CC SR 20250902 F - Landslide Emergency Contract Continuation
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 09/02/2025
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration to continue the emergency justification for work and emergency contracting
for the Greater Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide Emergency Project.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Reconfirm, by a four-fifths vote, there is a need to continue the work on the
Landslide Emergency Project declared by Council-adopted Resolution No. 2024-
20 on May 7, 2024, finding an emergency exists requiring immediate action in the
Greater Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex (Landslide
Complex) to seek to mitigate the movement of the landslide; and
(2) Direct the City Clerk to confirm the same in the minutes of this City Council
meeting, via Minute Order, reflecting this action.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Portuguese Bend Landslide Budget
The Portuguese Bend Landslide emergency response is projected to reach approximately
$48 million from the period beginning in October 2022 through the fiscal year (FY) ending
June 30, 2025, including purchase order carryovers and continuing appropriations from
FY 2023-24. This amount is funded through various sources, including the General Fund,
CIP Fund, ARPA, Supervisor Hahn’s Social Program Grant, and Metro Funds.
Additionally, for FY 2025-26, the City Council adopted the following budget of
$17,750,000 in the Capital Improvement Program for the Portuguese Bend Landslide and
$860,300 for property tax assessments in the General Fund:
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FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget:
Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) Fund:
Funding Source: Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) Fund FY 2025-26
Adopted Budget
8202 - Abalone Cove Sanitary Sewer Repair Program 3,000,000
8304 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation 700,000
8307 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation - Emergency
Stabilization Measures 8,050,000
Construction 5,750,000
Professional Services (Engineering, Environmental, Inspection, Management 1,725,000
Contingency 575,000
8308 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation - Deep Dewatering Wells
1 thru 6 Permanent Power (City's Federal Grant Match) 525,000
8309 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Hydrology & Hydraulics Study 1,400,000
TOTAL - FY 2025-26 (CIP FUND) $13,675,000
Special Revenue (Restricted) Funds:
Funding Sources: Special Revenue (Restricted) Funds FY 2025-26
Adopted Budget
8302 - Palos Verdes Drive South Landslide Repair Program 2,500,000
Gas Tax (Fund 202) 750,000
Prop C (Fund 215) 1,150,000
Measure R (Fund 220) 600,000
8308 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation - Deep Dewatering
Wells 1 thru 6 Permanent Power Project 1,575,000
Federal Grant 1,575,000
TOTAL - FY 2025-26 SPECIAL REVENUE (RESTRICTED) FUNDS $4,075,000
General Fund:
Funding Source:
General Fund
FY 2025-26
Adopted
Budget
Expenditures
($)
Encumbered
($)
YTD Spent &
Encumbered
(%)
Balance
3150 Property Tax Assessments
KCLAD 475,902 475,902 0 100% $0
ACLAD 384,398 384,398 0 100% $0
TOTAL - FY 2025-26 $860,300 $860,300 $0 100% $0
Since the majority of expenditures occurred in FY 2024-25, the following summarizes the
approved appropriations and expenditures for that fiscal year:
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For FY 2024-25, the City Council appropriated $36.8 million (including Purchase Order
carryovers and continuing appropriation from FY 2023-24) for emergency work outside
the normal bidding process due to the emergency declaration as follows:
• $23.9 million for emergency response, boreholes and deep dewatering wells
(DDW), including $9.6 million approved on May 7, 2024 (unspent balance from
Hydraugers Project by June 30, 2024 was carried over in FY 2024-25) and $6.1
million on October 1, 2024.
• $4 million for emergency stabilization measures for additional DDWs approved on
October 1, 2024.
• $4 million for winterization approved on October 1, 2024.
• $1.1 million for operations and maintenance of DDWs between January and March
31, 2025, approved on December 17, 2024.
