CC SR 20260203 G - Landslide Emergency Contract Continuation
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 02/03/2026
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; 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: VR
Cost to Date:
The total estimated cost for the Greater Portuguese Bend–Ancient Altamira Landslide
Complex from 2022 through June 30, 2026, is projected to reach approximately $64.4
million. This cost is funded through multiple sources, mainly funded from the CIP Fund,
General Fund, Metro Funds, ARPA, Supervisor Hahn’s Social Program Grant, Los
Angeles County Sanitation District No. 2, and Los Angeles Flood Control District.
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 Budget:
The FY 2025-26 City Council adopted budget for the City’s response to the Portuguese
Bend Landslide is $17.75 million in the CIP and $860,300 for property tax assessments
in the General Fund, as detailed in the tables below.
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 projects.
The total revised budget is $16.4 million, a decrease of $2 .16 million.
On December 16, 2025, the City Council approved Staff’s proposed carryover of unspent
funds in the amount of $1.45 million from FY 2024 -25 for the emergency stabilization
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measures that were not completed by June 30,2026. Based on these changes, FY 2025-
26 Revised Budget is now $17.9 million. The breakdown for each fund is shown below:
Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) Fund:
Funding Source: Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) Fund FY 2025-26
Revised Budget
8202 - Abalone Cove Sanitary Sewer Repair Program 3,000,000
8304 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project 530,000
8307 - Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation - Emergency
Stabilization Measures (was $6,187,000 before cont. approp.) 7,635,775
Construction 3,984,045
Professional Services (Engineering, Environmental, Inspection, Management 1,627,955
Contingency 575,000
FY 2024-25 Continuing Appropriations (Approved 12/16/25) 1,448,775
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) $12,955,775
Special Revenue (Restricted) Funds:
Funding Sources: Special Revenue (Restricted) Funds FY 2025-26
Revised Budget
8302 - Palos Verdes Drive South Landslide Repair Program 2,500,000
SB-1 Gas Tax (Fund 204) 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
ORIGINATED BY: David Copp, Deputy Public Works Director
REVIEWED BY: Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director
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APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. January 20, 2026 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 January 20, 2026 (Attachment A) and is therefore due to reaffirm
the need to continue to remediate the emergency at this evening ’s meeting under a
separate agenda item.
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 in September 2024, approximately 431 million
gallons, or 1,321 acre-feet of water have been extracted. Extraction rates are currently
influenced by the following circumstances:
o DDW-7 and DDW-11 have sheared and based on their low production rates, the
City’s Geologists are advising that these DDWs should not be re-drilled, but rather
re-located, should additional funding become available. Due to the significant cost
of relocating these DDWs, considered to be well above maintenance and
operation costs, there are currently no plans in place to relocate these wells.
o DDW-4, DDW-6 and DDW-8 have recently sheared and are currently offline. In
accordance with the recommendations from the City Geologist team, t he wells
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are scheduled to be re-drilled and brought back into service over the next several
weeks.
Table 1 - DDW Current Water Extraction Rates as of January 26, 2026
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 95 (re-drilled 3/21/25 and 9/25/25) 173 56
2 9/17/2024 85 (re-drilled 5/29/25) 179 58
3 9/21/2024 45 (re-drilled 3/24/25) 161 52
4 9/21/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/27/25 113 37 4A 3/29/2025 0 (Currently offline – sheared)
5 9/25/2024 30 (re-drilled 3/26/25 and 9/18/2025) 155 51
6 9/28/2024 0 (Currently offline – sheared)
(re-drilled 12/29/24 and 5/23/25) 137 45
7 10/15/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 6/3/25 15 5
8 10/17/2024 0 (Currently offline – sheared)
(re-drilled 8/14/25) 107 35
9 10/25/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 11/07/24
89 29 9A 11/16/2024 45 (re-drilled 12/29/24, 5/10/25, 8/22/25)
10 10/24/2024 100 (re-drilled 5/11/25) 190 62
11 12/3/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/14/25 2 1
Totals 400 1,321 431
Status of Winterization Measures
Following City Council direction on September 16, 2025 (Attachment B), staff proceeded
with implementing winterization measures ahead of the rainy season. The work started
in early November and is ongoing. The remaining winterization work is located within
Altamira Canyon and is expected to complete by mid-February 2026.
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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