CC SR 20251007 I - LACSD Landslide Financial Contribution
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 10/07/2025
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consider accepting a financial contribution of $4 Million from the Los Angeles County
Sanitation Districts for the City’s Landslide Mitigation Activities.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Accept a one-time financial contribution from Los Angeles County Sanitation
District No. 2 to the City, in the amount of $4 million, for costs incurred and
continuing costs to perform work to slow movement of the Greater Portuguese
Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex within the City; and
(2) Authorize the Mayor to execute an agreement accepting the funds, in a form
approved by the City Attorney; and,
(3) Approve an additional appropriation of $4 million from Local Grants Revenue in
the Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) Fund.
FISCAL IMPACT: The recommendation will result in a one-time fiscal impact of
$4,000,000 in the CIP Fund Local Grants Revenue in Fiscal Year 2025-26, with use of
the funds restricted to costs incurred and continuing costs to perform work to slow
movement of the Greater Portuguese Bend -Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex within
the City. VR
Amount Budgeted: $0
Additional Appropriation: $4,000,000
Account Number(s): 330-300-0000-3303
(CIP Fund – Revenue – Local Grants) VR
ORIGINATED BY: Russ Bryden, PE, Principal Engineer RB
REVIEWED BY: Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Proposed Contribution Agreement from Los Angeles County Sanitation District
No. 2 to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes (Page A-1)
B. September 2, 2025 Request for Financial Assistance Letter to the Los Angeles
County Sanitation Districts (Page B-1)
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BACKGROUND:
Sanitary sewers in Rancho Palos Verdes are owned by the City and operated and
maintained by the Los Angeles County Public Works Department, with the exception of
the Abalone Cove Sanitary Sewer System that is owned, operated, and maintained by
the City.
Wastewater from sanitary sewer systems in the City, as well as some sanitary sewers in
Palos Verdes Estates, flows into transmission pipelines operated by the Los Angeles
County Sanitation Districts (LACSD), a regional agency serving 5.5 million residents in
78 cities. LACSD operates two above-ground 14-inch transmission pipelines along Palos
Verdes Drive South, which carry sewage from across the Palos Verdes Peninsula to
treatment facilities in Carson.
Land movement in the Greater Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex
(Landslide Complex) threatens LACSD’s pipelines and causes leaks requiring emergency
repairs. LACSD’s infrastructure has benefited significantly from the City’s Deep
Dewatering Well (DDW) program and Emergency Winterization efforts which collectively
have contributed to reducing the land movement rate by no less than 73% since the July
2024 peak movement rate.
While winterization work and the DDW program have proven to be highly effective in
reducing land movement rates, continued operations and maintenance of the DDW
program and emergency winterization efforts will help return land movement rates to
manageable, pre-October 2022 levels and minimize the likelihood of a reoccurrence in
the future.
Accordingly, on September 2, 2025, the City sent correspondence to LACSD requesting
a funding contribution to help offset the City’s costs; considering that the City’s work has
significantly reduced LACSD’s operations and maintenance costs. (Attachment B)
DISCUSSION:
On September 23, 2025, LACSD’s Board approved a one -time funding contribution of $4
million to offset the City’s costs incurred and continuing costs to perform work to slow the
movement of the Landslide Complex within the City. LACSD expects that the City’s use
of these funds will result in slowed land movement during future wet winters and that,
over time, LACSD will realize maintenance cost savings at least equal to the contribution.
Key provisions of the agreement are as follows:
• $4 million one-time financial contribution disbursed within 30 days of agreement.
• May be used for costs incurred or for future costs.
• Shall be used for slowing movement of the Landslide Complex including DDWs
and winterization efforts.
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In order to receive the $4 million financial contribution, the City Council is being asked to
authorize the Mayor to sign the attached Contribution Agreement with LACSD
(Attachment A).
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommend that the City Council accept a one-time financial contribution from
LACSD to the City in the amount of $4 million for costs incurred and continuing costs to
perform work to slow movement of the Landslide Complex within the City . The amount
will be recorded in the CIP Fund Local Grants Revenue.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to Staff recommendation, the following alternative action s are available for the
City Council’s consideration:
1. Do not execute the Contribution Agreement with LACSD to provide a one-time
financial contribution to the City in the amount of $4 million dollars for landslide
mitigation activities. This will result in the City using its own funds to provide these
services.
