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CC DM 20230404 A - 20230321 CC MINS DRAFTDRAFT MINUTES RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MARCH 21, 2023 CALL TO ORDER: A Regular Meeting of the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council was called to order by Mayor Ferraro at 6:01 P.M. at Fred Hesse Community Park, McTaggart Hall, 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard. This meeting took place remotely in accordance with the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act, Section 54950 et seq. of the Government Code. Remote participation by any Councilmember shall be in accordance with Subdivisions (b)(3) or (f) of Government Code Section 54953. Members of the public could observe and participate using the Zoom participation feature, and with options called out in the public participation form provided under a separate cover with the agenda. Notice having been given with affidavit thereto on file. City Council roll call was answered as follows: PRESENT: Alegria, Bradley, Cruikshank, and Mayor Ferraro ABSENT: Seo (Excused) Also present were Ara Mihranian, City Manager; Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager; Octavio Silva, Interim Director of Community Development; William Wynder, City Attorney; Glen Tucker, Partner, Aleshire and Wynder; and Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR CLOSED SESSION: None. CLOSED SESSION ITEM(S) ANNOUNCED: City Attorney Wynder announced the item to be discussed in Closed Session. 1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION A closed session will be held, pursuant to Government Code § 54956.9(d)(4), because the City is considering whether to initiate litigation in one (1) case. At 6:02 P.M., the Council recessed to Closed Session. RECONVENE TO REGULAR MEETING: At 7:06 P.M. the Closed Session was reconvened to the Regular meeting. DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 2 of 13 REGULAR MEETING – OPEN SESSION CALL TO ORDER: A Regular meeting of the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council was called to order by Mayor Ferraro at 7:06 P.M. at Fred Hesse Community Park, McTaggart Hall, 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard, notice having been given with affidavit thereto on file. ROLL CALL: City Council roll call was answered as follows: PRESENT: Alegria, Bradley, Cruikshank, and Mayor Ferraro ABSENT: Seo (Excused) Also present were Ara Mihranian, City Manager; Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager; William Wynder, City Attorney; Trang Nguyen, Director of Finance; Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director; Octavio Silva, Interim Director of Community Development; Jesse Villalpando, Senior Administrative Analyst; and Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk. Also present was Acting Captain/Lieutenant Michael White from the Lomita Sheriff’s Station. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by City Attorney Wynder. CLOSED SESSION REPORT: City Attorney Wynder reported that the City Council met in Closed Session to consider whether to initiate litigation in one (1) case. The City Attorney provided a privileged and confidential briefing on the facts and circumstances which warrant the initiation of litigation. The City Council unanimously authorized the initiation of litigation with the Mayor abstaining from the same. MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mayor Ferraro shared that Whale of a Day will take place on April 15 from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at Point Vicente Interpretive Center. Mayor Ferraro recognized Pedro Pet Pals with a certificate for its extraordinary efforts improving the lives of homeless animals. On behalf of Pedro Pet Pals, President Theresa Sardisco presented Mayor Ferraro with a plaque thanking the City for its assistance with the organization’s events. DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 3 of 13 RECYCLE AND EMERGENCY PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS KIT DRAWING: Mayor Ferraro announced the Recycle Winners for the March 7, 2023 City Council meeting: Audra Deveikis, and Bud and Sharon Guthrie. She indicated that all winners receive a check for $250 and urged everyone to participate in the City’s Recycling Program. She noted that in addition to winning the Recycler Drawing, the two individuals also won a personal emergency preparedness kit from the City valued at $40. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Councilmember Alegria moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Cruikshank, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion passed on the following roll call vote: AYES: Alegria, Bradley, Cruikshank, and Mayor Ferraro NOES: None ABSENT: Seo (Excused) PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS: City Clerk Takaoka reported that late correspondence was distributed and there was one request to speak. The following member of the public addressed the City Council: Monique Sugimoto (Palos Verdes Library District). CITY MANAGER REPORT: City Manager Mihranian provided updates on the following: March is Women’s History Month and recognized the women of RPV staff for their contributions in the City; Ladera Linda Community Park construction updates; EDCO Spring Brush Clearing event each consecutive Saturday from April 8 – May 6; EDCO Drive-Thru Shredding event on Saturday, April 1 from 8:00-11:00 A.M. at the Ken Dyda Civic Center; Open Gym on Sundays from 10:00 A.M. – Noon, and Wednesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. at Miraleste Intermediate