Huntington Beach could roll back drought restrictions at City Council meeting Monday

Water restrictions in Huntington Beach brought on by the statewide drought may be rolled back.

The City Council on Monday will discuss ending the restrictions following Gov. Jerry Brown’s statement last month that the drought has ended.

Huntington is enforcing Level One restrictions, which require limits on watering lawns and obligations to fix plumbing issues, according to a report submitted by City Manager Fred Wilson.

If the council approves the item, then the city will move back to its general conservation requirements.

Waste management agreement

In other business, the council will consider forming a committee to renegotiate the city’s longstanding waste management contract.

Council members Lyn Semeta and Erik Peterson have proposed that the council consider forming a committee, including them, to negotiate a new waste management agreement with Republic Services, formerly known as Rainbow Environmental Services.

The council members said in a statement that Huntington Beach residents generally pay a higher rate than other customers throughout the county, which they hope to rectify with better terms and pricing.

Semeta and Peterson also hope to amend an “undesirable” evergreen contract with automatic renewals instead of a bidding process.

If the council approves the item, then the committee would work with City Attorney Michael Gates to negotiate the new contract with Republic.

Downtown district improvements

The council will also consider moving forward with efforts to improve parts of downtown.

An item, submitted by Councilman Patrick Brenden and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey, requests for city staff to make a list of needed repairs in an area bounded by First and Sixth streets, Pacific Coast Highway and Pecan Avenue.

The restorations would start within 30 days.

Included in the analysis is the pier, Pierside Pavilion and the beach boardwalk.

Under the proposal, city staff would continue to monitor and provide reports on the improvements to the council.

The statement says downtown is the “figurative gateway” of the city and needs to be held to a higher standard.

Surf City Circle of Honor

The council will also discuss allocating $10,000 to the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum for its “Surfing Circle of Honor” event based on an item submitted by Mayor Barbara Delgeize.

Five hundred surfers will paddle off the shore of Huntington Beach on June 20 to form a record-breaking circle to promote the International Surfing Museum and a bid to be the host city of surfing in the 2024 Summer Games.

Part of the team organizing the “Surfing Circle of Honor.”

(Ben Brazil / Daily Pilot)

The group of surfers is vying for two Guinness Book of World Records, the largest paddle-out and floating logo, which has been deemed the “Surfing Circle of Honor.”

Diana Dehm, the museum’s executive director, has said it’s been embroiled in difficult financial times and the circle of honor will help promote the renowned monument to surfing.

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