CITY OF PACIFICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
Council Chambers
2212 Beach Blvd
Pacifica, CA 94044
Mayor Christine Boles
Vice Mayor Greg Wright
Councilmember Sue Beckmeyer
Councilmember Mary Bier
Councilmember Mayra Espinosa
City Council Regular Meeting 1 January 26, 2026
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING
January 26, 2026 (MONDAY)
www.cityofpacifica.org
Mayor Christine Boles called the meeting to order on January 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM 5:00 PM - CLOSED SESSION
00a. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—ANTICIPATED LITIGATION. Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 and paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 54956.9: One Case. 6:00 PM OPEN SESSION
Call to Order
Mayor Boles reconvened the meeting at 6:07 p.m.
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Christine Boles Mayor Present
Greg Wright Vice Mayor Present
Sue Beckmeyer Councilmember Present
Mary Bier Councilmember Present
Mayra Espinosa Councilmember Present
City Clerk Coffey took a verbal roll call.
Staff Present: Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager; Michelle Kenyon, City Attorney; Denise Bazzano, Asst. City Attorney; Yulia Carter, Asst. City Manager; Scott Leslie, PB&R Director; Maria Sarasua, Police Chief; Melissa Tigbao, PW Director (Zoom); Samantha Updegrave, Community Development Director; Marisol Gómez, Finance & Administrative Services Director; Gretchen Heckman, Economic & Housing Development Manager; Roland Yip, PW Deputy Director (Field Services/Engineering); Daniel Patten, Interim PW Deputy Director (Wastewater); Michael Christensen, Community Development Deputy Director; Matt Kelly, Project Manager; Katelyn Snodgrass, Assoc. Planner; Samuel Koosed, Civic Well Sparks Fellow; Sarah Coffey, City Clerk; Emily La, Dep. City Clerk.
City Council Regular Meeting 2 January 26, 2026
Reading of Land Acknowledgment
Mayor Boles read the Land Acknowledgment.
Salute to the Flag led by Vice Mayor Wright
Closed Session Report
Asst. City Attorney Bazzano stated there was no reportable action.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
A. Presentation: San Mateo County Libraries (SMCL) Annual Report Mayor Boles introduced the presenter of the San Mateo County Libraries Annual Report, Pacifica Libraries Manager Hillary Ake.
Pacifica Libraries Manager Ake presented the annual report, beginning with the history of the libraries over the years, their past programs, and future strategic plans. She also thanked the City and City staff for their support and library volunteers for all they do as well as citizens who are library members who support the libraries’ work.
Mayor Boles thanked Pacifica Libraries Manager Ake for educating them for all that they do to support Pacificans.
Councilmember Bier felt the library was the best place for so many things and helps people in so many different ways. She knows they are provided many things by the library and she is grateful, especially the art programs they have.
Vice Mayor Wright also thanked her. He wondered what was the best way if volunteers want to get involved with the library.
Pacifica Libraries Manager Ake stated that they can visit their website or stop by the branch.
Vice Mayor Wright asked what the library does for visually impaired people.
Pacifica Libraries Manager Ake stated that they have some accessibility tools on their computers at the library, i.e., zoom text, screen readers, able to access Braille collection, etc.
Vice Mayor Wright also asked about how the community has been receiving the library Outpost.
Pacifica Libraries Manager Ake stated that it has been great. It holds up to 300 books at a time, but often a quarter of the machine is filled with holds for people to pick up and can stop by 24/7 to get their holds. She stated it has been very well utilized.
Councilmember Espinosa stated that there are two other services that she enjoys, the mobile library which is a great way to let people know that they are there, and the digital courses they have online. She thanked them for that.
City Council Regular Meeting 3 January 26, 2026
Councilmember Beckmeyer thanked Libraries Manager Ake for being in Pacifica and she echoed the Mayor’s welcome. She highlighted the newspaper database through our public library and you can use your library card to use it to find local papers to national papers. She asked if there are set times or drop in if people need help with their electronic devices, such as downloading E-books.
Pacifica Libraries Manager Ake stated that you can stop by the library anytime if you need help with technology and they are launching a new program series called digital literacy hub and they will have a dedicated staff member to help with 1-on-1 help for 15 hours every week.
Mayor Boles thanked Libraries Manager Ake for being present. She thinks she is doing a wonderful job with her outreach and being in all the places now to educate people about all the libraries’ resources.
There were no public comments.
B. Proclamation in Honor / Memory of Mary Ann Nihart
Councilmember Beckmeyer read the proclamation honoring former Mayor and Councilmember Mary Ann Nihart.
Mayor Boles stated it was an amazing list of her accomplishments over decades.
Councilmember Bier stated that Ms. Nihart was such a force in our community. She first met her when they started the Partnership for a Safe and Healthy Pacifica and were working on alcohol policy and encouraged youth to voice their thoughts. She stated that Ms. Nihart challenged her to start working on prescription drugs and she has been doing that ever since.