School; and, wished all who celebrate, a Happy Nowruz and a Happy Ramadan. Acting Captain/Lieutenant Michael White shared a quarterly report presentation providing an update on crime rates in the City. CONSENT CALENDAR: City Clerk Takaoka reported that late correspondence was distributed on Item D and there were three requests to speak on Item J. DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 4 of 13 Councilmember Alegria moved, seconded by Councilmember Cruikshank, to approve the Consent Calendar with Item J to be considered immediately after the Consent Calendar. The motion passed on the following roll call vote: AYES: Alegria, Bradley, Cruikshank, and Mayor Ferraro NOES: None ABSENT: Seo (Excused) This included, by a four/fifths vote, the need to continue the emergency repair work as called out in Consent Calendar Item E - Consideration and possible action to reaffirm continuing emergency repair work for the storm sewer drainpipe and roadway at Hawthorne Boulevard near Seamount Drive/Eddinghill Drive. A. Approval of Minutes (Zweizig) Approved the Minutes of March 7, 2023 Special and Regular Meeting. B. Registers of Demands (Mata) 1) Adopted Resolution No. 2023-10, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS AND SPECIFYING FUNDS FROM WHICH THE SAME ARE TO BE PAID. C. Consideration and possible action regarding a claim against the City by Briana Umbrell. (Momoli) Rejected the claim and directed Staff to notify the claimant, Briana Umbrell. D. Consideration and possible action to terminate the City’s proclamation of a local emergency related to COVID-19. (Momoli) 1) Adopted Resolution 2023-11, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, PROCLAIMING THE TERMINATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 AND THEREBY RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 2020-11. E. Consideration and possible action to reaffirm continuing emergency repair work for the storm sewer drainpipe and roadway at Hawthorne Boulevard near Seamount Drive/Eddinghill Drive. (Dragoo) 1) Reaffirmed, by a four-fifths vote, there is a need to continue the emergency repair work identified by Council-adopted Resolution No. 2023-07 on February 21, 2023, finding an emergency exists requiring immediate repairs to the storm sewer drainpipe and roadway at Hawthorne Boulevard near Seamount Drive/Eddinghill DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 5 of 13 Drive; and 2) Directed the City Clerk to affirm the same in the minutes of this City Council meeting, via Minute Order, reflecting this action. F. Consideration and possible action to approve a contract amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with KOA Corporation for traffic calming services. (Awwad) 1) Approved Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with KOA Corporation for traffic engineering services thereby increasing the total contract sum from $89,636 to $103,536 and extending the agreement from June 30, 2023 to December 31, 2023; 2) Authorized a contingency of 15% or $15,530 for the agreement; and 3) Authorized the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the amendment in a form approved by the City Attorney. G. Consideration and possible action to award a professional services agreement to Raptor Events, LLC. to perform peafowl management services. (Whitten) 1) Approved a professional services agreement with Raptor Events, LLC. for peafowl management services, when deemed warranted, for a two -year term with an optional one-year extension, for a total contract sum of $86,000 for two years, not to exceed $43,000 annually; and 2) Authorized the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the professional services agreement in a form approved by the City Attorney. H. Consideration and possible action to submit the 2022 Annual General Plan Update Report on the implementation of the Rancho Palos Verdes General Plan to the appropriate state agencies. (Giang) 1) Authorized Staff to forward the City’s Annual General Plan Progress Report on the status of the implementation of the Rancho Palos Verdes General Plan during the 2022 calendar year to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). I. Consideration and possible action to forward the 2022 Housing Element Annual Progress Report to the appropriate state agencies. (Giang) 1) Authorized Staff to forward the City’s Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Rancho Palos Verdes Housing Element during the 2022 calendar year to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). J. Consideration and possible action to send a letter to state officials regarding the City’s involvement in Cal Fire's Updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps. (Villalpando) This item was removed for separate consideration immediately after the adoption of the consent calendar. DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 6 of 13 K. Consideration and possible action to authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department deployments and rotations. (Bañales) 1) Authorized the Mayor to sign a letter to Supervisor Hahn opposing Recommendation No. 1 under the Re-deployments and Rotations section of the February 2023 Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission report regarding deputy gangs and deputy cliques in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM(S) PULLED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: J. Consideration and possible action to send a letter to state officials regarding the City’s involvement in Cal Fire's Updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps. (Villalpando) City