CC SR 20251021 G - Landslide Emergency Contract Continuation
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 10/21/2025
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consider continuing 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
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;
(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:
Cost to Date:
Overall, cost of the 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.
FY 2024-25:
A comprehensive summary of expenditures incurred for FY 2024 -25 is included in the
August 19, 2025 staff report and can be found at the following link:
https://rpv.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=4840&meta_id=130486
FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget:
The FY 2025-26 City Council adopted budget for the Portuguese Bend Landslide is
$18,610,300, which includes $17,750,000 in the Capital Improvement Program and
$860,300 for property tax assessments in the General Fund.
On September 16, 2025, the City Council approved a revised budget based on a current
assessment of field conditions and a reassessment of the proposed winterization project s.
The total revised budget is lower by $2,168,000, resulting in a revised budget of
$16,442,300. The breakdown for each fund is shown below.
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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 530,000
8307 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation - Emergency
Stabilization Measures 6,187,000
Construction 3,887,000
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 1,265,000
TOTAL - FY 2025-26 (CIP FUND – PREVIOUSLY $13,675,000) $11,507,000
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 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
3150 Property Tax Assessments
KCLAD 475,902
ACLAD 384,398
TOTAL - FY 2025-26 General Fund $860,300
Amount Budgeted: See Fiscal Impact above
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): Funding sources – see Fiscal Impact above VR
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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:
A. October 7, 2025 City Council Staff Report – Emergency Landslide
Stabilization Contract Continuation (Linked)
B. September 16, 2025 City Council Staff Report – Landslide Update (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 and providing
the City Manager authorization to approve matters related to the emergency for
ratification by the City Council. The state of emergency, as well as the continuation of
associated emergency contracting has been timely renewed and is current.
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.
The City Council most recently approved continuing the emergency justification for work
and emergency contracting for the Greater Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide
Emergency Project on October 7, 2025 (Attachment A) and is therefore due to reaffirm
the need to continue to remediate the emergency at this evening’s meeting.
DISCUSSION:
Re-affirm Need to Continue Emergency Work
To support the need for continued emergency contracting authority, the current status of
the Deep Dewatering Wells (DDWs) and winterization programs is being provided:
Since the start of the DDW program, approximately 357 million gallons, or 1,097 acre-
feet of water have been extracted. Extraction rates are currently influenced by the
following circumstances:
• DDW-9’s water level continues to drop. The City’s Geologists continue to monitor
the well and recommend adjustments to the well’s pump depth and extraction rate
to reduce the risk of the pump running dry and burning out.
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• 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 October 13, 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 105 (re-drilled 3/21/25 and 9/25/25) 136 44
2 9/17/2024 85 (re-drilled 5/29/25) 148 48
3 9/21/2024 55 (re-drilled 3/24/25) 141 46
4 9/21/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/27/25 102 33 4A 3/29/2025 50
5 9/25/2024 100 (re-drilled 3/26/25 and 9/18/2025) 125 41
6 9/28/2024 70 (re-drilled 12/29/24 and 5/23/25) 120 39
7 10/15/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 6/3/25 15 5
8 10/17/2024 95 (re-drilled 8/14/25) 84 27
9 10/25/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 11/07/24
74 24 9A 11/16/2024 N/A, (re-drilled 12/29/24, 5/10/25,
8/22/25) Currently offline
10 10/24/2024 110 (re-drilled 5/11/25) 150 49
11 12/3/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/14/25 2 1
Totals 670 1,097 357
Status of Winterization Measures
Following City Council direction on September 16, 2025 (Attachment B), staff finalized
the scope of work for implementing winterization measures ahead of the rainy season.
The work started this week and will require approximately one month to complete.
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:
1. Take other action or provide direction, as deemed appropriate.
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