• Approximately $3.9 million of the following CIP projects are deferred to FY 2025 -
26 as approved on January 21, 2025:
o $0.6 million for Crenshaw Blvd. Rehab;
o $0.6 million for Park Playground Improvements;
o $0.55 million for the Sidewalk Management program;
o $1.7 million for Western Avenue Beautification; and,
o $0.5 million for Altamira Canyon Drainage
• $2 million for operations and maintenance of DDWs (approximately $1.5 million
from April 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025) and approximately $0.5 million for
additional fissure filling approved on January 21, 2025.
• $710,000 from the CIP Fund approved on March 18, 2025 for repairs to the
Abalone Cove Sanitary Sewer System by:
o Reallocating $400,000 from the Measure R Fund to the CIP Fund for
landslide emergency road repairs,
o Reallocating $200,000 from the Gas Tax Fund to the CIP Fund for landslide
emergency road repairs, and
o Appropriating the remaining $110,000 from the CIP Fund.
• $500,000 from the CIP Fund for additional operations and maintenance costs
associated with the DDW Program approved on May 6, 2025.
Assistance to the geologic hazard abatement districts was approved in the form of loans
and in-kind assistance as follows:
• On February 4, 2025, the City Council affirmed the use of the financial assistance
loan to Abalone Cove Landslide Hazard Abatement District (ACLAD) in the amount
of $1.6 million approved by the City Council on July 2, 2024 for ACLAD to
implement their deep dewatering well plan; and
• $100,000 for in-kind project and construction management services provided by
the City to assist the ACLAD with implementation of their DDW plan.
In summary, the following tables are a summary of approved budget appropriations in FY
2024-25 and summary of funding sources by Fund.
FY 2024-25 Summary of Budget Appropriations:
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FY 2024-25 Summary of Funding Sources (by Fund):
Amount Budgeted: See Fiscal Impact above
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): Funding sources – see Fiscal Impact above VR
ORIGINATED BY: David Copp, Deputy Public Works Director
REVIEWED BY: Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
FY 2024-25 Budget Appropriations (Summary)
in millions TOTAL
FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget $4.6
$13.7
October 1, 2024 $14.1
Emergency response, boreholes, DDW, winterization
ARPA Fund 0.5
LA County Grant (Sup. Hahn)2.2
CIP Emergency Reserves 5.0
General Fund Unallocated Fund Balance - Transfers Out 6.4
December 17, 2024 $1.1
O&M for DDDW between Jan-Mar 2025
CIP Fund 1.1
January 21, 2025 $2.0
Additional O&M for DDW between Apr-Jun 2025 and fissure filling
CIP Fund (DDW)1.5
CIP Fund (Fissure Filling)0.5
February 4, 2025 $0.1
In-Kind Services for ACLAD
Affirmed $1.6 million of loans to ACLAD and KCLAD
CIP Fund (DDW)0.1
March 18, 2025 $0.7
Additional O&M Ab Cove Sanitary Sewers
CIP Fund 0.1
Reallocate Measure R 0.4
Reallocate Gas Tax 0.2
May 6, 2025 $0.5
Additional O&M DDW
CIP Fund 0.5
TOTAL - FY 2024-25 $36.8
Carryover from FY 2023-24 ( Prof/Tech, Reallocation
Funding Sources for FY 2024-25 TOTAL
In Millions
CIP Fund 14.5
CIP Fund (Reserves)5.0
CIP Fund (Cont Approp 01/21/25)0.5
General Fund (Transfers-Out Reserves to the CIP Fund) 6.4
General Fund 3.4
Special Revenue (Restricted) Funds
ARPA Fund 3.4
Metro Fund (Prop C, Measure R)1.4
Sup. Hahn's Social Program Grant 2.2
TOTAL $36.81
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A. August 19, 2025 City Council Staff Report – Emergency Landslide
Stabilization Contract Continuation (Linked)
B. July 1, 2025 City Council Staff Report – Emergency Landslide Stabilization
Contract Continuation and Award of Multiple Contracts for Emergency
Landslide Stabilization and Related Infrastructure Repairs (Linked)
BACKGROUND:
On October 3, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-47, declaring a state
of local emergency relating to the land movement in the Landslide Complex. The state of
emergency, as well as the continuation of associated emergency contracting has been
timely renewed and is current.