Clerk Takaoka noted that there were three requests to speak. The following members of the public addressed the City Council: Jeanne Lacombe; Peter Lacombe; and Richard Wagoner. Councilmember Alegria moved, seconded by Councilmember Cruikshank, to approve staff recommendation as follows: 1) Authorized the Mayor to sign a letter to the State Fire Marshal regarding the City’s involvement in Cal Fire's Updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for Rancho Palos Verdes. Council Members asked questions of Staff. Deputy City Manager Bañales introduced Senior Administrative Analyst Jesse Villalpando, who provided clarity in the discussion. Councilmember Cruikshank proposed a friendly amendment to add language to the letter to State officials that include Council comments and resident feedback heard during the meeting which included the following: information contrasting like cities; financial burden to residents; the effect of removing trees; each lot needing to be judged with a written criteria rather than everyone being lumped into a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (one size fits all approach); and, that the Los Angeles County Fire Department doing the assessments of the properties be empowered to use criteria to remove the suggested high fire zone designation from properties, if appropriate. The friendly amendment was accepted by the maker of the motion. The motion passed on the following roll call vote: AYES: Alegria, Bradley, Cruikshank, and Mayor Ferraro NOES: None ABSENT: Seo (Excused) DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 7 of 13 PUBLIC HEARINGS: 1. Consideration and possible action to receive public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project (Awwad) City Clerk Takaoka reported that the notice of the public hearing was duly published, no written protests were received, late correspondence was distributed, and there were nine requests to speak and two voicemails. City Manager Mihranian provided a brief introduction of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project. Director of Public Works Awwad introduced the following Staff and consultants that contributed to the project and were available for questions: Sam Hout, Principal, Hout Construction Services; Jaymie Fairfield, Director of Marketing and Project Administration, Hout Construction Services; Neven Matasovic, Principal, Geologic Associates; Deborah Pracilio, Principal, LSA; Steve Letterly, Senior Environmental Planner, LSA; Bo Gould, Senior Environmental Planner, LSA; and Dakota Gross, Senior Environmental Planner, LSA. Director of Public Works Awwad presented a staff report and PowerPoint presentation. Council Members asked questions of Staff. While City Council minutes are typically “Action Minutes” the ensuing public comments have been detailed for inclusion in the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report. The following members of the public addressed the City Council: Brent Morgan, resident, President of California Native Plant Society South Coast Chapter, stated that the restoration plan for the vegetation is going to be disturbed in the process of construction of the remediation project and is not executable in its current form. He shared the following reasons: 1) Timeline. The Draft EIR sets a timeline for the front end of the restoration of 60 days after the start of construction. The timing is arbitrary throughout the year. The construction can end in August and that is not a good time to install native plants. May want to wait 60 days and install them after that. There is not enough flexibility on the front end. On the backend of the timeline, if small plants are installed, supplemental irrigation may need to be added, weeding around the plants will be necessary because the weeds will compete against the plants, and it will take 1-3 years to get the plants established and in a state where they can fend for themselves. The timeline for the backend is not mentioned as far as he can tell in the Draft EIR; 2) State of knowledge. The Draft EIR cites one site visit in August, and it lists a lot of the plants found in the site visit and as far as he can tell, they are correct. It missed all the pla nts that are there right now. After a wet March, there will be femoral forbs and flowers, so the site survey as currently implemented, is probably not adequate to get a full state of knowledge of DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 8 of 13 what’s there; 3) Problem with geotextile material. The swales or channels that run down the hill and the retention pond are all lined with an impermeable membrane that is topped with a cell structure that is filled with gravel. And, the soil level is very thin, and if you want to restore native plants into that, they probably won’t live. That’s a problem that seems to be an immutable problem for this project. How are we going to get restoration into the soils and into the retention pond? The fear is we will end up with a weedy 10 acres of retention pond and weedy runways down the hillside that are the soils, and they won’t have the requisite restoration vegetation. Noel Park, resident, stated that he participated in public meetings since 2017 and he provided comments on the scoping process at the meetings and in writing. The most important thing he has tried to contribute is the necessity for the City and its consultants to work in close coordination and cooperation with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy so that when the end of the process comes, everyone can be on the same page and there doesn’t need to be some unhappy outcome in the end. Unfortunately, that has not happened, but it’s not too late. