Locunity/Pacifica, CA·City Council
The City of Pacifica is a general law city governed by a five-member city council. Beginning with the general municipal election in November 2020, the City of Pacifica transitioned from at-large to district-based elections. With district-based elections, each of five councilmembers is elected by voters within that candidate's district. Councilmembers are elected by district to serve all of Pacifica. The City Council selected the sequencing of elections for the districts such that District 2, 3, and 5 held elections for City Council seats in November 2022. District 1 and District 4 City Council seats will be up for election in November 2024. For more information about City of Pacifica's district-based elections, visit the District Based City Council Elections webpage. For more information on the Redistricting Process based on 2020 Census data and to view the current district map, visit the Redistricting webpage. The Pacifica City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month at the City Council Chambers located at 2212 Beach Boulevard on the second floor (map to location provided by Google maps). Please refer to the meeting agenda(s) for additional details regarding meeting time, location and access. A City Council Meeting brochure has been written to introduce you to the City Council Meetings and to inform you how the meetings are conducted.
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Recent updates from Governing Board
Council unanimously adopted a remote access disruption policy required by SB 707, which mandates Zoom access for all council meetings including study sessions starting July 1.
Why it matters: If Zoom drops during a meeting, the council must now recess for at least one hour to restore service or make formal findings before continuing in-person only.
Council unanimously created an ad hoc committee of Mayor Boles and Council Member Beckmeyer to advise on the TSPP and related unhoused housing issues in collaboration with PRC and other stakeholders.
Why it matters: With only two months of safe parking funding and no enforceable oversized vehicle ordinance, the committee faces urgent deadlines to secure alternative funding sources.
Council unanimously appointed Wright and Bier to an ad hoc committee to negotiate the MOU and JPA with Jefferson Union High School District covering the pool, tennis courts, and facility use.
Why it matters: The current MOU expires in December, and without an extension the city loses legal authority to operate the aquatics program and maintain the tennis courts it has invested in.
Jennifer Christensen told council that Fog Fest vendor tents block her storefront and she would have to pay $700 just to remain open during the event that receives $25,000 in city funding.
Why it matters: The complaint highlights a tension between community event funding and supporting tax-paying brick-and-mortar businesses that generate year-round revenue.
Council unanimously approved $79,110 from the Roy Davies Trust for a one-year portable bathroom at Fairmont Park, a longstanding District 1 priority.
Why it matters: Fairmont Park is listed as a socioeconomically disadvantaged area, making it potentially eligible for grant funding for permanent improvements beyond the one-year rental.
Mayor Boles raised urgent concerns about a sewer line just 10 feet from the cliff edge at the RV park, with design work delayed to 2028-29 despite $300K already budgeted.
Why it matters: A cliff collapse could sever the line, causing environmental damage and regulatory fines; the city has already lost 40 feet of cliff nearby on Esplanade.
The budget extends Pacifica's safe parking program for only two months at $77K, with multiple speakers warning that eliminating it would make an oversized vehicle parking ordinance unenforceable.
Why it matters: Without a safe parking alternative in place, the city cannot legally enforce restrictions on oversized vehicles parked along the coast, which public commenters say harms tourism and quality of life.
Over Espinosa's objection, council voted 4-1 to fund replacement lights at Terra Nova courts from the Roy Davies Trust, contingent on an MOU with the school district.
Why it matters: The vote triggered the meeting's sharpest clash over priorities, with Espinosa arguing for a holistic parks review before committing scarce trust funds and Wright insisting seniors cannot wait another winter.
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Pacifica's Pier Faces $64M Repair Bill as Council Races to Stabilize Before Winter The Pacifica City Council unanimously renewed its emergency declaration for the battered municipal pier June 22, learning that the damag...
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Pacifica Adopts Lean $55.4M Budget, Warns Deeper Cuts Loom by January The Pacifica City Council adopted a balanced but structurally fragile fiscal year 2026-27 budget Monday night, approving $55.4 million in general fun...
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Council Ratifies Pier Emergency, Then Spends Five Hours Fighting to Save What Makes Pacifica Home Pacifica's City Council declared a local emergency for its crumbling Municipal Pier on Monday night, then turned to a bud...
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Council Tempers Climate Ambitions as $2.8M Deficit Looms Pacifica's City Council spent more than two hours dissecting its new climate committee's inaugural work plan, softening timelines and policy language while safe-p...
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Pacifica Fights $2.3M Budget Gap as Businesses Rally Against Worst-in-Nation Ranking The Pacifica City Council's May 11 meeting laid bare the financial squeeze facing this coastal city — a $2.3 million structural defici...
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Council Greenlights Contested Hillside Home 4-1 as $3.4M Deficit Looms Pacifica's council spent the bulk of its April 13 meeting navigating the collision between state housing law and neighborhood opposition on a steep...
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Pacifica Hires New City Manager as Tree Program, Commission Shakeup Advance The Pacifica City Council moved to end months of executive uncertainty Monday night, voting 4-1 to hire **Sean Charpentier** — a 20-year public...
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Mid-Year Budget Splits Council 3-2 as Pacifica Navigates Leadership Transition Pacifica's City Council said goodbye to its longest-serving city manager, installed his deputy as the interim replacement, and then split ov...
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Council Punts on Cape Breton Rezoning, Bayview Hillside in Marathon Session Pacifica's City Council spent nearly six hours Monday wrestling with two land use disputes that tested the limits of the city's hillside protec...
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Hillside Home Battle Stretches Past 11 PM as Pacifica Tackles STR Fury, Sanctuary Stance A contentious hillside development appeal consumed nearly four hours of a marathon Pacifica City Council session Feb. 9, revealing...
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Council Launches Coastal Resilience Planning, Honors Late Mayor Nihart Pacifica's City Council used its Jan. 26 meeting to honor a beloved civic leader, welcome new staff, and take early steps toward a high-stakes coast...
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Pacifica Backs Anti-Offshore Drilling Letter, Hears Major Seawall Update The Pacifica City Council delivered a unified message against federal offshore drilling, advanced a controversial property sale on a split vote, a...
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