She stated she was an asset for our community and she misses her.
Vice Mayor Wright stated that Councilmembers aspire to Ms. Nihart’s inspirational dedication to public service.
Councilmember Espinosa thought Ms. Nihart was very real from her presentations.
Councilmember Beckmeyer stated that Ms. Nihart was a powerhouse. She was an inspiration and did it all. Councilmember Beckmeyer did not realize until she was on Council what it takes to be a councilmember and what it takes to be a councilmember like Mary Ann Nihart, which is the next level. They were lucky to have her as long as they did.
Mayor Boles stated that she had the pleasure of meeting Mary Ann Nihart three times, first after she got elected at a Council of Cities meeting. Ms. Nihart received a standing ovation from people all over the county as she did a lot to advance policies and programs for us regionally.
In January 2025, Mayor Boles reached out to her to invite her to talk about some of the difficulties they were having on Council and it ended up being a whole discussion of some of the things she had started and was working on. They were trying for decades to redevelop Manor Plaza, and they recaptured that and moved it forward. Between those times, Pacificans Care honored her with People Who Care Award in 2023. In the midst of that, Ms. Nihart came over to her and told her that she was doing a great job. She thought, in the middle of her celebration and recovery, she was still thinking about Pacifica and everything she can do to improve Pacifica. Thus, she will be sorely missed.
City Council Regular Meeting 4 January 26, 2026
Councilmember Beckmeyer stated there is the Celebration of Life for Mary Ann Nihart at the Pacifica Community Center on January 31 from 1:00 to 4:00pm and all are welcome.
Mayor Boles opened public comments.
Robine Runneals, Pacifica, stated she was a 40-year neighbor of Ms. Nihart in West Sharp Park, and she expressed appreciation for them acknowledging all the amazing things she accomplished. She shared some of their interactions and they became fast friends and she helped her get involved in some local activities. She felt they did a wonderful tribute to her.
Cindy Abbott, Pacifica, shared thoughts on how she worked together with Ms. Nihart. She shared details on Ms. Nihart’s passion about Pacifica in all aspects of her work and how she was a wonderful voice for Pacifica.
Tygarjas Bigstyck, Pacifica, shared that, if not for Ms. Nihart, he would not have spent as much time speaking at Council meetings and shared his thoughts on what she left behind that would benefit all Pacificans, including bonding with other cities in the county.
Dinah Verby, Pacifica, thanked Council for the proclamation. She shared Ms. Nihart’s enthusiastic involvement with her on various issues, which was contagious, especially the Pedro Point Headlands designated as a priority conservation area with ABAG.
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
City Manager Woodhouse wanted to move Staff Communications to introduce two new key staff members: Economic & Housing Development Manager Gretchen Heckman and Deputy Director of Community Development Michael Christensen.
Economic & Housing Development Manager Heckman stated for several weeks she has been working closely with the City Manager’s Office and other city employees, consultants, and departments to get up to speed on existing and future economic development plans for the City.
She stated that she comes from San Francisco after ten years working in the former Redevelopment Agency as a housing specialist and then in project management overseeing the Mission Bay North and South Redevelopment project areas. Prior to that, she worked in nonprofit real estate development, including affordable housing development and is happy to have landed in this beautiful and engaged community and looks forward to working closely with Council and continuing the great work it has done along with staff in the past couple of years.
Community Development Deputy Director Christensen stated he is honored to join the City as Deputy Director of Community Development starting officially today. He came after spending about a decade with San Francisco where he worked as both a planner with their Planning Department for half the time and as a Project Manager with the City Administrator’s office for the second half of his time. In Pacifica, he is focusing on three priorities: first, support our Planning team and Planning Commission to deliver excellent service to the community; second, modernize our technology system to make our processes more efficient and transparent to both staff and the public; and third, ensure department operates as a true partner to residents, businesses and developers navigating and understanding our planning and environmental working processes. He stated that what he sees most of Pacifica is the opportunity to work in a community-oriented city where local government can have real tangible impact on people’s daily lives. Having spent his career in a much larger jurisdiction, he is excited for the chance to work more directly with residents and see the results of our work shaping this beautiful coastal City Council Regular Meeting 5 January 26, 2026
community. He looks forward to working with all of Council and is grateful for the warm welcome he has already received from Director Updegrave, City staff, and community at large.
CONSENT CALENDAR
There were no public comments.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Mary Bier, Councilmember
SECONDER: Greg Wright, Vice Mayor
AYES: Boles, Wright, Beckmeyer, Bier, Espinosa
1. Approval of Minutes
PROPOSED ACTION: Move to approve the minutes for the November 17, 2025 City Council Special Meeting and the November 24, 2025 City Council Special and Regular Meeting.