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy has dozens of unanswered questions and comments. If those are submitted in writing and then the consultants respond in writing, his experience with CEQA, which is not inconsiderable , is the communication doesn’t happen and the responses don’t really work. He is asking City Council, City Staff, and consultants to put their arms around the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy and work through all these questions, one by one, and come up with mutually acceptable answers so when the end of the process comes, and the City is faced with certifying the EIR, people like him will say that it is acceptable. The Draft EIR talks about a preconstruction biological survey or botanical survey, and the outline of the project is to be staked out on the ground and delineated with fencing or flagging and at that time, a survey will be made of the plants and animals. And, then at the end of the project, a similar survey will be made so that we can judge the impact on the environment on the ground. When the surveys are made, please have the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy representatives go with the City’s representatives and do a joint survey and inventory so everyone is all on the same page. He stated that he will submit his comments about the technical issues in writing. Chad Dime, resident, stated that he has lived in the City for 25 years. He lives on the Klondike Canyon fault in the Portuguese Bend Club. His family’s and his relationship with the landslide is unique, and sort of a love/hate in a way. Because while he loves what it has done for his community in a way, kind of kept it pristine and for the most part, an underdeveloped community, it is quite beautiful in that way. And it has things like the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. He doesn’t think what exists is because of the landslide. It also poses a direct threat to his property, and that’s what he means when it is love/hate. He has a lot of concerns about the project. From an eco-standpoint, everything that has been mentioned so far from plants and wildlife, and what does it do to the ocean when you’re dumping so many gallons into the sea like that? Also, what happens when we pull, and this is less than an eco-situation but more of a general question, but what happens when we pull all the gallons of water from the ground, are there potential unforeseen things, like damage and sinkholes? This is a concern that he has. Traffic is a major concern in DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 9 of 13 the community of the Portuguese Bend Club. There is already terrible traffic on Palos Verdes Drive South. He believes this will cause more of a drastic situation when it comes to traffic. It is very intrusive and disruptive to the community. The City would need access to private property, that would be his property and some of his neighbor’s properties. Whether it’s the construction itself or the maintenance, it just seems like there is going to be excess traffic and a lot of disruption in the community. A lot of the hydraugers are in direct line of sight of himself and his neighbors, which is concerning and an eyesore and can obstruct the view. His father raised concerns about indemnification and what happens when something goes wrong? Are properties protected in that way? Think about fires too. Right now, it is a wet season but it’s usually pretty dry. He assumes there will be gas and electrical things attached to these units. He finds this to be counterintuitive. He sees things going on like, whether it’s the York property introducing orchards and plants, pumping lots of water onto his land. And what seems to be miles of irrigation around the Abalone Cove site. That’s happening and we’re trying to pump cold water out. He was also shocked to see that there wasn’t a TBD date next to the Portuguese Bend Beach Club. His father is elderly and if it wasn’t for himself, as he gets all the newsletters and emails, his father wouldn’t be aware of all that is happening. He would like the City to advertise this more and give people that aren’t as tech savvy as he, a chance to hear what is going on, because the City might be met with more opposition. Barbara Sattler, resident, stated that she would like to ask the City Council to add an additional alternative to the EIR that would prioritize that work with hydraugers, because that is the project element that would get the water out. The water is already accumulated so extremely in the ground. That's the only thing that will deal with that existing water and to proceed with the filling of the fissures. Along with that she would like to ask that the alternative defer the implementation of the surface drainage until that plan can be significantly revised and until the environmental analysis for the impacts from that plan be improved. Currently, this Draft EIR is significantly flawed because it is highly doubtful whether any native plants could establish themselves in those so-called vegetated swales. Those swells are little pockets of plastic openings with the six-inch depth of gravel and an impermeable bottom. There are very few plants, whether they're native or not, that are going to grow in such constrained conditions, and they would certainly not reach maturity or thrive or get to any kind of sustainable size. They would not have any benefits to pulling up water from the soil or providing any habitat function. The only plants you would get in