Rolling Hills approves $1,500 Bolton retainer as residents press survey, property‑line complaints

Rolling Hills City Council on Oct. 13 approved a professional services retainer for Bolton Engineering not to exceed $1,500 to provide construction support for the ongoing tennis-court Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) grading work.

The vote followed extended public comment from residents who said construction had reached or crossed private property lines and who disputed the accuracy of surveys the contractor and the city used as the basis for the work. “They started to dig on our property,” resident Tom Lee said during public comment, saying fence posts were “staggering” after excavation and that work had occurred without the prerequisites he expected, including site surveys and permits.

The council placed the Bolton retainer on the agenda as an administrative measure so the city can obtain stamped approvals and timely construction responses from the engineer of record. Staff told the council the retainer is intended to let Bolton answer contractor questions about material approvals and grading details; staff said the city manager has spending authority for the contract but brought the action to council as a receiving-file item and asked for direction to proceed. Council approved the item by voice vote.

Why it matters: Residents say excavation has damaged privacy landscaping and fence lines adjacent to the tennis-court site and have questioned whether the original surveys and plan set accurately established the city’s property lines. Multiple speakers described long-running concerns with the survey work used on several projects and urged the city to require re-surveying before grading continues on or adjacent to private property.

What was said and done: In public comment, Tom Lee described bulldozers and excavation reaching “all the way up to the fence post,” and said crews formed for concrete “on our property.” Tom Lieb, another resident, urged the city to hold Bolton accountable if surveys used to locate construction were unreliable and to correct damage to fencing and vegetation. At the council desk, staff clarified that the retainer does not fund a property-line survey; staff said the city is arranging a separate, third‑party property survey and may use a surveyor under contract with the homeowners’ association and later reimburse or cost-share that work.

The council motion approved a retainer for Bolton Engineering to provide limited, on-call construction support tied to existing plans and the ADA grading; the item was not a decision to authorize further grading on private property or to resolve property-line disputes. Staff repeatedly told the council the retainer is tied to the existing plans and to construction questions rather than to resurveying.

What remains unresolved: Residents pressed the council to halt work until property lines are reconfirmed. Staff said they are already coordinating separate survey work and directed that citizen comments be included in the record for the later agenda item that specifically addresses the contractor and related agreements. The transcript and staff comments show the survey question remains an outstanding issue to be handled outside the Bolton retainer action.

Ending: The council-approved $1,500 retainer allows Bolton Engineering to respond to contractor submittals and material approvals while staff pursues a separate survey to resolve property-line claims and review any potential damage claims from affected homeowners.