DRAFT
Legislative Platform
Updated 2025
Guiding Principles
The City of Huntington Beach remains committed to upholding the Huntington Beach City Charter, which places a strong emphasis on local control over land use decisions. This commitment safeguards the unique character, quality of life, and identity of our community, whether residential neighborhood or business corridor, are carefully protected . The City recognizes the importance of supporting policies that uphold property rights and preserve property values. By doing so, Huntington Beach will continue to foster a vibrant, thriving community where residents and businesses alike can enjoy stability, safety, and success.
The City of Huntington Beach Legislative Platform outlines a clear and efficient process through which the City Council, City Manager, City staff, and legislative advocates can respond to legislative proposals in a timely manner. This approach ensures that the City can remain agile and proactive, addressing legislative, regulatory, administrative, and budgetary issues as they arise throughout the year, all while operating within the established framework of the platform.
Furthermore, the City of Huntington Beach's 2023-2027 Strategic Plan was adopted to define the key internal policies and programs that the City prioritizes. The Legislative Platform works in tandem with this plan to help achieve the City’s strategic goals such as enhancing the Surf City USA economy, actively shaping public policy —particularly in areas such as local control—and fostering the creation of fun, safe spaces for the community to enjoy.
By aligning both the Legislative Platform and Strategic Plan, the City of Huntington Beach ensures that decisions and actions are both forward -thinking and reflective of Huntington Beach’s commitment to its residents, businesses, and visitors.
Legislative Priorities
A. Accessory Dwelling Units
In recent years, the California Legislature has enacted several bills that diminish local control over the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These actions raise concerns about the impact on reduced local control, infrastructure strain, commun ity character, and planning flexibility. This increased density within residential neighborhoods leads to overcrowding, impacted parking, and increased crime , thereby reducing public safety.
1. Density: Support legislation that allows the City of Huntington Beach to maintain control over housing and accessory dwellings, especially that which reflects the needs and character of Huntington Beach.
2. Neighborhood Identity and Safety : Support legislation that maintains local characteristic and community identity by securing local control over zoning, maintaining density, and ensuring public safety.
DRAFT
Legislative Platform
Updated 2025
3. Property values: Support legislation that retains and enhances property values and oppose legislation that undermines property values or provides property tax deferrals.
B. Sober Living Facilities
Residential care, or “sober living facilities”, can play a critical role for transition into a supportive living environment. However, unregulated residential care facilities often lack proper oversight by the Department of Health Care Services and can create difficult enforcement environs for local jurisdictions, including concerns for community safety. All members of the Huntington Beach community, whether business or resident, should be accountable as good actors , and residential care facilities should not be an exception.
Neighbors to these high-profit businesses have no input on placement or establishment of residential care facilities, nor are there regulations requiring these businesses to disclose their presence within residential communities.
1. Oversight and Transparency: Support efforts that provide municipalities with more control over the establishment and placement of unlicensed and State-licensed group homes, including sober living homes, residential care facilities , and transitional and supportive housing uses within the community; Support regulations that require these businesses to disclose their presence within the community.
2. Community Character: Support efforts to address any over -concentration of unlicensed and State-licensed facilities and the common nuisances associated with these facilities which could negatively impact the community’s quality of life and property values.
3. Curbing: Support legislation that ensures residents of sober living homes , unlicensed, and State -licensed facilities are not evicted without due process rendering the resident homeless, often referred to as “curbing” .
C. Public Safety
The City seeks to promote practical policy responses that reduce crime and increase response capacity. Legislation can provide the framework to further develop effective programs on safe e-bike use.
1. Non-Sanctuary: Support crime reduction, safeguarding citizens, and collaboration with federal agencies to enhance public safety as a “Non-Sanctuary City” related to illegal immigration and crime prevention.
2. Retail Theft: Support the use of local, state, and federal collaborative prevention and intervention methods to reduce retail theft and retail theft rings.
3. Funding: Support legislation that provides funding at the local level to promote crime prevention and public outreach programs.
4. Equipment and Infrastructure: Support public safety -related legislation and funding of activities, infrastructure, technology, staffing, training, and equipment needs of police, fire, and lifeguards.
DRAFT
Legislative Platform
Updated 2025
5. Disaster Preparedness: Support legislation and funding for disaster preparedness and emergency planning as well as measures that provide cities with an increased role in emergency preparedness.
6. E-bikes- Safety & E nforcement: Support legislation that clarifies the safety strategy for riders and passengers, such as speed limits and defined equipment, and enables enforcement action such as impound authority and licensing.
D. Fiscal Resilience and Economic Development
The City of Huntington Beach supports business -friendly legislation and strategies that promote sustainable financial growth.
1. Strengthening Revenue: Advocate for legislation and funding opportunities that strengthen, protect, and expand new and ongoing revenue streams for the City.
2. Public-Private Partnerships: Support additional resources to facilitate public-private partnerships that enhance economic development opportunities.
3. Small Business Support: Champion initiatives aimed at bolstering the City’s small business community.
4. Tourism Promotion: Endorse measures that promote and enhance Huntington Beach as a premier tourist destination.