that environment would be weedy grasses, which would be a detriment to the habitat surrounding. Because of that, you're going to have far more impacts to natural habitat than the EIR is accounting for and the premise that habitat will be restored there is speculation, which CEQA does not allow speculation. In this case, it's so absurd, it's not even speculation, it's ridiculous. Please put in a new alternative in the EIR. You can move ahead much more expediently if you separate this out because it is a program EIR. Defer that to a better plan and go ahead with the hydraugers and the filling efficiency. Al Sattler, resident, expressed his thanks to the Public Works Department for all the work they are doing to keep the residents safe during the storm season. He stated DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 10 of 13 that the Portuguese Bend Landslide needs to be stopped, or at least slowed down as much as possible. He doesn’t think there is any argument about that. However, it looks like the Draft EIR needs a major rewrite for the following reasons: 1) It does not disclose all of the environmental impacts to the p roposed remediation project would cause; and, 2) It fails to include alternatives that could decrease environmental impacts and improve the effectiveness of remedying the landslide. The Final EIR should include an alternative to prioritize hydraugers to remove ground water. The hydraugers should be able to remove water that is in the ground now and could be put in place rather quickly and can start making the area better. The Final EIR also needs to add an alternative to build one or two additional 60-inch pipes under Palos Verdes Drive South. In the hydrology appendix to the Draft EIR, the calculations used are based on having just the existing single pipe under Palos Verdes Drive South. These calculations show that the single pipe would not be able to handle the full flow of water from a short-term 100-year storm. That is used to justify constructing a temporary lake or detention basin to hold the excess water until it can flow through the single pipe. If a second pipe under Palos Verdes Drive South was included in the calculations, it would come within 1% of handling the continuous flow from major storms rather than having water stored in the lake, adding a third pipe under pause for your drive south, would take care of all the projected flow from a 100-year storm, and a chain of one after the other, and give redundancy. And, the Final EIR should also include a comparison between the cumulative water flows this winter, and the modeled 150-year storms. That would be something very interesting to see. Peter Shaw, resident, Infrastructure Management Advisory Committee (IMAC) Member, spoke on behalf of the IMAC and shared that the Committee Members read the document. In general, they were very impressed with the quality of the document in terms of its breadth and depth. They did identify some issues that the IMAC has documented and includes the alternative with hydraugers. Their comments were approved the previous night at the IMAC meeting and were going to Public Works that week. He didn’t plan on going through every one of those individual comments, but they've made a substantial number of comments in key areas. And he thinks they should contribute in helping the development of the EIR. Judy Herman, resident, stated that she is speaking on behalf of the Palos Verdes- South Bay regional group of the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club very much wants to have a successful remediation of the landslides, so they no longer acutely endanger people's homes and the sewer lines around Palos Verdes Drive South, and so it would stop polluting the ocean with silt. However, this Draft EIR does not adequately represent the environmental impacts that would result from the proposed project. The Final EIR should include another alternative that would prioritize the hydraugers and filling the fissures. That could be done first and then see if a more environmentally friendly method of draining the surface area is available. Another alternative would include, as Al Sattler said, one or two additional pipes under Palos Verdes Drive South. She will be submitting written comments at a later time. Craig Cadwallader, resident, Policy Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation South Bay Chapter, Chair of the Safe Clean Water Program South Santa Monica Bay DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 11 of 13 Watershed Area Steering Committee, shared that he lives in the Portuguese Bend western subslide area. He is currently making comments on behalf of himself. He has not had an opportunity to discuss formal comments with his colleagues but will submit comments by the April 14 deadline. He shared that he has reviewed many EIR’s in his 21 years working with the Surfrider Foundation as a volunteer, and he really appreciates the City's work on this project. He knows it is complex and difficult, and he appreciated meeting the previous day on the Draft EIR with the City Manager, Director of Public Works, as well as representatives from Heal The Bay, LA Water Keeper, and others. The Draft EIR does mention fly ash in a rather obscure way, and he appreciates the clarity that it will not be included, and he wishes it was more definitively stated. He is really interested in capturing, cleaning, and reusing runoffs, which is why he is so heavily involved in this Safe Clean Water Program, and from the Surfriders perspective, they're deeply concerned about any kind of discharge into the ocean, whether it's