Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Rancho Palos Verdes public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
43 issues with medium priority
School Construction Update (Measure SOS)
Superintendent Devin Serrano reported the Miraleste pool finishes in December, roof and security work is done at several RPV schools, and over $56 million in bond construction is planned for RPV schools, with Miraleste seismic work starting in fall 2027.
Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program guide overhaul
Council liaison Mayor Pro Tem Perestam recapped the City Council's ongoing debate over the roundabouts: data shows they reduced speed, but the Council will soon reconsider whether speed bumps or roundabout enhancements are the better fix. IMAC members cautioned that the installations aren't true roundabouts and could complicate future roundabout proposals elsewhere.
Bike lane safety on arterial roads
A commissioner who lives on Palos Verdes Drive South urged the city to add separated, protected bike lanes on busy 45-mph roads, saying there's currently no safe way for families to bike within city limits.
Community Foundation gift acceptance policy
The city is standing up its own nonprofit foundation to attract private donations for projects beyond normal capital budgets — things like the civic center master plan and street beautification. Federal tax-exempt status is in hand; state exemption is pending and could take up to 11 months.
Arterial wall and fence master plan revival request
Mike LaNovara of the IMAC committee asked the commission to help revive the city's arterial wall master plan, noting many walls have fallen or been damaged in collisions and never repaired. Staff confirmed the program is on the City Council goals and a subcommittee update is coming.
Zoning fit for Tract 16540
Chair Nulman argued this hillside neighborhood deserves its own zoning designation, saying the current code doesn't match the terrain or lot sizes and forces the commission to effectively ignore the code. Staff and fellow commissioners agreed to consider it in the future.
Corsini Place storm drain erosion
A homeowner reported the city storm drain empties onto his slope, causing repeated collapses and an ash tree leaning over the damaged pipe. Staff is verifying easement records and plans a site walk.
City Hall emergency generator replacement
The decades-old backup generator has failed to kick in when needed, and the transfer switch has been problematic. The city will seek engineering services and grant funds to replace it — batteries alone wouldn't last through a prolonged outage.
Earthquake readiness exercise and annex
The Emergency Operations Plan was approved by City Council in December, and an improvement plan from the EOC exercise includes training calendars and tech fixes. Staff plans to draft up to nine annexes this year, including recovery, earthquake, climate, and communication plans.
Property tax distribution
An HDL consultant one-pager shows RPV properties are worth about $18.6 billion, generating ~$185 million in base property tax — but the city keeps only about 6% ($11.1 million). Schools, county, and special districts take the rest.
Golf tax measure declined
A proposed golf tax hike (10% to up to 15%) was pulled after Trump National said it would drive away business and hit local golfers. The council wants more homework before deciding.
Brown Act compliance and transparency
Commissioners were trained on how to avoid accidental Brown Act violations — including serial meetings, social media interactions, and sharing opinions with applicants before hearings. The rules are designed to make sure decisions on projects and appeals happen only in open, public hearings with all testimony on the record.
School District Traffic Safety Survey
The committee plans to survey every school district and private school administrator about their top five traffic safety concerns — crosswalks, signage, drop-off issues — and build a strategic plan for speed management from the responses.
Point Vicente Elementary School Traffic Improvements
Four of five approved school traffic fixes are already done. The final piece — the crosswalk — will move to a mid-block spot closer to the school entrance on flat ground, dodging a $200,000 ADA retrofit at the current intersection location.
Regional stormwater monitoring contract with Geosyntec
The city joined its peninsula neighbors in a five-year, nearly $3 million monitoring contract required by its water quality permit. The city's share is about $300,000 a year, though a resident criticized the no-competition outcome and per-day cost.
Civic Center Campus Master Plan
The city is waiting on FEMA and GSA to lift federal deed restrictions so the emergency operations center components can be built, and is lobbying Congress to acquire the Coast Guard's Battery Barnes property — with a long-shot idea of rebuilding Wayfarers Chapel there.
Western Avenue Traffic Flow Improvements
With Caltrans permits finally approved, the city accepted $4.98 million in Measure M funds plus $2.08 million in local matching money for signal synchronization, striping, and turn pockets on Western Avenue.
Conservation and open space element update
A resident urged the city to proactively place remaining unprotected canyon lands — roughly 250 to 350 acres beyond the existing 1,400 preserved acres — into conservation easements before state housing mandates make development threats stronger.
Palos Verdes Homes Association lawsuit and fines
Commissioner George flagged a lawsuit over the Homes Association's election processes and warned that its fines — up to $14,000 for tree removal — could conflict with the city's view restoration program.
Palos Verdes Historical Society museum and military history interpretation
The Historical Society, whose artifacts have been in storage since leaving Malaga Cove in 2006, wants to build a roughly 5,000-square-foot museum using one missile silo for storage and the ground above it for galleries. An MOU would give donors something concrete to fund — and the society is eager after losing a major donor over the failed Lower Point Vicente site.
Hesse Park Arson Incidents
Two arson fires set at Hesse Park on June 6-7 were stopped before causing major damage; increased patrols, an undercover operation, and vegetation clearing led to arrests on June 9.