2. Notice of Completion for the Civic Center Campus Facilities Improvement Project PROPOSED ACTION: Adopt the Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica accepting completion and directing the City Manager to file Notice of Completion for the Civic Center Campus Facilities Improvement Project.
3. Notice of Completion for the Linda Mar Pump Station Upgrade Project PROPOSED ACTION: Adopt the Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica to:
A. Increase the Linda Mar Pump Station Upgrade Project construction contingency budget by $35,597 (3%) to the total contingency of $172,597 (13%), bringing the total construction authority to $1,542,597; and Authorize the City Manager to execute the close-out change order for the project;
B. Increase the Linda Mar Pump Station Upgrade Project engineering services during construction (ESDC) contingency budget by $23,000 (18%) to the total contingency of (28%), bringing the total ESDC authority to $164,460; and Authorize the City Manager to execute the close-out change order for the project; and C. Accept completion and direct the City Manager to file Notice of Completion for the Linda Mar Pump Station Upgrade Project; and authorize the City Manager to release the retention funds to the contractor.
4. Approve Naming of the Existing Switchback Section of the Rockaway Multipurpose Trail Segment which Connects Rockaway Beach to Pacifica State Beach Park as the “Lynn Adams Trail”.
PROPOSED ACTION: Approve naming of the existing switchback section of the Rockaway multipurpose trail which connects Rockaway Beach to Pacifica State Beach Park as the “Lynn Adams Trail,” per the recommendation of the City Manager, and in compliance with the City's “City Facilities/Property Naming Policy”.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT ON THE POSTED AGENDA
Cynthia Knowles, Pacifica, stated she was previously on the PB&R Commission. She stated, in 2020, they presented the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan to Council and recently learned about C/CAG funding available for bike and pedestrian projects. She asked if we are City Council Regular Meeting 6 January 26, 2026
considering applying for a grant and which priorities have come out of the Master Plan and if we are working with the PB&R Commission for that grant.
Bryan Reinero, Pacifica, asked about the list of permitted STRs published to the City’s website under the new STR ordinance, how many STRs in the non-coastal zone have been issued their QR code signs, and how many STR permit revocation hearings that City has conducted.
Mark Stechbart, Pacifica, asked about the compliance of STRs who were re-issued permits, the code requirements understood by the average citizen, and the revocation status of 1987 Beach Blvd. He raised concerns about unpermitted STR addresses and lack of transparency in the City.
Caitlin Quinn, Pacifica, shared her thoughts on the City’s lack of transparency on the STRs and asked Council to fix this.
Mayor Boles closed Public Comments.
Mayor Boles asked City Manager or staff to answer some of these questions on STRs and when the permit and inspection information will be added to the website.
City Manager Woodhouse stated staff has been working diligently on the review and renewal process for this ordinance and all of the inspections of the units that are required. He stated we are on target to complete that by the end of the month. In December, staff gave a detailed update written status report to Council and we will be doing that once we complete all the processes, adding that the completion of the renewal process is targeted for the end of January.
He stated it is a complex and time-consuming process and Council is aware of the complexities of the ordinance. There are intentions to meet all the provisions of the ordinance, including transparency.
Mayor Boles understands the process might be taking a little bit longer. She asked if it is possible to start listing permitted and the public can help alert Council if they are finding others.
She stated that was the reason for the transparency and enforcement and asked when that might start being added to the website.
City Manager Woodhouse stated that he can talk to the team about what they might be able to begin to upload, but all of the focus is on completing the entire renewal process.
Mayor Boles asked, if at all possible, to get a written update before the Coastal Commission hearing.
City Manager Woodhouse stated, at the hearing, staff will be prepared with some of the data as well and that would be important for the hearing.
Vice Mayor Wright asked, regarding mention of available C/CAG funding, what some of the past funding we have gotten from C/CAG and the two different sets of grants available from them.
PW Dep. Director Yip stated we have a grant consulting third party that we meet with monthly and go over all the grant opportunities that are available. If we can put something together for a grant application from our Bike Master Plan, we will do so. In terms of recent projects we have done, we applied for the SMCTA Cycle 7 Pedestrian and Bicycle program funding for Oceana Bicycle bike lanes and that was $2 million grant request. Unfortunately, we only received City Council Regular Meeting 7 January 26, 2026
$150,000 or so for designs and we are looking to get an RFP out. There was also Congressman Liccardo’s FY 2026 community project funding for the Manor Drive Overcrossing Project, Safe Streets and Roads For All (SS4A) for the Highway One and Crespi Intersection improvements, a $3.5 million project. There are also several grants for BBIRP for several fiscal years from Department of Boating and Waterways (DBW) for the shoreline erosion control and that was $2.5 million. There was also a NOAA community project for our pier rehabilitation for the design which was close to $1 million. We have ongoing safe crossing school grants that we received and are close to $20,000 to $30,000. Another one recently received was for the TDM cycle 3 for our PACES project, Pedestrian Access and Crossing Enhancement for Students project for around $450,000. We also applied for a bike project for that grant, but did not receive grant funding for that. The City applies wherever we can and qualify for. Sometimes we get it, sometimes we do not, but once we get it, we are happy to implement these bike improvements.