silt, pollutions, etc., and the impacts on the Point Vicente and Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Areas. And, more importantly, he is opposed to constructing any access road to install the hydraugers and he is also opposed to bringing them in by barge because of the damage in anchoring and transporting to the beach. He would support access by a helicopter that was discussed the previous day. He would like to dig a little deeper into the engineered swales and see all the potential impacts and would like to discuss with others. Overall, he supports the project. He would not like to slide off into the ocean, and he is sure others share that approach. He will be submitting formal written comments by April 14. Staff was unable to contact Dennis Jaconi for public comments. The following members of the public addressed the City Council via pre-recorded voicemails: Gina DiPietro stated that she has several questions regarding the Draft EIR: 1) Have engineers looked into the possibility of this project triggering a landslide ? 2) Who is responsible if the project does trigger a landslide ? 3) After our historic rainfall this month, is the landslide area doing anything out of the ordinary? 4) If this project is successful, is the City of Rancho Palos Verdes seeking to use the “stabilized land” for increased residential units to meet the state's ever-growing requirement? 5) Is there a project of similar scope that we can look at? And, 6) From what she has read, this project aims to slow the landslide area, not stop it, and accordingly, the City will still have to spend millions of dollars every year fixing Palos Verdes Drive South, even if the project is successful. Is this correct? Adrienne Mohan, Executive Director of Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, shared her thanks for the opportunity to openly discuss the Draft EIR. She also wanted to thank City Staff and the consultants for their work, and for the time spent with the Conservancy that week to discuss their questions and concerns. The Conservancy is keen to hear the discussion from the public's perspective. Their dialogue with City Staff is ongoing, but she will offer some of the Conservancy’s preliminary points for discussion of the worst-case scenario, which is the objective of an EIR. They have raised significant challenges to restoring habitat in the swales DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 12 of 13 and flow reduction area. They have learned there may be flexibility in the final design to add topsoil in some areas in order to provide for root establishment, but they anticipate significant uncertainty whether coastal sage scrub species will flourish within these areas given the soil erosion caused by moving channelized water, and the ongoing maintenance that would be needed to ensure the r oots of the larger plants won't puncture and undermine the impermeable layer. They have also raised concerns with the installation of Hydrauger A5 located at the western side of Inspiration Point, in Sacred Cove. This area is extremely biologically and geologically sensitive and they can't conceive of how a service road could be built down the bluffs to the cove without significantly impacting the aesthetics and the biological resources. They appreciate that the EIR team is now investigating whether this hydrauger could be installed using a helicopter or a barge to deliver the equipment. But they remain concerned about its overall impact and maintenance requirements. They have also asked questions about technical measurements which they recognize are beyond the scope of a public hearing. But such examples include: How much water is expected to be extracted using the hydraugers?; How much anticipated surface water would be captured by the swales in the flow reduction area?; and, What the reduced rate of land movement is necessary to achieve the project's objectives? They hope to help identify data points that will aid the City Council and making informed decisions about implementing the various elements of this project, and they offer to collaborate with City Staff to identify potential project modifications that may achieve reduced land movement while also avoiding habitat destruction wherever possible. She wants to offer that Cris Sarabia, the Conservancy Conservation Director, is attending this evening in person and is available if the City has any questions of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy regarding its comments. Staff responded to questions asked during public comments. Discussion ensued among Council Members and questions were asked of Staff and Consultants. Councilmember Bradley moved, seconded by Councilmember Alegria, to approve Staff recommendation as follows: 1) Conducted the public hearing and received public comments on the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project Draft Environmental Impact Report. The motion passed on the following roll call vote: AYES: Alegria, Bradley, Cruikshank, and Mayor Ferraro NOES: None ABSENT: Seo (Excused) REGULAR BUSINESS: None DRAFT City Council Regular Minutes March 21, 2023 Page 13 of 13 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None CITY COUNCIL ORAL REPORTS: Each Council Member present reported on his/her attendance at various organization and association meetings. ADJOURNMENT: At 9:42 P.M., Mayor Ferraro adjourned to 6:00 P.M. on April 4, 2023, for a Closed Session meeting followed by a 7:00 P.M. Regular meeting. __________________________ Barbara Ferraro, Mayor Attest: __________________________ Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk