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File#: 26-350 MEETING DATE: 4/21/2026
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Lisa Lane Barnes, City Clerk
PREPARED BY: Lisa Lane Barnes, City Clerk
Subject:
Approve and Adopt Minutes
Statement of Issue:
The City Council/Public Financing Authority regular meeting minutes of April 7, 2026, require review
and approval.
Financial Impact:
None
Recommended Action:
Approve and adopt the City Council/Public Financing Authority regular meeting minutes of April 7,
2026.
Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve and/or request revision(s).
Analysis:
None
Environmental Status:
Non-Applicable
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable -Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. April 7, 2026, CC/PFA regular meeting minutes
City of Huntington Beach Page 1 of 1 Printed on 4/15/2026
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219
From: Pat Goodman
To: McKeon.Casey;supplementalcommColsurfcity-hb.orq;CITY COUNCIL(INCL.CMO STAFF)
Cc: Vigliotta.Mike;Hopkins,Travis
Subject: Please Pull Item#18 Approve and Adopt Minutes,Correct Item#27,Approve#28-26-379
Date: Sunday,April 19,2026 10:22:54 AM
Dear Mayor McKeon and City Council Members,
I am writing to ask you to address three specific items at Tuesday's meeting.
Item #18 - Approve and Adopt Minutes (April 7, 2026)
Please pull Item #18 from the consent calendar and correct the record before
approving the April 7, 2026 minutes. The minutes attribute a statement to
Mayor McKeon that the Wolffhaus contract was not subject to a Request for
Proposals. That statement is incorrect, and the minutes should reflect the
following corrections:
1. "City Charter Section 13" does not exist. This citation must be
deleted or corrected. I could not find such section that governs
professional services procurement.
2. Budget status does not eliminate the RFP requirement. Under
HBMC §3.03.060, competitive proposals from at least three qualified
firms are required regardless of whether funds are available.
3. No specific FY 2025-26 budget line item was identified in any
supporting document or discussion to fund this contract. The public is
entitled to know precisely where this money is budgeted.
Council members are free to speak their minds, but when statements entered
into the public record are factually incorrect, the minutes must reflect the
accurate legal and factual record. I ask that these corrections be annotated
in the April 7 minutes.
Item #27 - Ad Hoc Committee for Branding and Marketing RFP
If the Council moves forward with a branding and marketing contract, I urge
you to revise the proposed structure and make up of the review committee. A
self-appointed ad hoc committee should not be reviewing and selecting
proposals. Instead, please direct the City Manager to:
• Convene a staff-led RFP review committee
• Evaluate all proposals against objective, published criteria
• Present the top three recommendations to the City Council and the
public prior to any contract award
All proposals and staff analysis should be made publicly available before the
award meeting. No council member should serve on the review committee.
Any council member who has a personal or business relationship with a firm
among the top three recommended finalists — or who has publicly expressed
support for a specific vendor— should recuse themselves from the contract
award vote. These steps will go a long way toward restoring public trust.
Item #28 - 26-379
Please vote yes on Item #28. Councilmember Williams' proposal goes to the
heart of the problem exposed by the Wolffhaus contract. Clearly establishing
and communicating the City's procurement procedures will be educational
for the Council, staff, and public alike — and will help prevent this situation
from recurring.
A Final Word on Governance
We often hear that the City should be run like a business. The Wolffhaus
contract is an example of whatgoes wrongwhen that analogyis taken too
P
far.
A private business exists to create value for its owners and can move quickly,
informally, and without public process. A city government exists to serve all
residents equally, and is accountable to the public (voters and taxpayers)
through law, transparency, and democratic elections. The rules governing
how a city spends money and awards contracts are fundamentally different
from those in the private sector — and shortcuts that may be acceptable in
business are often illegal in government.
The Council majority has now had more than three years in office. The public
expects — and the law requires — that its elected officials understand and
follow proper procurement procedures. These rules exist not only to protect
taxpayers, but to protect elected officials themselves from appearances of
favoritism, conflicts of interest, and misuse of public funds.
I would also encourage the Council to adopt cost-benefit analysis by
independent financial professionals as a standard tool when evaluating
revenue-generating projects. Objective data leads to better decisions.
Huntington Beach is a remarkable city— with world-class beaches, excellent
parks and libraries, strong public safety, and neighborhoods people actively
seek out. Residents, visitors, homeowners, and businesses all benefit from
what makes this city exceptional. Governing it with the transparency,
accountability, and rigor it deserves is how we protect that value for
everyone.
Pat Goodman