Council continues budget and CIP public hearing after wide-ranging public input and staff presentation

At its June 10 meeting the Redondo Beach City Council conducted a comprehensive public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and the five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Staff presented highlights of the CIP and the budget position; council and the public then raised a range of priorities before the council continued the hearing for further deliberation.

What staff presented: City Manager Mike Wazanski and Capital Projects Manager Jesse Reyes summarized the proposed CIP: roughly $94 million across a five-year program, with $29.7 million recommended for next-year appropriations and about $64.3 million in projected carryover from previously appropriated projects. Staff noted continuing emphasis on street repairs, park and waterfront projects, regional stormwater capture projects, and several grant-funded transportation projects. Staff called out specific projects on the horizon: residential street rehabilitation phases, Riviera Village multimodal enhancements (a Metro-funded pre-design), the North Redondo Beach bikeway extension, repairs to the pier parking structure, and Fulton Playfield, among others.

Public comments and civic priorities: The hearing drew extensive public testimony. Key themes: - Pickleball courts at Aviation Park: Several residents and organized groups urged the council to allocate additional CIP funding for an eight-court, lit pickleball facility at Aviation Park. Susan Higgins (North Redondo pickleball organizer) asked the council to increase the Aviation Park allocation to about $1.3 million based on comparable projects; multiple players testified that the sport’s local demand justifies dedicated courts. - Prospect Avenue safety and noise: Residents from North Prospect Avenue pressed for traffic calming, noise mitigation and a defensible design for the median (requests included 15-gallon plantings, guardrail and sound-wall options), citing heavy truck traffic, unsafe turns and quality-of-life impacts. - Harbor and waterfront: Residents and stakeholders sought clarity on harbor projects, shoreline resilience planning and the potential for property or land-swap options to improve waterfront parcels (discussion touched on Gold’s Gym site and long-term shoreline resilience planning tied to grant opportunities). - Event and fee issues: Business and civic groups, including the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the North Redondo Beach Business Association, requested fee waivers or budget support for signature community events—most notably the annual Super Bowl 10K—citing rising security and facility costs. Chamber representatives described the event as a major fundraiser and asked for relief from some city fees; staff said they would meet with the chamber to refine cost reductions and identified possible operational steps to reduce future invoices.

Council discussion and staff responses: Councilmembers asked detailed questions about high-cost or high-profile CIP items (e.g., repainting of train bridges, Aviation Park, Franklin Park play equipment, a proposed regional firing-range grant application, and the status of waterfront grants). Staff said: - The city has roughly $1.1 million available to advance planning for a proposed firing-range grant application; design and environmental tasks would be borne locally and might not be fully reimbursed by grant funds. - Repainting train bridges requires lead-paint abatement and traffic-control work; the city’s current capital projects fund has limited dollars available and likely would cover one bridge rather than both. - The Riviera Village multimodal design would be initially grant-funded; staff plans to start conceptual design if the council supports the CIP allocation.

Next steps: Council continued the public hearing to allow additional time for deliberation and for staff to incorporate budget response reports (BRRs) and public input. Staff also said the Budget and Finance Commission will review the proposed budget and provide a recommendation prior to the council’s final adoption meeting.

Votes at a glance: The council continued the public hearing and directed staff to incorporate BRR responses and further detail into the final budget packet for the council’s adoption hearing.