CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 1
AUGUST 26, 2025
MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
AUGUST 26, 2025
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
MAYOR STEGURA called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Led by Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) Executive Director Adrienne Mohan and Randy Harwood, Executive Vice President of the PVPLC Board of Directors.
3. ROLL CALL
City Council Members Present: Brown Schachter, Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan City Council Members Absent: None
City Staff Present: City Manager Greg Grammer
City Attorney Don Davis
Assistant City Manager Alexa Davis
Administrative Services Director Michael Whitehead
City Clerk Lauren Pettit
Assistant to the City Manager Jessica Slawson
Senior Accountant Fernando Estrada
4. CEREMONIAL ITEMS
A. PROCLAMATION: DECLARING SEPTEMBER 2025 "NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH"
MAYOR STEGURA declared September 2025 as “National Preparedness Month.”
5. CONSENT CALENDAR
The following routine matters will be acted upon by one vote to approve with the majority consent of the City Council. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless good cause is shown by a member prior to the roll call vote. (Items removed will be considered under New Business.) COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ requested to abstain from voting on Consent Calendar items 5F, having not been present at that meeting.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER SCHACHTER, TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 5A-I AS FOLLOWS BY THE FOLLOWING ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES: Brown Schachter, Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: Schmitz (5F)
A. READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
APPROVED.
B. DEMANDS AND WARRANTS OF AUGUST 2025
APPROVED WARRANTS 68669 THROUGH 68852 IN THE AMOUNT OF
$1,064,460.87 AND SUPPLEMENTAL WARRANTS 070725 THROUGH
070825; 080125 THROUGH 080325; IN THE AMOUNT OF $242,713.49; FOR A GRAND TOTAL AMOUNT OF $1,307,174.36 WITH PROPER AUDIT.
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C. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE REPORT OF JULY 2025
RECEIVED AND FILED.
D. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS REPORT OF JULY 2025
RECEIVED AND FILED.
E. BUDGET AMENDMENTS FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025
APPROVED THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025.
F. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF JULY 22, 2025
REVIEWED AND APPROVED.
G. EQUESTRIAN COMMITTEE MINUTES OF JULY 28, 2025
RECEIVED AND FILED.
H. PALOS VERDES PENINSULA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND REGIONAL CONTRACT LAW COMMITTEE MINUTES OF MAY 8, 2025
RECEIVED AND FILED.
I. 2025 BIANNUAL CODE COMPLIANCE REPORT, JANUARY 1, 2025 TO AUGUST 1, 2025
RECEIVED AND FILED.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT/PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
A. WASTE MANAGEMENT "RECYCLING HERO" DRAWING FOR ONE YEAR OF FREE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL REFUSE SERVICE – 3RD QUARTER 2025 RESIDENTIAL WINNER: 3 Silver Spring Drive
COMMERCIAL WINNER: CVS, Silver Spur Road
Public comment was also received from Torrance resident Alan Fradkin, regarding concerns about pickleball court reservations and court maintenance.
7. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. PLANNING APPLICATION NO. 250169
AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF CHAPTER 17.56 OF THE CITY OF
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO ACCESSORY
DWELLING UNITS
LOCATION: CITYWIDE
Recommendation: That the City Council 1) Open the continued public hearing and take public testimony; 2) Discuss Ordinance No. 752; 3) Close the public hearing; and 4) Conduct the second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 752.
City Attorney Davis provided a staff report (as per the agenda material).
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by MAYOR PRO TEM ZERUNYAN, to open the public hearing.
MAYOR PRO TEM ZERUNYAN moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ, to close the public hearing.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF, TO APPROVE AS FOLLOWS BY THE FOLLOWING ROLL CALL VOTE:
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AUGUST 26, 2025
CONDUCT SECOND READING AND ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 752.
AYES: Brown Schachter, Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan ABSENT: None
City Clerk Pettit read Ordinance No. 752 by title.
8. NEW BUSINESS
A. PARK AND ACTIVITIES COMMISSION ACTION ITEM: NATURE CENTER
SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA LAND
CONSERVANCY
Recommendation: That the City Council approve the attached Interim Agreement for Nature Center Services with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
Assistant City Manager Davis provided a staff report (as per the agenda material).
Assistant City Manager Davis explained that maintenance is performed in combination with City staff, PVPLC staff and volunteers, in response to COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF.
Public comment was invited in-person in the Council Chamber, via email and via eComment.
No public testimony was received.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF, TO APPROVE AS FOLLOWS BY THE FOLLOWING ROLL CALL VOTE:
APPROVE THE INTERIM AGREEMENT FOR NATURE CENTER SERVICES WITH THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA LAND CONSERVANCY.