PUBLIC HEARINGS - NONE.
CONSIDERATION
5. 2026 City Council Liaison Assignment(s) to Climate Action & Resilience Committee (CARC)
PROPOSED ACTION: Consideration of appointment of a Primary and/or Alternate City Council Liaison to the City's Climate Action & Resilience Committee (CARC).
City Clerk Coffey presented the staff report on the Climate Action and Resilience Committee liaison position.
There were no public comments.
Vice Mayor Wright stated that this will be a super impactful committee and they have done incredible work thus far. He looks forward to great things continuing from that committee.
Mayor Boles stated based on Councilmembers’ availabilities that she will attend and make it a priority as it is an important Committee, especially in the first year when they are starting and looking for additional funding. She is in the climate space in a lot of different places in the county and state and she thinks she can help.
Vice Mayor Wright moved to appoint Mayor Boles as the liaison to the Climate Action and Resilience Committee; seconded by Councilmember Beckmeyer.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Greg Wright, Vice Mayor
SECONDER: Sue Beckmeyer, Councilmember
AYES: Boles, Wright, Beckmeyer, Bier, Espinosa
6. Local Coastal Land Use Plan Implementation: Coastal Access and Resilience Program and the Shoreline Adaptation Program
PROPOSED ACTION: Receive a presentation on the Local Coastal Land Use Plan requirements to develop the Coastal Access and Resilience Program and the Shoreline Adaptation Program, provide input to help guide the Request for Proposals process for City Council Regular Meeting 8 January 26, 2026
consultant selection, and discuss and potentially appoint a City Council Ad Hoc Committee.
Community Development Director Updegrave, Assoc. Planner Snodgrass, and Civic Well Sparks Fellow Koosed presented the staff report.
Mayor Boles opened public comments.
Michael Wahlman, Pacifica, shared his experience in the military, major disasters, etc., and stated the seawall should be the most paramount concern for public safety. He also stated all avenues for funding should be on the table as well.
Sam Casillas, Pacifica, focused on the community engagement portion and asked about transparency regarding our goals, i.e. people’s current homes or developers. He emphasized the global impact of the climate crisis and the costs associated with relocating infrastructure and the seawall. He highlighted nature-based solutions and stated not to have predetermined outcomes. He also encouraged the City to work with the Pacifica Land Trust.
Cindy Abbott, Pacifica, aligned herself with Mr. Casillas’ comments. She stated to listen to community input and shared some different consulting options for community engagement. She encouraged community meetings in all parts of the City for the future of the entire City. She asked for honesty and transparency and to decouple SSRAs from SB 272.
Kimberly Finale, Pacifica, recommended community engagement to meet people where they are. The goals of community outreach should include an educational component. She recommended performing outreach at Second Saturdays, farmers’ markets, and during busy weekends. She also asked for the consultants to have a relationship with mother nature.
Sue Digre, Pacifica, shared her concerns that the City does not do a robust job reaching out to the community and many people find out things after they happen. She asked the City to listen to the data and community voices. She also asked which voices we do not normally hear.
Mark Hubbell, Pacifica, stated from past experience with the seawall that we chose a company not based in the U.S., had limited experience with seawalls, and was extremely dismayed about that process. He asked for more consideration and care to be taken as we move forward.
Clif Lawrence, Pacifica, shared his experience in public engagement and felt the previous efforts were based on predetermined solutions. He agreed with prior speakers about getting out in the community, making engagement more accessible, and bringing it closer to the people.
He would also like to see more participation from our larger community.
Peter Loeb, Pacifica, supported Mr. Casillas and Ms. Abbott and asked Council about the purpose of community engagement and their vision on the process and what would the outcome be. He asked how Council sees community engagement playing out and what its purpose is.
Dinah Verby, Pacifica, agreed with what Mr. Loeb stated and shared her thoughts on the purpose of community engagement and felt it was unclear at this time. She also shared concerns about funding for hard armoring and mitigation projects and possibility of discussing moving infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
City Council Regular Meeting 9 January 26, 2026
Suzanne Moore, Pacifica, shared her thoughts on the public engagement process, including door-to-door surveys, and community education done by our consultants to include options to consider when an issue is being presented, especially cost, lifespan, and impact of projects.
Mayor Boles closed public comments.