Los Verdes Golf Course nets and poles — La Cresta views
La Cresta residents blasted the 50-foot netting and poles installed around the golf course in 2023 without neighborhood notice, saying their views and home values are hurt. Staff said the county won't remove the nets unless the fairway is redesigned at a cost of about $1.2 million — money the city doesn't have in this budget.
Strategic speed management plan
The committee added development of a citywide speed-management strategic plan to next year's work plan, aiming to be proactive on neighborhood speeding instead of responding petition-by-petition.
Lomita Sheriff's Station public safety report
Crime is down sharply in RPV — part-one crimes are down 40% and assaults down 45% year over year. Deputies also addressed a school threat incident and a trespassing arrest, and urged residents to install cameras, lighting, and surveillance.
Trump National Golf Club maintenance review frequency
The tract's stricter-than-code setbacks blocked a homeowner's balustrade wall and firepit; the council unanimously relaxed CUP conditions L.5 and Z.32 to let both stand. Nobody in the public opposed it.
Coastal Safety and Sneaker Wave Warnings
After multiple high-surf rescues, the committee is exploring ways to warn beachgoers — signs at key intersections, QR codes at trailheads, or flags on lifeguard towers.
Nuisance abatement lien at 2064 Galerita Drive
The city demolished a landslide-damaged home after the lender-owner promised to repay it — then never paid. Now a $151,056.18 lien goes on the property, recoverable if it ever sells.
Agua Amarga Canyon sewer access project scrapped — for now
Instead of a $500,000 permanent access improvement project, the city will contract with a specialized firm for annual maintenance at no more than $60,000 a year, moving the project to the unfunded 'needs once' list. Staff said this doesn't increase sewer spill risk.
Second-story ADU addition at 6917 Starstone Drive
A homeowner wants to convert a garage into an ADU and add a second story, making the house the largest in the neighborhood. Commissioners worried about height (about 9 feet above what state law requires), the awkward placement over the garage, and losing covered parking. They gave the applicant two weeks to revise the design rather than deny outright.
City Workforce Vacancies and Retention
The council adopted the city's three-year labor deal with AFSCME and gave eligible part-time employees a 3% cost-of-living raise effective immediately.
Emergency supply containers need overhaul
Two of the city's emergency supply containers were inspected: a 40-foot one at the city lot is rusted and water-damaged, while the Hess Park container is in good shape. A third container is missing and may have just been found. Most supplies are salvageable but need a big volunteer cleanup — and there's no budget yet for replacements.
Point Vicente Lighthouse restoration
A new 'Friends of Point Vicente Lighthouse' group is organizing the lighthouse's 100th anniversary this year, including a Roaring '20s-themed event with classic cars, and is seeking sponsors.
Mount Hood second-story addition and neighbor privacy
A homeowner's revised second-story addition sparked the night's only split vote. The applicant shrank the addition and set it back from the southern neighbor, but the adjacent resident, John Park, says a second-story window still has a direct sightline into his bedroom and patio and asked for the window to be lowered one foot — a request the commission declined to require.
Olympics and World Cup Infrastructure Preparedness
The committee discussed whether the city should plan for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics — traffic, housing, and whether the city's 30-day short-term rental rule needs an Olympics exception. Early stages; no city plan exists yet.
Emergency Alert Zone Boundaries
The commission probed why the open-space hazard line on the Canterbury site moved 100 feet just before the project was submitted. Staff explained it aligned the zoning map with a 2018 citywide general plan update based on new geotechnical data.
Traffic signal asset management program
After the recent Hawthorne Boulevard road failure, the council warmed to adding traffic signals to the city's asset management plan — checking their condition, backup batteries and maintenance cycles before something breaks.
Western Avenue storefront improvement program
The commission recommended carrying two projects into next year's council goals: the citywide fence and wall master plan (only 35% complete) and the Western Avenue storefront improvement program, which awarded four facade grants of roughly $10,000-20,000 each. Recommendations go to the council's February 23 goals workshop.
Rewriting Outdated Seacliff Hills Tract Conditions
Commissioners Paul Christen and Gregory W. George flagged that the 1977 Seacliff Hills conditional use permit forces costly CUP revisions for nearly every home project. They suggested staff bring forward a proposal to modernize the tract's development codes — possibly through a subcommittee.
School Zone Raised Crosswalks and Hawthorne/Eddinghill Signal
The left-turn signal at Hawthorne and Eddinghill is done, and design work is underway for raised crosswalks at Cornerstone and Point Vicente Elementary Schools, with construction targeted for summer when school's out.
Safe Streets for All Planning Grant
The city won a $200,000 federal planning grant for a citywide safe-streets analysis. It still needs council acceptance and federal contract agreements, with SB 1 funds covering the local match so the general fund isn't touched.
2026 Legislative Platform
The adopted platform directs the city's state and federal lobbying on housing, public safety, environment, and transparency, with priority projects including landslide remediation, Palos Verdes Drive South reconstruction, and the Civic Center emergency zone.
K-CLOUD assessment increase allegations
A resident alleged the K-CLOUD district raised property assessments 833% in one year and violated election and property-tax laws, demanding the council exercise its oversight authority over the district.
Landslide Damage to Homes
Landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes are literally tearing homes apart, and the city’s response plus disaster aid are now the big questions. If you live on the hillside, own property there, or care about how local government handles a slow-moving emergency, this matters.