2. Take other action, as deemed appropriate.
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CITY OF
September 2, 2025
Mr. Robert Ferrante
Chief Engineer and General Manager
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Dear Mr. Ferrante,
RANCHO PALOS VERDES
On behalf of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, thank you for your ongoing partnership
and coordination in addressing the Greater Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide
Complex (Landslide Complex).
The purpose of this letter is to formally request financial assistance from the Los Angeles
County Sanitation Districts (Sanitation Districts) to support the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes' (City's) efforts to slow the recent acceleration of land movement in the Landslide
Complex. This accelerated land movement poses a threat not only to the residents of the
City, but to the regional infrastructure that serves the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula,
including critical transportation corridors, and backbone utility transmission lines such as
the Sanitation Districts' trunk line along Palos Verdes Drive South .
Summary of the Landslide Threat
The Landslide Complex, an ancient geologic formation, began experiencing
unprecedented acceleration in land movement beginning in 2023, following consecutive
years of record rainfall. The rate of movement peaked in July 2024 at up to approximately
one foot of movement per week in some areas. This geologic activity has endangered
regional utility lines, forced temporary lane closures on Palos Verdes Drive South-a
critical commuter and emergency evacuation route, and damaged public and private
property across multiple neighborhoods.
In response, the City declared a local emergency in October 2023 and launched an
aggressive stabilization initiative including the installation of deep dewatering wells
(DDWs), imp lementation of emergency stormwater winterization measures, and fill ing of
fissures. These efforts have been un dertaken in close coo rdinat ion with the Sanitat ion
Districts and other infrastructure and utility partners to protect regional systems from
catastrophic failure.
Regional Infrastructure at Risk
The threat from the landslide extends far beyond the borders of Rancho Palos Verdes.
The only east-west arterial road on the Palos Verdes Peninsula-Palos Verdes Drive
30940 HAWTHORNE BLVD ./ RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA 90275-5391 / (310) 544-5207 / FAX (310) 544-5291 / WWW.RPVCA .GOV
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Mr. Robert Ferrante
September 2, 2025
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South-has sustained repeated damage, undermining access for thousands of
commuters and emergency responders. Additionally, distribution lines for water, power,
gas, and communications have been intermittently disabled, affecting hundreds of
customers . Without continued stabilization efforts, the risk of a catastrophic collapse of
regional infrastructure increases substantially.
City's Stabilization Actions and Effectiveness
Since September 2024, the City has installed 11 DDWs which have extracted over 307
million gallons of groundwater from certain areas of the Landslide Complex. Additionally,
the City has implemented emergency winterization measures including fissure filling,
temporary canyon lining, and drainage repairs to prevent additional precipitation and
surface water from entering the ground and recharging the water table. Land survey data
shows that the City's stabilization efforts have contributed to a dramatic deceleration of
land movement. As of August 5, 2025, the overall Landslide Complex has slowed by an
average of 72% since the DOW program commenced in mid-September 2024.
While the DDWs have proven to be highly effective in reducing the accelerated land
movement, the continued operations and maintenance of the DOW sites and winterization
efforts are necessary to return land movement rates within the Landslide Complex to
manageable, pre-October 2023 levels, and minimize the likelihood of a reoccurrence in
the future.
Request for Financial Partnership
To date, the City has committed over $48 million toward emergency stabilization and
mitigation measures. The City respectfully requests that the Sanitation Districts contribute
funding to help offset the City's costs of constructing and operating the DDWs. The City's
investment has directly supported the continued operability of the Sanitation Districts'
infrastructure. Without this ongoing program, land movement rates are expected to
increase dramatically and result in substantial damage to the Sanitation Districts' trunk
line. The failure of this critical infrastructure would not only disrupt wastewater service for
thousands of Peninsula residents, but also require costly emergency interventions and
long-term reconstruction. Funding from the Sanitation Districts will allow the City to
continue implementing the very activities that have been proven to decelerate the
landslide and protect the Sanitation Districts' infrastructure.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further and provide additional
documentation on project expenditures and outcomes to date. Thank you for your
consideration and for your continued partnership in safeguarding the interests of our
shared customers and the City's and Peninsula's infrastructure systems. Please feel free
to contact me anytime any at (310) 544-5202 or via email at aram@rpvca .gov.
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Mr. Robert Ferrante
September 2, 2025
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cc . Rancho Palos Verdes City Council
Catherine Jun, Rancho Palos Verdes Deputy City Manager
Ramzi Awwad, Rancho Palos Verdes Public Works Director
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