Mayor Boles stated that, based on the LCLUP as staff presented, we have some tasks identified that Council has committed to, one to sunrise the special shoreline resiliency areas (SSRAs) through the program and the projects as mitigations for allowing armoring in those two areas to continue and also start on the Shoreline Adaptation Plan. She appreciated that the staff report stated it was important to do both of those even though the Shoreline Adaptation Plan has a ten-year deadline. She shared possible funding avenues and anything we can do in a short amount of time to make us eligible for that money is important. She stated the SSRAs was presented as a requirement of our LCLUP, but her understanding is if we are not able to sunrise the SSRAs etc., it does not mean that our LCLUP will become decertified. She asked if we are not eligible for SB 272 if we do not have the SSRAs.
Community Development Director Updegrave stated that one important distinction is that what we are focused on is the Coastal Access and Resilience Program (CARP) and the Shoreline Adaptation Plan. It is the substance of those two programs that are how we are starting to address our sea level rise requirements within the LCP. She stated that those are specifically tied to the sunrising of the SSRAs but it is those two programs that are the driver. She is not aware of a decertification process.
City Manager Woodhouse added that it is important to look at the LCLUP as a policy document that Council approved and Coastal Commission certified which includes all kinds of policies.
The SSRAs are one of those with all kinds of policies wrapped into them. The SSRAs are a set of policies that fulfill the neighborhood’s approach direction and phased approach that Council built into the approved LCLUP and Coastal Commission certified. It is staff’s intention and Council’s goal to implement the LCLUP program which includes sunrising the SSRAs. That is not why we are kicking off the Shoreline Adaptation Plan and the CARP process. The purpose of those is for this community to arrive at a long-term vision for what Pacifica’s coast is going to look like in the future. In doing so, the effect of the SSRAs and related policies will sunrise, but the focus is how we are going to come together for the long-term for what Pacifica wants to be in the future.
Mayor Boles referenced previous conversations on the LCLUP that became difficult and would love to hear from all who were part of those about what happened, what we can do differently, how do we bring people along, etc. She stated, regarding purpose, what do we all see and how we want to listen and absorb and work with our community.
Councilmember Beckmeyer echoed what she heard in public comment about a long-term vision and what City Manager said, and she thinks we need to establish that. She stated the sea level rise adaptation plan talks about certain triggers and responses that will happen when certain conditions ensue in the different segments of our shoreline. What made a big impression on her was the contention in the community. She said, if we could do it over, we start with a vision, talk about what are our conditions and data-driven strategies for directing changing conditions on our coast. She thinks part of it is learning what those options are, part of it is listening to each other about what is important, what we value about Pacifica, what do we want to maintain in our community, and how can we go about doing that. For her, that is the purpose of this. While it is tied to implementing certain policies, SSRAs among them, in our Local Coastal Land Use Plan, City Council Regular Meeting 10 January 26, 2026
this effort should exist independent of that. Communities up and down the coast are meeting to do this. She is looking for some kind of structured way to describe what we are looking for so that it can be pitched to various consultants to help us think about outreach strategies. Perhaps the scope of that original plan was too narrowly focused on sea level rise, so perhaps it is worth expanding the conversation to include all of the coastal hazards about which we have policies in our LCLUP.
Councilmember Bier appreciated all the public comments. She does a lot of outreach from her job and there has to be a plan in place. The only way we can have an outreach plan in place is to know what we are doing and what kind of information we want to gather from our community.
There has be some learning and information has to be shared in many ways and places and we need to gather information and listen to the community. We need to think about what worked and what did not work and how can we move forward with strategies that are going to be the best for our community and how are we going to include youth. Before we can provide input about the RFP, if we have only $150,000 to do that, then we have to be specific about how we spend that money to make sure we get enough reach to our community. She loved meeting people where they are in the community, but even those cost money, planning, and staff time.
She does not have a clear idea about what that vision is, what kind of information do we want to gather from our community that we are going to listen to and do something with, and how is that going to fit into the LCLUP that we have.
Councilmember Espinosa asked, when we gather all this information, how are we going to share it with the public and what question are we going to ask from the public. She stated she has a few ideas of how to reach out. She stated that a lot of people are intimidated to come to talk at the microphone and we need to reach out and meet them at their own place where they feel comfortable to speak.
Mayor Boles stated that maybe they will tackle them one at a time, i.e., talk about engagement, who to engage, different ways we want to pursue. She stated, starting with purpose, what is the goal, what are we doing, what are we open to.
Vice Mayor Wright would like to see the process be about education, both Council educating the public on what our current plan is and having the public educate them on what it is that they would like to see. Door-to-door surveys were extremely informative to him in terms of getting a better idea of what the community thinks. He liked that idea. He brought up how we can get youth and there may be room in this process for them to do surveying for us.
Mayor Boles agreed there are ways we can use our community do this work and not necessarily have it all done by a consultant.
Councilmember Bier stated there are surveys, focus groups, key informant interviews, tabletop conversations, etc.
Mayor Boles referred to purpose, a long-term vision, and agreed education will be part of that.
