[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6374869,"mediaKeyId","2142997-416558727259d0ed831f1095a86955c4","parentId",2142997,"title","Half Moon Bay council advances 555 Kelly ENA, renews Little League agreement and approves sheriff contract; multiple consent items passed","audioSeconds",733,"startMs",10281000,"endMs",11014000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2142997-416558727259d0ed831f1095a86955c4&start=10281&end=11014","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2142997-416558727259d0ed831f1095a86955c4/thumbnail_10281000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6374869/California/Half-Moon-Bay-council-advances-555-Kelly-ENA-renews-Little-League-agreement-and-approves-sheriff-contract-multiple-consent-items-passed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6374869-003c6460ab2aef5d7e50f79d17d8e5ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124223&Signature=kspxSE-0jFxkMpO6nEIZPokPbjUVjWNYUfMfDHCSYudgcnqFqnALjm9YyL2MHsb5oIfqEIQuD7cr8Nb3HiaXI8tPUTzIa7DasmHYv1MufZVUn-FH4mMT1QqXovLv3-h9CFAVOf60rkhv~XPbGW7CEhTuizQ234OPBqHtbwQ-IGkvcrPfduKzMZK2qaA0CVAIX4JbJc0-etu8yhHMK2zRZ8~1Hhq-~jAr3gMN0RM3A168gUsUHfFlsrmSrFhNsKmTjStrP8G-sN3Ea7~Xt24Zp8t5GnGRWXd5nSd~W~iByvGZ56rOd6e6livXM6ghZoWCdHrIswbpHNSp0sIKHOLMRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Half Moon Bay CA","date","2025-01-22T08:03:19Z","article","Half Moon Bay’s City Council made a string of policy and administrative approvals during a nearly five-hour meeting on Jan. 21, advancing plans for affordable housing, confirming local partnerships and adopting the annual amendment to its law-enforcement contract.

Key actions approved by council included:
- A 12-month exclusive negotiations agreement (ENA) with Mercy Housing to complete an affordable housing and property-disposition agreement for a proposed senior/farmworker housing project at 555 Kelly Avenue; the ENA is intended to allow Mercy to demonstrate site control and preserve state funding awards while final lease terms are negotiated.
- A two-year facility-use agreement with Half Moon Bay Little League for Smithfield Park, after council asked staff to gather more cost and usage details and to ensure fields are accessible when not in-season.
- Transfer of Rule 20A PG&E undergrounding credits (about $199,000) to San Mateo County to support the Middlefield Road improvement project.
- Approval of Amendment 17 to the County of San Mateo Sheriff’s Office law-enforcement contract, an annual cost-recovery amendment representing a 5.4% increase in estimated FY2024-25 costs (staff reported an estimated contract amount and said the final accounting is reconciled annually).

Council also approved the final parcel map for 880 Stone Pine Road, several consent-calendar items and multiple appointments to city advisory bodies. The consent calendar itself passed with several items pulled for discussion and later approval.

Why the ENA matters: City staff and Mercy Housing representatives told council the ENA is a short-term negotiating instrument that does not commit the city to a final ground lease but allows Mercy to show “site control” to state funders while the parties finalize the Affordable Housing and Property Disposition Agreement (AHPDA). Mercy has received preliminary state funding commitments and must meet site-control milestones to keep those awards eligible. Housing programs manager Mike Noche said Mercy was awarded “just over $2,700,000” in a state grant, and staff described layered financing and multiple agency approvals as reasons the developer requested a 12-month negotiating period.

Little League and public access: Council approved a two-year renewal for the Half Moon Bay Little League after extended discussion about field use and access. Justin Kern, president of Half Moon Bay Little League, said league fees remain deliberately low and the organization spends tens of thousands annually on field improvements; Kern told council the league “averaged about $41,000” in field work over recent years. Council members directed staff to provide more detailed cost accounting of city-maintained services at Smithfield Park and to work with Little League to clarify when fields are locked for league play and when they are available to other users.

