views. Three
hotel projects are currently under processing for
building permits or are under construction that will
result in approximately 372 new hotel rooms.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
Community Infrastructure: Update Utility and Streets
Master Plans to identify infrastructure improvements and maintenance programs designed to assure reliable
system operations as well as upgrades to support
economic development and housing
Public Works
Department
Streets Master Plan is updated and Sewer
System Management Plan is completed. Updated
Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) will
follow in late 2026.
Community Infrastructure: Update the Circulation
Element of the General Plan to assure City roadway and
transportation infrastructure effectively supports
multimodal transportation including the needs of future development
Public Works
Department/
Community
Development
Department
Circulation Element Update is currently under
environmental review. Additional public outreach
is anticipated in fall/winter 2026 to begin drafting
policies and programs for Council consideration
in 2027. Staff would note that this work has been
delayed given the work involved in analyzing the
impacts of the development initiative Measure F26 along with the high level of development activity in general.
Community Infrastructure: Work on potential locations
and funding plans for new or renovated City facilities with initial priorities for the Corporation Yard and Police
Station.
Public Works
Department/
Police
Department/City
Manager’s Office
Staff continues to research potential locations but
no funding has been identified for purchase at
this time. This initiative will continue into FY 2026-
27 and will be reviewed with the Council in 2027.
Financial and Organizational Stability: Implement
Equipment Replacement Fund funding of vehicles and
Enterprise Fleet Management to facilitate more
streamlined vehicle acquisition and maintenance
Administrative
Services
Department and
Public Works
Department
ERF funding for vehicles has begun using the
Enterprise Fleet Management to streamline
acquisition and maintenance costs.
Financial and Organizational Stability: Conduct Cost
Allocation study to better assess and allocate City costs and charges for services and across funds.
Administrative
Services
Department
RFP for Cost Allocation study has been released
with consultant selection and approval anticipated
in fall 2026.
Financial and Organizational Stability: Implement
software to streamline and more efficiently manage
Public Records Act requests and make such requests
transparent to the public.
City Manager’s
Office
Next Request platform was implemented on the
City’s website and is being used to manage the
City’s Public Records Act records and make such
requests more transparent.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY: WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE AND
NEEDED RESOURCES
Major Plans and
Initiatives
Lead
Department Key Milestones for
FY 2025-26
Year-End Status Budget Allocation
Implement new sewer
rate structure for billing
(pending Council
adoption through Prop
218 process)
Administrative
Services
Department
• Update year 1 sewer rates
beginning July 1, 2025 with
new billing after effective date
Completed. New sewer rates in
effect with annual increases through
June 30, 2030.
Staff Resources
Develop and execute
capital bond financing for
sewer upgrade project
(pending Council
adoption through Prop
218 process)
Administrative
Services
Department
• Prepare bond financing for
Council approval and issue
financing
• Implement sewer upgrade
project CIP 5002
Completed. Secured $5 million in
bond funding for sewer system
upgrade project CIP 5002.
$126,000 from
Wastewater Fund
Update Sanitary Sewer
Management Plan
(SSMP)
Public Works
Department
• Audit SSMP and begin first
draft of updated Plan
Updated Plan complete. $32,000 from
General Fund
Develop water supply
and demand study
pending further
information about the
Lopez Lake water supply
Public Works
Department
• Review draft scope with
Council as part of water
system update
• Conduct RFP process for
qualified water consultants
Study scope reviewed with Council
in September 2025 prior to RFP
process in fall 2025. Confluence
Engineering was selected for this
consulting work with approval of
agreement in January 2026. Study
$300,000 from
Water Fund
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
and approve contract with
selected consultant
• Implement study process
including public outreach and
engagement
• Present initial results and
subsequent final report to
Council for approval
process subsequently commenced
including public outreach in springsummer 2026. Draft report of study will be presented to the Council in
August 2026.
Develop water rate study
for updated rate
structure, given the
expiration of the existing
rate structure on June 30,
2026
Administrative
Services
Department
• Review Water Fund financial
need and draft rate study
scope with Council as part of
water system update
• Conduct RFP process for
qualified rate consultants and
approve contract with
selected consultant
• Initiate rate study with
presentation to Council
following water supply study
Rate study work put on hold
pending completion of Water Supply
Study and Council direction.
$75,000 from
Water Fund
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY: REBUILDING COMMUNITY TRUST, COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND CIVILITY IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE
Major Plans and
Initiatives
Lead
Department Key Milestones for
FY 2025-26
Year-End Status Budget Allocation
Continue regular
community engagement
events
City Manager’s
Office
• Host periodic “Coffee with
Council” events
• Host quarterly “City Talk”
community forums
Held “Coffee with Council” event
in February 2026 and community
forums related to the water supply
study in May and June 2026.
Staff Resources
Installation of
informational boards at
City parks
City Manager’s
Office
• Install two additional
information boards at
various City parks in
addition to initial three
Information boards were installed
in all City parks.
$1,000 from
General Fund
Implement program for
distributing key
development project
mailers to nearby
properties
Community
Development
Department
• Define “key projects” (i.e.,
major zone changes, multifamily projects, mixed-use)
• Draft templates and process
(300-foot mailing lists)
• Send out public
notices/outreach letters, and
pre-construction letters for
key projects (300 feet)
Courtesy notices have been
provided for all new “key projects”
submitted after July 1, 2025.
$1,000 from
General Fund
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
FY 2025-26 WORK PROGRAMS – YEAR-END REPORT
Implement program for
distributing City capital
project mailers to nearby
properties
Public Works
Department
• Continue to audit noticing
efforts and public feedback.
Update efforts as necessary.
Engagement is through social
media posts and noticing of
nearby properties through direct
mailing. Continued to audit
noticing efforts and public
feedback. Update efforts as
necessary.
$1,000 from
General Fund
Develop “Grover Beach
101” community outreach
sessions with initial focus
on planning and building
City Manager’s
Office/
Community
Development
Department
• Develop session framework
and potential schedule
• Develop specific topics for
initial planning and building
sessions and review with
Planning Commission
• Implement initial sessions
and review results for future
iterations
In lieu of a “Grover Beach 101”
session on the topic of planning
and building, staff provided an
overview of State Housing Law
and the City’s housing obligations
during a joint Planning
Commission and City Council
hearing on March 31, 2026. The
hearing also included Key Topics
identified by the Planning
Commission for discussion with
the City Council.
Staff Resources
Implement 2025 biennial
community survey
City Manager’s
Office
• Work with survey research
consultant to update survey
questionnaire
• Implement survey to
statistically valid sample of
residents
• Present results to Council
Biennial survey was conducted in
October 2025 with results
presented to the Council in
January 2026 including 74%
satisfaction rate with City
services.
$20,000 from
General Fund