She thinks, whatever we can do as part of education, what are we already seeing that are the storm impacts, what is happening at king tides, etc. She stated we had a vulnerability assessment done by consultants back in 2017-18, but part of listening to the people is asking what are they seeing and letting them tell us what they are seeing. It helps us to understand what is happening and, out of that, what we want for our coast in the future that are important things to us. She thought about how we can have some listening sessions first, not necessarily having a whole plan for public engagement but letting that unfold as we share information from City Council Regular Meeting 11 January 26, 2026
the community and ways that we can reach out to them. It can be our own community bringing things to us that we can partner with, listen to, and share.
Councilmember Bier stated at the same time we still need a plan. She appreciates the lucidness and flow of what she is talking about. She asked if that is going to come from tonight or come from an ad hoc committee that will sit outside of this, think about it, and come back to Council and have that discussion again.
Mayor Boles understands that, even though we have an adaptation plan with strategies, those were never adopted as that is where things became difficult at some point in the community.
Councilmember Beckmeyer asked if the sea level rise adaptation plan was adopted and was that not required prior to updating the LCLUP.
City Manager Woodhouse stated that the adaptation planning process was the feasibility phase leading to the LCLUP policies that went through all those iterations to get to the certified LCLUP. The Shoreline Adaptation Program is specific. The LCLUP now has some prescriptive contents that it needs to include and staff could talk about those in the LCLUP. That is part of the work necessary to do to get input on.
Councilmember Berkemeyer referred to the document that was produced by ESA in 2017 or 2018, and she asked if it was required to be an adopted document or informational process.
City Manager Woodhouse stated his recollection is that was the process to be able to develop the policies that would then become the LCLUP.
Mayor Boles stated that her understanding is that those were all taken out from the Coastal Commission and we struck all those policies that were by area.
City Manager Woodhouse agreed that it went through all those iterations in the submittal to the Coastal Commission and then back and we went through the modern years of the LCLUP certification. He stated that there is some information there, but all of that is now old data and needs to be updated. He thinks all the different technical studies that the Shoreline Adaptation Plan that the Coastal Commission expects to see in the Shoreline Adaptation Plan and for compliance with SB272 would be updates to those.
Mayor Boles asked if staff can give a little more clarity as to what studies are needed, what information, etc.
Community Development Director Updegrave agreed, stating some legislation that amended SB 272 allows prior work done on sea level rise to be incorporated into the LCP. She stated that we need our consultant with the coastal expertise to help us define what studies we need, what information we have that can be used, what needs to be updated, etc. That is part of their task of helping us develop the starting framework for our Shoreline Adaptation Plan which includes identifying what studies we still need and we will be looking at the existing studies and information, including the coastal vulnerability mapping update.
Mayor Boles stated that would be a different consultant than a public engagement consultant.
Community Development Director Updegrave stated that we are looking for a consultant with coastal expertise and community engagement expertise.
City Council Regular Meeting 12 January 26, 2026
Councilmember Beckmeyer referred to firms suggested in a public comment and asked staff to consider looking deeper into what those offerings are.
Community Development Director Updegrave stated we are compiling a list of different consultants and groups and those will be added into that. We will have to go through the RFP process, and our intention is to make sure all these different organizations are receiving that RFP.
Mayor Boles stated it is not just a science and data question for a sociology problem but how to get people to think long-term, how to get people to think beyond just holding on to what they have, understanding adaptation means change. These are difficult, personal conversations.
City Manager Woodhouse stated what she said is exactly the high-level guiding parameter information that staff needs now. We are looking at an engagement process that is looking at difficult core values issues that people are passionate about and there is a sociological component to it. That is all information and other comments that were made, even more detailed, whether it is door-to-door surveys or youth being involved. We are looking for all of that high-level guiding parameter information because what we need to do is put together an RFP that goes out, with all the technical pieces of the Shoreline Adaptation Plan that the LCLUP talks about that we will need to address throughout the process and have community engage about and talk about, and how the community engagement is going to be done. We provide high-level guiding parameters and one of the first things the consultant team could do, possibly the first task Council identifies, would be to come in and interview people, go to listening sessions in order to design the community engagement process, etc. It is like engagement to design the engagement process. This is a multi-year process, and the City allocated $150,000 to begin this process. The other goal is that, once we have a consultant on board and they are designing the community engagement process and all the pieces to this, that we are going to be positioned to apply for significant grant funding as this whole process is potentially $1 million over however many years. It is going to be a very expensive process with all the time and resources that are involved. This is the first step to be able to provide enough information for consulting teams to organize themselves, propose on, be selected, come in, and start engaging with the community and learning more about what will the best engagement process over the long term be, what are all the issues, etc.
