The Hermosa Beach City Council approved a substitute motion to form a joint subcommittee of council members and Public Works Commissioners to review the city’s capital improvement project (CIP) oversight and reporting processes.

Under the substitute motion, a non–Brown Act joint subcommittee will consist of two council members and two members of the Public Works Commission; membership and a six-month target date were set when council adopted the substitute motion. The council said the subcommittee’s task is to review roles, responsibilities and reporting sequences for CIP prioritization and oversight and to return recommendations to the full council.

Council debate included support for targeted, time-limited review and concerns about adding staff workload. One council member who originally moved to disband the ad hoc effort chose to substitute that motion with the joint subcommittee approach; the substitute passed with a single no vote by Council member Keegan.

The council instructed staff to support the subcommittee with agenda coordination and to expect the body to provide a written set of recommendations and a decommission date on or before six months from formation.

Why it matters: CIP projects are often the city’s largest capital expenditures and the subcommittee is intended to examine sequencing, public engagement, oversight and reporting practices to improve transparency and project delivery.

Next steps: Staff will coordinate schedules and provide administrative support; the subcommittee must return recommendations within the six-month deadline adopted by council.