Rancho Palos Verdes mayor: landslide emergency continues as city presses federal officials for funds

Mayor Paul Seo said Rancho Palos Verdes remains under a landslide state of emergency that began in October 2023 and that parts of the slope still show “about an inch and a half, two inches” of movement. The mayor told host Liz Brown Swanson the eastern portion of the slide has stabilized with “zero movement,” while the western portion continues to shift, requiring ongoing contractor work and maintenance.

Seo said the city has spent “64 plus million dollars” in the past four years addressing the landslide and that city leaders recently sent a subcommittee to Washington, D.C., to press federal representatives for funding to relieve the city’s expenses. “We were out there talking to our federal representatives and making sure that we can try to get some type of funding from them to alleviate the spending that we've done so far,” he said.

The mayor cited recent national coverage — a New York Times article — as a helpful development that could increase visibility with federal and state officials and support grant conversations. He said the city is pursuing multiple funding sources because local revenues are limited and the city budget is “lean.”

Seo also described steps taken to slow ground movement, including deep dewatering wells, and said his operational goal is to reduce movement “below an inch or less a week” so utilities such as Southern California Edison can restore services that have been curtailed in affected neighborhoods.

The mayor asked residents to consult the city website for the newly released landslide tracking tool, which the city published to provide access to heat maps and movement data. He encouraged continued public patience and noted that deciding when to lift the emergency will depend on achieving long-term stabilization and securing adequate resources.