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 speakers who delivered urgent testimony on flooding, wildfire preparedness, a community pool, and protecting Main Street from chain stores — all while staff warned that a $1.8 million structural deficit and 30% workforce vacancy rate will force hard trade-offs in the coming budget year.

• Council reaches consensus on ten new FY 2026-27 priorities including sewer-water consolidation, a citywide stormwater master plan, emergency evacuation planning, and a formula business ordinance

• Pullman Ditch residents describe active flooding emergency — nine events in five years, a ditch that's doubled in depth, and water inside homes — pushing council to fund both targeted fixes and a $250,000 master plan

• Mayor threatens litigation against county if evacuation planning doesn't advance this year, as Cal Fire maps redesignate much of east Half Moon Bay as very high fire hazard

• Downtown merchants rally against chain stores, warning that formula retailers would inflate rents and hollow out Main Street's identity

• All five council members back exploring a unified coast-side water and sewer authority, citing a recent court ruling and drought risks

• Families and swim advocates win a council letter of support for community pool access — explicitly without financial commitment — ahead of the high school pool rebuild

• Staff reports 40% turnover in two years and 70-plus active special projects, framing every new priority as a direct trade-off against existing work