To: PUBLIC WORKS, SAFETY, AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
From: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
TITLE
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING SETTING THE FUTURE REGULAR MEETING CALENDAR AND POTENTIALLY CHANGING THE START TIME OF THE PUBLIC WORKS, SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETINGS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As of November 2025, three (3) absences within a 12-month period requires the automatic vacation of a commissioner’s position. In response to the outcome of this change to attendance requirements over the past year, the City Manager has given direction to staff liaisons to work with commissions on setting its regular meetings to help mitigate absences. Currently, PWSSC regular meetings are scheduled for the fourth (4th) Monday of the month at 7pm. This item provides the Public Works Safety and Sustainability Commission (PWSSC) the opportunity to review the calendar and consider changes the frequency of its regular meeting dates. Furthermore, if so desired, the PWSSC has the opportunity to change the start time of the meetings to an earlier time.
Staff recommends the PWSSC set a start time and regular meeting schedule that will best support PWSSC business matters, including public outreach and facilitate the commissioners’ attendance requirements.
BACKGROUND
On October 14, 2025, City Council adopted Ordinance 3298-25, becoming effective November 13, 2025, which updated the Redondo Beach Municipal Code Section 2-9.107 pertaining to Vacancies under the Uniform Regulations of Commissions. Subsection (a)(7) of that section states in part, “In the following instances a board member of commissioner’s position shall automatically become vacant and so declared by the City Council if the board member or commissioner is absent from three regular meetings of such board or commission during any 12-month period of time after October 1, 2025. For the purposes of determining absences, a board or commission member shall not be deemed absent if a meeting is canceled, unless the board or commission member’s absence was the cause of the meeting’s cancelation due to lack of quorum…”
As written the ordinance does not allow Council to make exceptions and on July 21, 2026, Council declared nine (9) commission positions vacant as a result of this attendance requirement not being met, including one from this Commission. As this is a rolling 12-month requirement with no excused absences, the City Manager has stressed the importance of attendance and asked commissions to set their upcoming regular meetings with this requirement in mind.
The current PWSSC regular meetings are held on the fourth (4th) Monday of the month at 7pm. Below is summary of the PWSSC meetings in the last 12 months:
From the table it is seen that the PWSSC met on only eight (8) of the 12 scheduled meetings. During those eight meetings, 17 discussion items were presented, averaging just over two per meeting. The average duration of each meeting was about 76 minutes. Accounting for other agenda matters, it can be estimated that on average a discussion item requires about 30 minutes. Staff believes a reduction in regularly scheduled meeting frequency would still provide ample time to handle the Commission’s business on an annual basis.
Moving to a calendar of four (4) or six (6) regularly scheduled meetings, for example, would provide ample time in a 90-minute (plus or minus) meeting to address foreseeable items. Meetings that are shorter than this may leave commissioners desiring a more robust use of their time and effort to attend. Three (3) PWSSC meetings were less than 90 minutes and another two (2) PWSSC meetings in the last year were only 36 minutes and 26 minutes long. Slightly longer meetings, occurring less frequently but tackling more business, may provide a more satisfying event.
Staff has also reviewed the items that recur on an annual basis. As such, below are two suggested options for the PWSSC Regular Meeting schedule that would accommodate the anticipated recurring PWSSC items for the upcoming Commission year. Of course, staff will include other items on these dates as they develop:
1. Quarterly - Meeting Dates:
a. October 26, 2026 Organizational discussion
b. January 25, 2027 Public Safety report from Police Department
c. April 26, 2027 Budget discussion
d. July 26, 2027 Crossing Guard location discussion
2. Bi-Monthly (every other month) - Meeting Dates:
a. October 26, 2026 Organizational discussion
b. December 7, 2026* Routine business
c. February, 22, 2027 Public Safety report from Police Department
d. April 26, 2027 Budget discussion
e. June 28, 2027 Crossing Guard location discussion
f. August 23, 2027 Routine business
*Special Meeting date due to City Holiday schedule
Should business need to be addressed outside of the regular meeting schedule, the staff liaison can always coordinate a Special Meeting with the PWSSC to determine the best date. The Commission may also initiate a Special Meeting if it agrees on the need to do so. It should also be noted that absences from a Special Meeting are not subject to the RMBC’s vacancy policy or penalties.
In addition to the calendar dates of the regular meetings, the PWSSC can also reconsider the starting time. Over the last several years the PWSSC meetings have begun at 7pm. Currently, one (1) other commission starts their meetings at 7pm. The other five (5) commissions start their meetings at 6:30pm and City Council begins open session of their meetings at 6pm. The PWSSC can consider and select an earlier start time for the PWSSC meetings. For example, the Commission may find it is more convenient for attendance of both commissioners and the public.
Staff, with the support of the City Manager, asks that the PWSSC consider modifying the frequency of its regular meeting schedule to something less than eight meetings per year, keeping in mind the recurring activities for certain months in the City Calendar, the “sweet spot” for agenda length, and each Commissioner’s ability to be in attendance to ensure they can meet requirements of the new ordinance. Staff believes a quarterly or every other month regular meeting rhythm provides sufficient opportunity to carry out the PWSSC’s duties and objectives on an annual basis. Staff also supports an earlier start time to support attendance. Approval of a change to the regular meeting schedule and or the start time requires a motion and vote of the PWSSC.