Locunity/Half Moon Bay, CA·City Council
The City Council of Half Moon Bay is the City’s governing body, and consists of five elected members. The Council sets priorities and policies, makes final decisions on all major City matters, adopts ordinances and resolutions, appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, and approves the annual budget. The City of Half Moon Bay holds district-based elections for its five city council seats. Each Councilmember is elected to a 4 year term. There are no term limits in Half Moon Bay. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Vice Mayor, on an annual basis. The Half Moon Bay City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month starting at 7 pm at the Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue. The City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, at 7 pm, at Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue. City Council meeting schedule, agendas, minutes, and videos are available online. Planning on attending a City Council Meeting? Please visit our "Commenting at a City Council Meeting" information page. You can also learn about City Council Procedures and Decorum.
Locunity is a independent informational service and is not an official government page for this commission.We use AI-assisted analysis and human editorial review to publish information.
Recent updates from Governing Board
Council accepted the $100,000 state COPS grant for public safety but will hold a separate discussion in September on whether to continue the Flock ALPR camera pilot.
Why it matters: The ALPR pilot contract expires in October, creating a decision point on surveillance technology that the council wants to debate publicly before committing further funds.
Council identified a coastside healthcare/life services district feasibility study and coastal trail repairs as top new priorities for the coming two-year work plan.
Why it matters: With no urgent care or lab services on the coast, exploring a taxing district modeled on Mendocino County's life services district could transform local healthcare access.
City Clerk Rodriguez presented and council adopted a Brown Act-required policy for addressing telephonic or internet service disruptions during public meetings.
Why it matters: Compliance with the July 1 deadline ensures Half Moon Bay can legally continue offering remote public participation in council meetings.
MidPen Housing presented a 52-unit affordable project on Main Street that would use SB35 ministerial review, drawing both support and parking/density concerns from neighbors.
Why it matters: The project addresses 18% of Half Moon Bay's lower RHNA requirement and tests the city's ability to shape development under SB35's limited local control framework.
Council unanimously adopted the FY 2026-27 budget with $24M revenue, $25M spending, fully funded $12M reserves, and a managed $1.5M structural deficit.
Why it matters: Despite losing golf facility fees and facing an ongoing structural deficit, the city maintains one of the strongest reserve policies in the state at 50% of operating expenditures.
Council unanimously directed staff to draft an MOU for a sister city bond with Nazaré, Portugal, including a proposed Portuguese stone compass rose in downtown.
Why it matters: The partnership would formalize a 150-year cultural connection, create cross-Atlantic tourism opportunities, and install a permanent calçada landmark on Main Street.
The 'Let Half Moon Bay Voters Decide' group turned in 1,085 referendum signatures on the 555 Kelly affordable housing project while a supporter alleged deceptive petition-gathering tactics.
Why it matters: If verified, the signatures could force a ballot measure on the council-approved affordable senior housing project, potentially delaying it significantly.
San Mateo County's plan to recoup unused building permits on the Midcoast was put on hold by the county supervisor after infrastructure concerns.
Why it matters: The county gave 71 of 40 annual permits to MidPen Housing, freezing private permits until 2028 and forcing a workaround that raised growth-infrastructure tensions.
Track this commission to get the latest reports in your inbox
Affordable Housing Debate Intensifies as MidPen Unveils 52-Unit Project Half Moon Bay's council adopted its annual budget, heard a sprawling and polarized public hearing on a new affordable housing development that woul...
Read full report
Council Advances 99-Year Lease for Senior Farmworker Housing After Marathon Hearing Half Moon Bay's City Council voted 4-1 to introduce an ordinance approving a 99-year ground lease and suite of agreements with Mercy Ho...
View preview
Half Moon Bay Repeals Rent Stabilization, Pivots to Service-Based Tenant Support Half Moon Bay's City Council voted 3-2 to begin dismantling the coastal city's two-year-old rent stabilization and rental registration pro...
View preview
Half Moon Bay Council Enters Closed Session on Two Lawsuits and Labor Talks The Half Moon Bay City Council held a brief special session April 9 to publicly identify three closed session items before moving behind closed...
View preview
Council Approves $770K Coastal Zoning Overhaul, Defers EV Purchase Over Budget Fears Half Moon Bay's City Council unanimously green-lit a sweeping rewrite of the city's coastal zoning code, accepted a tourism report sho...
View preview
Half Moon Bay Council Convenes Special Session on Two Active Lawsuits The Half Moon Bay City Council held a brief special meeting to confer privately with legal counsel on two pending lawsuits — one a long-running water...
View preview
Council Advances 555 Kelly Farm Worker Housing Despite Unresolved Legal Questions Half Moon Bay's City Council held a special meeting dominated by emotional public testimony and tough questions about draft legal agreeme...
View preview
Council Repeals Rent Stabilization and Registry in Divisive 3-2 Vote Half Moon Bay's City Council ended its local rent control experiment on March 17, voting 3-2 to repeal both the residential rent stabilization ordinan...
View preview
Council Sets Ten Priorities as Record Turnout Demands Flood Fixes and Downtown Protections Half Moon Bay's City Council held its largest-ever priority-setting workshop Saturday, March 16, drawing roughly 20 public speak...
View preview
Reserves Restored, Nonprofits Refunded as Half Moon Bay Charts Fiscal Recovery Half Moon Bay's City Council marked a financial turning point March 4, unanimously replenishing the city's reserves to 50% of operating expe...
View preview
Rent Stabilization Debate Splits Council as Tenants, Landlords Pack Chambers Half Moon Bay's City Council confronted the most divisive housing question on the Coastside — whether to keep, reshape, or scrap its rent stab...
View preview
Half Moon Bay Council Convenes Special Closed Session on Water District Litigation The Half Moon Bay City Council held a brief special meeting Feb. 18 to consult with legal counsel behind closed doors on the city's long...
View preview