AYES: Brown Schachter, Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan ABSENT: None
9. OLD BUSINESS
A. GEORGE F CANYON NATURE CENTER PROJECT UPDATE
Recommendation: That the City Council direct staff to proceed with soliciting bids for Phase One of the Nature Center Project (main building construct, excluding the walkway and outdoor classroom) and authorize staff to pursue financing options to close the remaining funding gap.
Assistant City Manager Davis provided a staff report (as per the agenda material), including an outline of the project timeline, overview of the project, estimated costs, funds allocated/identified and the funding gap.
Senior Accountant Estrada then introduced consultant Mark Young from KNN Public Finance, who provided a presentation outlining Nature Center Financing Options.
Discussion ensued about consideration of the three proposed finance options: 1) Pay-Go utilizing reserve funds; 2) Lease financing via a direct placement with a commercial bank; and 3) Hybrid Approach: Reimbursement Resolution to utilize both pay-go and debt financing.
Assistant City Manager Davis provided an update on small donor efforts, in response to COUNCIL MEMBER SCHACHTER.
MAYOR PRO TEM ZERUNYAN confirmed that the total funds allocated of $5M includes professional services that have already been spent. He also confirmed that the “debt” in the hybrid approach is an optional, and the money does not have to be borrowed if it’s not needed.
Lastly, he confirmed that the estimated $1.1M of reserve funds would be the last money spent.
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Assistant City Manager Davis explained what “forward progress” looks like regarding the grant Senator Allen helped the City receive, in response to MAYOR STEGURA.
City Manager Grammer noted that the estimate includes a $500,000 contingency for unforeseen project expenses and believes there will be grant fund opportunities available for the second phase of the project as well, which staff plans to pursue.
Public comment was invited in-person in the Council Chamber, via email and via eComment.
No public testimony was received.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER
SCHACHTER, TO APPROVE AS FOLLOWS BY THE FOLLOWING ROLL CALL VOTE:
DIRECT STAFF TO PROCEED WITH SOLICITING BIDS FOR PHASE ONE
OF THE NATURE CENTER PROJECT (MAIN BUILDING CONSTRUCT,
EXCLUDING THE WALKWAY AND OUTDOOR CLASSROOM).
AYES: Brown Schachter, Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan ABSENT: None
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER
SCHACHTER, TO APPROVE AS FOLLOWS BY THE FOLLOWING ROLL CALL VOTE:
DIRECT STAFF TO PURSUE THE HYBRID FINANCING APPROACH USING PAY-GO FUNDING AND DEBT FINANCING OPTIONS.
AYES: Brown Schachter, Huff, Schmitz, Stegura, Zerunyan ABSENT: None
10. CITY ATTORNEY ITEMS
None.
11. CITY COUNCIL/REGIONAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF attended a meeting with the City of Hawthorne & Mexico Counsel General last week, and thanked Council and staff for attending her installation ceremony as President for the Los Angeles Division of Cal Cities on August 7.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHACHTER attended the Cal Water Emergency Operations workshop this month.
MAYOR PRO TEM ZERUNYAN will be attending the California Contract Cities Association’s Fall Educational Seminar in September. He also yielded his position on the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Community, Economic, & Human Development (CEHD) Committee, and was then asked to be a Presidential Appointee to the Committee.
MAYOR STEGURA attended the quarterly meetings for the Peninsula Public Safety Committee and Regional Contract Law Committee in August.
12. MAYOR AND COUNCIL ITEMS
A. LETTER OF SUPPORT TO EXPAND EXECUTIVE ORDER N-32-25 TO INCLUDE THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA IN SUSPENDING SB 9 APPLICATIONS WITHIN
VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
Recommendation: That the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the Letter of Support to expand Executive Order N-32-25 to include the Palos Verdes Peninsula region in suspending SB 9 applications within Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
City Manager Grammer provided a staff report (as per the agenda material).
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AUGUST 26, 2025
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHMITZ moved, seconded by COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF, TO APPROVE AS FOLLOWS:
AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE LETTER OF SUPPORT TO
EXPAND EXECUTIVE ORDER N-32-25 TO INCLUDE THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA REGION IN SUSPENDING SB 9 APPLICATIONS WITHIN VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES.
MAYOR STEGURA so ordered.
B. DESIGNATION OF VOTING DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES FOR CAL CITIES
ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPO
DELEGATE: COUNCIL MEMBER BRITT HUFF
ALTERNATE: MAYOR STEGURA
13. CLOSED SESSION
A. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Government Code Section 54957
Title: City Manager (Annual Evaluation)
NO REPORTABLE ACTION.
14. ADJOURNMENT
At 7:42 p.m. MAYOR STEGURA adjourned the meeting in memory former City employee Ellen Shinkai.
Submitted by, Approved by,
Lauren Pettit, City Clerk Debby Stegura, Mayor