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El Segundo residents press for more outreach as council advances review of proposed charter city measure
Summary
At a June 2 public hearing, dozens of residents urged greater transparency and more time to review a proposed charter. The city attorney said the draft focuses narrowly on preserving local control over land use; councilors directed staff to return with legal, procurement and housing analyses and broader community outreach before deciding whether to place a measure on the ballot.
Dozens of residents urged the El Segundo City Council on June 2 to slow the process and increase public outreach before deciding whether to place a proposed city charter on the ballot.
The hearing followed a staff presentation explaining the two paths to conversion: a full charter commission or a shorter, targeted charter. City Attorney Mr. Hensley told the council the current draft was written to be short and focused primarily on preserving local control over land use and zoning. "The intent was to try to preserve the local control over land use and zoning," he said, adding that the draft was not meant to change the city manager form of government or broadly restructure municipal operations.
Public commenters from across the city urged more time for education, town halls and transparent disclosure of who was involved in drafting the charter. Speakers voiced concerns about process and potential unintended powers in the draft, including questions about taxing authority, procurement and the city's long-term governance framework. Resident Kelly Stewart presented a timeline of council actions and said the rollout had felt opaque; other speakers emphasized that most residents had learned of the proposal only recently.
Several council members said they wanted additional legal and fiscal analysis, including a look at procurement and prevailing wage implications and a review of case law from other cities that have challenged state housing laws. The city attorney offered clarifying language to reaffirm that state laws on elections, finance, public works and other areas would remain applicable; he said he would circulate suggested edits to give residents more certainty.
Council members generally agreed to continue the matter and directed staff to prepare expanded public messaging (recorded explanations, town halls and workshops), an analysis of how charter status has fared in comparable cities, and legal and procurement assessments. The council was advised that, by law, the council cannot act to place a charter on the ballot until 21 days after the second public hearing; if the council moves forward it must meet statutory timing to appear on the November ballot.
The council did not place a measure on the ballot at the June 2 meeting; staff will return with the requested analyses and public-engagement materials.
