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Whittier council approves short‑term rental ordinance, infrastructure contracts and lead‑abatement MOU
Summary
The Whittier City Council on Feb. 24 adopted Ordinance No. 3175 on short‑term rentals and approved a set of consent‑calendar items that included water‑system contracts, a treatment‑expansion engineering agreement, a lead‑abatement MOU with the LACDA, and a $100,000 professional services agreement with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles.
The Whittier City Council approved a suite of consent‑calendar items at its Feb. 24, 2026 meeting, including the adoption of Ordinance No. 3175 regulating short‑term rentals and multiple infrastructure contracts and agreements.
By unanimous vote of those present, the council conducted a second reading and adopted Ordinance No. 3175 (ZCA24‑0003), a zoning code amendment addressing short‑term rental regulations. The ordinance was on the consent calendar and adopted alongside routine items after Mayor Pro Tem Octavio Martinez and council members approved the agenda and motion to accept the consent calendar with certain items pulled for separate consideration.
The council authorized budget and contract actions for water and wastewater infrastructure. It adopted Resolution WUA 2026‑02 to amend the Fiscal Year 2025‑26 budget for the Bronte Drive Water Line Replacement Project, awarded the construction contract to Williams Pipeline Contractors, Inc. in the amount of $1,207,870, and approved $121,000 in contingency funding and a total appropriation of $1,328,870 to complete the project. Separately, the council authorized an engineering services agreement with Jacobs for design and consulting services for a treatment system expansion project, with a fee not to exceed $1,772,906, and adopted Resolution WUA‑2026‑03 to provide supplemental funding.
Council also approved declaring multiple city vehicles surplus and directing staff to sell them at public auction, and accepted a closeout action on the Palm Avenue Improvement Project, authorizing an additional $206,982 to close out the project and directing staff to file a Notice of Completion for work performed by Big Ben Engineering.
On housing and health‑safety matters, Director of Community Development Ben Pongetti answered questions from council members about service area and outreach before the council authorized the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) to provide lead‑abatement services for homes in Whittier. The council also approved a professional services agreement with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles to deliver exterior home repairs for low‑ to moderate‑income homeowners, with total contract expenditures not to exceed $100,000.
Several procedural items were handled by consent: the council waived full readings of resolutions and ordinances, approved Jan. 27, 2026 meeting minutes, denied certain claims against the city, and established an ad hoc committee for board and commission interviews, appointing Mayor Joseph A. Vinatieri and Council Member Mary Ann Pacheco.
There were no public hearings on tonight’s agenda. The council recessed into closed session and, upon reconvening, City Attorney Keith Collins reported there was nothing to report from closed session. Mayor Vinatieri adjourned the meeting at 8:16 p.m.