On July 1, 2025, the City Council awarded multiple contracts for emergency landslide
stabilization and related infrastructure repair work (Attachment B).
On August 19, 2025, the City Council approved continuing the emergency justification for
work and emergency contracting for the Greater Portuguese Bend -Ancient Altamira
Landslide Emergency Project (Attachment A).
Pursuant to Public Contract Code § 22050, the City Manager and Director of Public Works
must report to the City Council at its regular meeting the reasons justifying why the
emergency continues to exist and why action outside of the normal bidding process is
necessary to respond to the emergency. Furthermore, Public Contract Code § 22050
states that the City Council shall, at every regularly scheduled meeting, consider and
reaffirm that there is a need to continue to remediate the emergency until the author ized
emergency repairs have been completed. Accordingly, because the work has not yet
been completed, this item is on tonight’s agenda. This item will be placed on each
subsequent agenda until all aspects of the project are completed.
DISCUSSION:
Emergency Stabilization Measures
The current status of the Deep Dewatering Wells (DDWs) program is the following:
• Since the start of the DDW program, approximately 318 million gallons, or 973 acre-
feet of water have been extracted.
• DDW-1 is currently offline. Troubleshooting is in progress to determine the root cause
of shutdown and determine necessary corrective measures.
• DDW-5 has sheared due to land movement. Re-drilling is scheduled for the week of
September 2, 2025.
• DDW-7 has sheared, and based on its low production rate, the City’s Geologists have
advised that the well be re-located rather than re-drilled in its approximate existing
location.
• DDW-8 has sheared due to land movement. Re -drilling is underway and should be
completed shortly.
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• DDW-9A was re-drilled last week and brought back into service on August 22, 2025.
• DDW11 has sheared and based on the low production rate, the City’s Geologists are
advising that this DDW should not be re-drilled, but rather re-located, should additional
funding become available. Due to the significant cost of relocating this DDW,
considered to be well above maintenance and operation costs, there are currently no
plans in place to relocate the well.
Table 1 - DDW Current Water Extraction Rates as of August 25, 2025
DDW
No.
Date
Operational
Current Approximate Water Extraction Rate
(Gallons Per Minute)
Total Water Extraction to
Date
Acre-Ft Million
Gallons
1 9/13/2024 Offline (re-drilled 3/21/25) 132 43
2 9/17/2024 95 (re-drilled 5/29/25) 129 42
3 9/21/2024 80 (re-drilled 3/24/25) 127 41
4 9/21/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/27/25 92 30 4A 3/29/2025 60
5 9/25/2024 Offline (re-drilled 3/26/25; pending redrill the
week of 9/2/25) 116 38
6 9/28/2024 80 (re-drilled 12/29/24 and 5/23/25) 105 34
7 10/15/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 6/3/25 15 5
8 10/17/2024 95 (re-drilled 8/14/25) 63 21
9 10/25/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 11/07/24 67 22 9A 11/16/2024 105 (re-drilled 12/29/24, 5/10/25, 8/22/25)
10 10/24/2024 120 (re-drilled 5/11/25) 125 41
11 12/3/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/14/25 2 1
Totals 635 973 318
Preparations for the 2025-26 rainy season have started with field reconnaissance by staff
and geologists. The information obtained from the reconnaissance will be used to develop
a proposed itemized scope and estimated cost of winterization measures for the City
Council’s consideration at a future meeting of which would be constrained by the
approved winterization budget in the FY 2025-26 CIP.
CONCLUSION:
The effects of the ongoing land movement continue to be felt in the Greater Portuguese
Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex. Staff recommends reconfirming that there is
a need to continue to remediate the emergency identified by City Council -adopted
Resolution No. 2024-20 (originally by Resolution No. 2023-47), and reconfirm, by a four-
fifths vote, the need for continuing the work on the Portuguese Bend Landslide
Emergency Project.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for the
City Council’s consideration:
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1. Take other action or provide direction, as deemed appropriate.
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