CC SR 20260804 H - Landslide Emergency Contract Continuation
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 08/04/2026
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
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: VR
Cost to Date:
The total estimated cost for the Greater Portuguese Bend–Ancient Altamira Landslide
Complex (Landslide Complex) from 2022 through June 30, 2026, is projected
to reach approximately $61.5 million (based on year-end projections, this amount was
reduced from past reporting at $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.
Starting July 1, 2026, the FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget includes $10.6 million for landslide-
related expenditures. The City is currently in the process of closing FY 2025 -26. In
accordance with accounting requirements, prior-year transactions may continue to be
recorded for up to 60 days after the fiscal year-end (through the end of August). Therefore,
staff will report the draft FY 2025-26 actual expenditures in September.
FY 2024-25 Budget:
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=1304
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FY 2025-26 Budget:
The FY 2025-26 City Council adopted budget for the City’s response to the Portuguese
Bend Landslide was $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 budget was revised to $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
measures that were not completed by June 30, 2025. Based on these changes, FY 2025-
26 Revised Budget was approximately $17.9 million. The breakdown for each fund is
shown below:
Capital Infrastructure Projects (CIP) Fund:
Funding Source: Capital Infrastructure Projects (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) 350,000
Prop C (Fund 215) 1,150,000
Measure R (Fund 220) 1,000,000
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
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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: Russ Bryden, PE, Interim Deputy Public Works Director
REVIEWED BY: David Copp, PE, Interim Public Works Director
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. July 21, 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(proceeded
by Resolution No. 2024-20 on May 7, 2024), 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, by a four-fifths vote, that there is a need to continue to remediate the emergency
until the authorized 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 July 21, 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.
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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 provided.
Since the start of the DDW program in September 2024, approximately 539 million
gallons, or 1,654 acre-feet of water have been extracted. All nine DDWs operated and
maintained by the City are currently in service. City crews are closely monitoring several
wells whose extraction rate has been trending downward. The City’s geologist team is
reviewing the situation and preparing recommendations on how to increase their
production.
Table 1 - DDW Current Water Extraction Rates as of July 27, 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 75 (re-drilled 3/21/25, 9/25/25, redrilled 6/3/26) 220 72
2 9/17/2024 90 (re-drilled 5/29/25) 225 73
3 9/21/2024 25 (re-drilled 3/24/25) 187 61
4 9/21/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/27/25 129 42 4A 3/29/2025 30 (re-drilled 2/24/26)
5 9/25/2024 100 (re-drilled 3/26/25, 9/18/2025, and 5/23/26) 191 62
6 9/28/2024 15 (re-drilled 12/29/24, 5/23/25, and 2/26/26) 166 54
7 10/15/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 6/3/25 15 5
8 10/17/2024 45 (re-drilled 8/14/25 and 2/20/26) 147 48
9 10/25/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 11/07/24 116 38 9A 11/16/2024 25 (re-drilled 12/29/24, 5/10/25, 8/22/25)
10 10/24/2024 60 (re-drilled 5/11/25) 256 83
11 12/3/2024 N/A, Decommissioned 3/14/25 2 1
Totals 465 1,654 539
Status of Winterization Measures
Plans for winterization in Fiscal Year 2026-27 are being prepared in advance of the rainy
season particularly the forecasted El Nino. Monitoring of winterized areas will be
conducted prior to and during rain events.
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
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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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