Councilmember Beckmeyer asked how much of a pre-RFP discussion do we have with potential consultants. The idea of SB 272, even though the exact parameters are not well-defined, was all in an effort to get people doing this work because the work is hard and expensive. She asked how we engage in a process where we lessen the intensity and find a way to talk about these things in a respectful, informative way that is science-based, data-driven, and reflective of reality. When she talks about a long-term vision, if we are going to move infrastructure, she asked what that takes. It could take ten years to plan just that while we will have more erosion, more over-topping, more flooding, more damage, etc. She imagines that we need to have a big overview so the consultant can help us design this.
Councilmember Bier liked what Councilmember Beckmeyer said about talking about exactly what it would take to move infrastructure. There are different pockets of our community, some that do not know what LCLUP is, and how can we get information to and from those Pacificans.
Then we have our community groups and community scientists who are doing work out there, and she thinks those are two separate outreaches.
City Council Regular Meeting 13 January 26, 2026
Mayor Boles stated that, if we are talking about a vision for Pacifica, the ocean is a big part of the reason we are all here. She referenced our meetings and stated we have a bell curve of people in terms of the spectrum. If we are going to move a vision forward, we have to bring everybody together and need the voices in the middle. She agreed with actively engaging partner agencies, non-profits, and groups in town. It does not have to be a consultant.
Councilmember Bier asked if we need an ad hoc and she agreed with several members who agreed that we do. She stated that we need people who can put time into this.
Mayor Boles thinks it is helpful. She and Councilmember Beckmeyer have already been meeting and talking about this, trying to talk to other cities and non-profits to see what is working or not working in other cities.
Asst. City Attorney Bazzano stated that it sounds like there is a majority consensus that wants an ad hoc committee and she suggested that the next step Council can take is to establish that ad hoc committee and give them direction, either do some work and come back to Council or do some work and work with staff on comparing the RFP. If Council takes that step in establishing the ad hoc, they can focus on what the direction to the ad hoc committee is.
Vice Mayor Wright was concerned that, over time, the ad hoc committee may be tasked with more than they may have time to do and he wonders if it is possible for them to limit the scope of the ad hoc committee to something achievable and address additional needs in the future.
City Manager Woodhouse added that ad hocs need to be limited in scope and duration, typically a year. These three tasks could be a year, as task No. 3 [Provide input into the selected consultant’s first task of developing the community engagement plan] is the first implementation task once you have a consultant team on board to begin developing the community engagement plan. He stated that, in future years of this whole process, there could be a different ad hoc committee related to different subtasks or pieces to the development of the Shoreline Adaptation Plan.
Mayor Boles thought we are hearing that No. 3 might be too soon as we need to have some engagement listening sessions.
Councilmember Bier thinks No. 1 [Provide input, ensuring alignment with Council priorities, on the community engagement guiding parameters to be included in the RFP] is going to take a long time and she does not see No. 3 coming around for a while. Given all the input provided at this time, there is going to be a lot of work going into No. 1.
Mayor Boles asked if Council would like the RFP to come back to Council to confirm the tasks, etc., before we go to No. 2 [Participate with staff in the interview process with the top proposal consultant teams] to send it out and start the interview process.
Councilmember Bier agreed.
Mayor Boles stated that this is such important work that will lay the foundation for work years to come and we need to do it well.
Councilmember Beckmeyer agreed, stating it sounds like a process of ad hoc meetings with staff and bring report back to Council as they get closer to defining what the parameters are as City Council Regular Meeting 14 January 26, 2026
mentioned in No. 1. She was asking before about whether they have pre-meetings or prediscussions with potential bidders or responders.
Community Development Director Updegrave stated we typically post an RFP and then have a period for questions and respond to questions. There is an opportunity to engage.
Councilmember Beckmeyer asked how the concept of listening sessions plays into the RFP.
Mayor Boles thought we will need a consultant to help with the listening sessions, at a minimum to moderate.
City Manager Woodhouse thought the listening sessions fall into No. 3. The consultant comes, interviews stakeholders throughout the community about what type of engagement works for them, schedules listening sessions that the whole Council is listening to community, etc. He stated that is the kickoff to this long process in order to arrive at what the community engagement plan is going to be. It is Council’s prerogative to insert other earlier steps in RFPs but this whole process is becoming very long and expensive. One of the values that has to be balanced throughout the whole process is the effectiveness of resources and efficiency and how do we achieve all that effectiveness in a reasonable way to move the ball forward. He stated that these issues are so urgent to Pacifica that we do not want to take ten years to develop and have a Shoreline Adaptation Plan approved but do it sooner and be ahead of the curve and be one of the first ones in line for grant funding for actual projects that are going to be implemented.
Mayor Boles stated that most of cities she and Councilmember Beckmeyer talked to so far, given they are larger cities, have a dedicated staff person, like a coastal zone administrator, who works with Planning and Public Works, as it is all integrated. She stated that the coastal zone administrator is the one who does all the public outreach and that is one option that we assign a staff person. She knows we cannot hire someone long-term, but perhaps in the shortterm. There are resources that we can bring in and help us do this work. We need to do it right.