Sheriff contract and public-safety oversight: Staff presented Amendment 17 to the existing law-enforcement contract with the County of San Mateo, describing it as the routine annual cost-recovery amendment required under the contract and Government Code provisions. The amendment covers estimated costs for FY2024-25 and was approved; council members asked staff to compile comparative cost data and to evaluate alternatives for future contracts (including the cost of a local police department) as they plan longer-term public-safety strategy.

Other votes and administrative items: The council approved the final parcel map for 880 Stone Pine Road (Stone Pine Cove), continued a public hearing to Feb. 4 for sale of a portion of the same property, and authorized the city manager to transfer PG&E Rule 20A credits to the county to support the Middlefield Road project. Appointments to the Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission were made from among applicants the council members recommended.

Ending: Council members asked staff to return with additional financial breakdowns for parks maintenance and for the law-enforcement contract; staff also will coordinate with Mercy Housing and other partners to finalize the AHPDA if terms can be negotiated within the ENA timeline. The council scheduled several follow-up items, including a public update on the Smithfield project environmental review and a review of city staffing and weekend coverage.

Votes at a glance
- ENA with Mercy Housing (555 Kelly Avenue): Approved (12-month ENA). Motion approved by roll call (5-0). Purpose: allow Mercy to secure site-control milestones and maintain eligibility for state funding while negotiating the AHPDA and ground-lease terms.
- Facility-use agreement: Half Moon Bay Little League (Smithfield Park): Authorized for two years; city manager directed to execute agreement. Motion approved by roll call (5-0). Council asked for more cost accounting and clarified that fields should be accessible to others when out-of-season.
- Amendment 17, law-enforcement services (County of San Mateo Sheriff): Approved (5.4% estimated increase for FY2024-25). Motion approved by roll call (5-0). Council asked staff to prepare comparative cost analyses and consider future options.
- Transfer of PG&E Rule 20A credits to San Mateo County for Middlefield Road project: Approved by roll call (5-0). Credits: approximately $199,000.
- Final parcel map for 880 Stone Pine Road (Stone Pine Cove): Approved by roll call (5-0).
- Consent calendar items (including Smithfield Park improvements, emergency-services JPA acceptance, professional-services amendments): Approved; individual pulled items discussed and approved separately.

What’s next: Staff will work with Mercy Housing on lease/ground-lease negotiations under the ENA timeline and will return to council with any finalized AHPDA and ground-lease for formal approval. City staff also will provide more detailed cost accounting for park maintenance and for police-contract alternatives in future budget and committee reports.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HMBCC 1/21/25 - Half Moon Bay City Council Meeting - January 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Half Moon Bay City Council on Jan. 21 approved an exclusive negotiations agreement giving Mercy Housing 12 months to finalize a property-disposition and lease agreement for a proposed senior/farmworker housing project at 555 Kelly Avenue, and also authorized a two-year facility-use agreement for Half Moon Bay Little League and an annual amendment to the sheriff’s contract.","taxTitle","Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay City, San Mateo County, California","taxId",59290,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6374874,"Half Moon Bay OKs two-week trial of enclosed fire pits on Poplar Beach with safety conditions",4401,1637000,6038000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2142997-416558727259d0ed831f1095a86955c4&start=1637&end=6038","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2142997-416558727259d0ed831f1095a86955c4/thumbnail_1637000.jpg","/articles/6374874/California/Half-Moon-Bay-OKs-two-week-trial-of-enclosed-fire-pits-on-Poplar-Beach-with-safety-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6374874-485063b7599f82f2b8b52e5e25bed071/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124223&Signature=dGrxLgpkSMdV-GsE-P4PViGl9gJjJsZRSFWarBZZCS~t3~7WcVUtIDOZznxp7h7XZY2aJoMXJne6I9p~e7Jr7mQk3X~yd9fLIzxHdzBNmZR8L3cdP8oSV4CA1ag0wLnFRqdQWV4Z4f8USaCJ6DX57XMshFQ0BYpSgj2iywfppzo4fnzY6~fNX7WW6hviw43vr6AkRmUZQp638EtUfWqL07BFpdaIHqEHmHBTRUMlioS1VneEY6RACmiB38B7heej8H5-lL8o9hVs2BWOLznN6s9dJyJXBYI44A-cRKnoNeFOMKaO12rNE~HbmadhPuJ5yIcgstSBOM3cEU9gfUYCTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Half Moon Bay City Council on Jan. 21 approved a pilot program to place up to four enclosed fire pits on Poplar Beach during a two-week window between Jan. 22 and March 31, 2025, contingent on safety conditions including mesh covers and lids to reduce ember release and an on-site monitoring plan.

