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Imperial Beach council approves amended municipal services agreement with Port of San Diego
Summary
The council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing an amended municipal services agreement with the Port of San Diego that includes a revised baseline, an annual equipment allocation of up to $200,000 for lifeguard/port equipment and a 3% ongoing increase effective July 1, 2026; staff said the change is retroactive to July 1, 2025.
Mayor Mitchell MacKay and the Imperial Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an amendment to the municipal services agreement (MSA) between the city and the Port of San Diego.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Cortez summarized the amendment as a negotiated, data-driven update to the long-term MSA the city holds with the Port. ‘‘This is an agreement that ... hires the city of Imperial Beach to provide services on their behalf,’’ Cortez said, listing lifeguards, tidal-area maintenance and pass-through law-enforcement costs as elements covered under the contract. Cortez told the council the MSA term runs through June 30, 2030, and that staff had spent two years compiling the information used in negotiations.
City staff described three primary changes in the amendment: a revised baseline for the Port’s reimbursement formula (presented to council as 6.5, with a prior baseline figure referred to in the presentation as 9.4%), an annual equipment allocation of up to $200,000 for lifeguard vehicles or other equipment in Port-owned tidelands, and an ongoing 3% increase that staff said would take effect July 1, 2026. Cortez said the amended baseline is retroactive to July 1, 2025, and that the city’s finance team will work with the Port to seek reimbursement after council approval.
Mayor Pro Tem Fisher emphasized the operational importance of the reimbursement: ‘‘It’s not like it’s grant funding ... It’s absolutely necessary to help the city maintain services,’’ Fisher said, noting the money supports patrols, lifeguards and maintenance in the tidelands. Cortez told the council the MSA accounts for roughly 20% of the city’s overall budget, underscoring the fiscal significance of the agreement.
Councilmembers asked staff whether specific programs — including services for special-needs workers — could be restored or expanded under the amended agreement and whether individual line items would be examined in future baseline resets. Cortez responded that the amendment reflects overall operational costs and that detailed line-item changes could be considered in the next baseline reset (currently scheduled for 2027).
After brief discussion, Councilmember Fisher moved and the motion was seconded; the clerk called the vote and the resolution passed unanimously. City staff will pursue the retroactive reimbursement and implement the contract changes with the Port.
What happens next: staff said the finance team will submit documentation to the Port to recover the retroactive amounts and will return to the council as needed in subsequent baseline reset negotiations.
