Category: Huntington Beach city council

Huntington Beach Pacific Airshow Allegedly Canceled Due to Personal Animosity

Huntington Beach officials’ alleged dislike towards the operator of the Pacific Airshow—a three-day event showcasing aviation flyovers along the city’s shore—were added as reasons why the last day of its 2021 show was canceled and not only due to an oil spill off the city’s coast, according to a recent court filing in a lawsuit…


Huntington Beach Sued Over Nondisclosure of Airshow Settlement

A Huntington Beach resident has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming it is breaking California public records laws. At issue is a settlement agreement between the city and operators of the Huntington Beach Pacific Airshow, who sued the city when the final day of a three-day event it had staged was cancelled due to…


Huntington Beach Advances Ordinance Screening Children’s Library Books for ‘Obscene’ Content 

The City of Huntington Beach is moving forward on June 22 with a proposal to require the city’s libraries to screen children’s books for obscenity and pornographic content. The City Council voted 4–3 to approve the proposal, introduced by Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark, which directs the city manager and city attorney to develop several…


Huntington Beach Changes Who Selects Prayer Leader for City Council Meetings

The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4–2–1 on May 16 for its mayor to select who opens its meetings with an invocation, instead of an interfaith council that has done so for decades. The council’s new conservative majority, in February, requested the city investigate changing the policy claiming a group known as the Greater Huntington…


Huntington Beach Leaves Orange County Power Authority Over Continued Transparency Concerns

The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) will stop providing power to residents and businesses in Huntington Beach after a split vote on May 16, where city councilors voted 4–3 to leave the embattled green energy agency. Huntington Beach’s actions follow the December withdrawal from the agency also by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The…


Funding Agreements Put Orange County Beach Sand Project Closer to Reality 

The Huntington Beach City Council March 21 approved a proposal, in conjunction with the state’s Division of Boating and Waterways, to begin a long-overdue sand replenishing project stretching from Anaheim Bay Harbor to Newport Bay in Orange County. The work—known as the Orange County Beach Erosion Control Project—includes replenishing Surfside-Sunset Beach with 1.75 million cubic…


Huntington Beach Finalizes Vote Limiting Flags Flown at City Facilities

The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4–3 Feb. 21 to give final approval to an ordinance that only allows city facilities to display government flags—those representing the city, county, state, nation, the six branches of the military, and prisoners of war or those missing in military action. Councilmembers who voted against the policy said they…


Huntington Beach Votes to Fly Only Governmental Flags Over City Hall

The Huntington Beach City Council passed three controversial items Feb. 7 involving raising campaign limits, banning anonymous complaints of local businesses, and regulating flags at city facilities. The items each passed on 4–3 votes, with Mayor Tony Strickland and Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, and Councilors Pat Burns and Casey McKeon voting in…


Huntington Beach to Vote on Possibly Restricting Types of Flags Flown at City Facilities

The Huntington Beach City Council will vote Feb. 7 on whether city facilities can only display flags representing the city, county, state, or prisoners of war or those missing in military action. There have been accusations the issue is in response to an LGBT flag flown at city facilities during Pride Month in June of…


Huntington Beach City Council to Possibly Raise Campaign Donation Limits

The Huntington Beach City Council will vote Feb. 7 on raising campaign contribution limits for city candidates. Currently, the city’s campaign contribution limits from one individual are capped at $500. The council is considering, however, aligning them to the state’s limit of $5,500. The issue was previously heard in January, when the council voted 4–3…