Council members voted unanimously to allow the trial after extended public comment and debate about fire risk and public use of the beach. Vice Mayor Redick, who supported the pilot, called the pits “a way to contain the fire” and said they could be a safer alternative to the uncontrolled bonfires that regularly occur on the coast.

The pilot was proposed by Eagle Scout candidate Chloe Standes, who told council that the project has Coastal Commission concurrence for the pilot and is intended to reduce hazards, limit hot-coal incidents and give teenagers a supervised place to gather by a contained fire. “Currently, we have illegal bonfires happening on city beaches, including Poplar Beach, and nothing that we’ve done so far has stopped them,” Standes said during the public forum. She said she and volunteers will collect data during the trial and report back with recommendations for any permanent program.

Safety measures added during the council debate include a requirement that each pit be fitted with mesh and a lid that can be placed over the pit at the close of use to smother embers. Eric DeBode of Abundant Grace’s co-side clean team recommended a chained lid design that would allow crews or volunteers to suffocate fires at night; he said his cleanup crews regularly find hot embers and half-burned wood left after illegal fires.

City staff told council the pilot is being treated as a city program and therefore falls under the city’s insurance and indemnification. Staff also said the pilot did not require a full coastal development permit; however, any permanent installation would. The fire district was consulted and emphasized its general concern about open flames, but staff said the district is not an approval authority for this pilot and that the city is choosing to proceed with conditions meant to reduce risk.

Council discussion displayed a split in approach before the final vote: Council Member Penrose said recent out-of-control fires in Southern California made her unwilling to approve any new open-flame pilot at this time, while Vice Mayor Redick and others supported a tightly controlled trial with lids, mesh, weather gating and volunteer monitoring. The council’s final motion required mesh and lids and directed staff to coordinate monitoring and insurance details.

The pilot permits the temporary placement of up to four fire pits during selected two-week windows between Jan. 22 and March 31, 2025, subject to weather and air-quality restrictions and city coordination. The council adopted the action by roll call; the motion carried (5-0).

City staff said they will work with the sponsor on the monitoring plan and with the insurer on longer-term liability questions if the council later considers a permanent program. The sponsor and volunteers will be responsible for on-site monitoring during scheduled pilot nights, and the city will confirm patrol/closure procedures for the Poplar Beach parking area during the pilot.

Ending: Council members said the pilot is meant to test whether contained pits reduce litter, reduce wildfire risk from abandoned or over-large fires, and provide a safer option than existing illegal bonfires. The sponsor pledged to return with data and recommendations after the trial window.","On Jan. 21 the Half Moon Bay City Council approved a pilot to place up to four enclosed fire pits on Poplar Beach, to run within a weather window between Jan. 22 and March 31, 2025. Council required mesh/lids and on-site monitoring during pilot runs and said the program will fall under the city’s insurance and indemnification.","actionData","errors"]

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Half Moon Bay council advances 555 Kelly ENA, renews Little League agreement and approves sheriff contract; multiple consent items passed

Half Moon Bay OKs two-week trial of enclosed fire pits on Poplar Beach with safety conditions