She stated that we heard there is not trust in the community based on what we have done in the past and we need to go slow at the start to build that trust and educate to make sure we are doing it right. If we are going to get projects approved, we want community support and we may have to ask for community funding. The more we can get the community on board and prioritizing strategies and options and specific projects, the more that will help us in the long run.
Vice Mayor Wright stated that is where the ad hoc committee can come in balancing that need.
Councilmember Bier moved to appoint an ad hoc subcommittee consisting of Beckmeyer and Boles with the direction to provide input, ensuring alignment of Council priorities on the community engagement guiding parameters to be included in the RFP; seconded by Vice Mayor Wright.
Vice Mayor Wright wanted the community to be aware of how much time that Mayor Boles and Councilmember Beckmeyer volunteered to give to the community. He expressed his appreciation for their willingness to take on this herculean task.
City Council Regular Meeting 15 January 26, 2026
RESULT: ADOPTED AS AMENDED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Mary Bier, Councilmember
SECONDER: Greg Wright, Vice Mayor
AYES: Boles, Wright, Beckmeyer, Bier, Espinosa
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
Councilmember Bier mentioned funding available through CCAG, OBAG 4 and the TBA Article
3. She stated OSPAC is looking for direction from Council as to what Council wants them to do.
She stated we need to keep talking about that and figure out a way to give direction with and to our committees and commissions once a year or so. She thanked the Fog Fest Organizing Group for changing their meeting to the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. so she can attend. She attended their full day retreat online and was listening from her retreat. She thanked Cherie Chan for coming out to the C/CAG Bike and Pedestrian Advisory group meeting. She referred to Lynn Adams’ retirement and stated it was so fun.
Vice Mayor Wright stated they had a transition with LAFCO with some new appointed people and, as the newest commissioner, he got re-elected to the Budget Committee. He enjoyed being at C/CAG Bike and Pedestrian Advisory group meeting with Councilmember Bier and thanked the public for being there.
Councilmember Beckmeyer met with the Resource Management Climate Projection Committee last Wednesday and there was a robust presentation about EV adoption over almost five years.
She stated that it always comes back to access to charging infrastructure. She stated there is a webinar on food impact to climate goals on February 3 by Sustainable San Mateo County and they have upcoming climate awards on March 25. The Library Advisory Committee met and are taking a step back in a new tax. There is an organization called Every Library and Cindy Abbott brought forward a book written by one of their founders which talked about the actual information process that needs to go out and be very much imbued to the community prior to a ballot measure. The committee will study parts of this book over time.
Mayor Boles stated she was at the CalCities Mayors and Councilmembers conference last week and the Environmental Quality Policy first meeting on Friday and a lot of the presentations focused on municipal finance. She found out about a new fund called the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that has money for EV charging and climate infrastructure and CalCities is pushing for this money to be used for unfunded state mandates, such as fleet electrification and EV charging, etc. The governor is projecting a sizeable deficit so we have to be mindful of cuts that might be coming. The Strong Towns event was on Saturday and she thanked Pete Shoemaker for bringing this together and for City staff for attending. She stated that she and Councilmember Beckmeyer talked to Oceanside and shared their experience with community engagement and outreach. They partnered with Resilient Cities Catalyst, an international nonprofit that is trying to help communities struggling with coastal adaptation all over the world.
Right now, they have decided to focus a lot of their energies on California because we seem to be a state wanting to solve the problem and legislators at the state level and in communities are trying to move things forward. Their advice to Oceanside was to start over and open up to whatever creative ideas might come and they ended up, for this one area, recommending a design competition and got all these creative ideas from international firms and, on their committees, to pick the project moving forward and they intentionally put people who were opposed to the project before on these committees and learn about the project, about the choices, and help make those decisions, thus empowering the decision makers and trying to City Council Regular Meeting 16 January 26, 2026
bring consensus around it. They pick five communities in California to work with now, Oceanside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Fort Bragg and Alameda. She stated that the more we can learn from other cities, as we are all having the same struggles, the more it can help. She added that tomorrow there is a vigil in front of the San Francisco VA Medical Center on Clemente and 42nd Street in memory of Alex Pretti, the VA nurse that was killed by ICE over the weekend in Minneapolis.
ADJOURN
Mayor Boles adjourned the meeting at 9:37 pm in memory of Robert Caughlan who passed away last weekend. He was an incredible environmental activist with deep understanding and skill and political advocacy stemming from decades of experience at the highest levels of government in non-profit leadership.
Transcribed by Barbara Medina, Public Meeting Stenographer.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sarah Coffey, City Clerk
APPROVED: 5 - 0; 3/9/2026
__________________________
Christine Boles, Mayor