The Huntington Beach Charter Commission Monday will recommend that the city council change its form of government and expand the city manager’s executive powers.
The change would allow the city manager to fire an appointed department head without the approval of the city council. It would also require department heads to coordinate more directly with the city manager in “administering the affairs of the city,” a commission report said.
Currently, Huntington Beach is a council-administrator form of government. The change would make the city a council-manager form of government.
The commission will also recommend changes to Measure C, a city ordinance that has voters approve the sale, lease and development of park or beach land. Under Measure C, buildings with construction costs of over $100,000 trigger a public vote. The recommendation would raise the trigger amount to $161,000.
Exemptions from Measure C would include public works utility structures under 3,000 square feet and public works required by state or federal law that do not “negatively impact recreational opportunities,” according to the report.
Finally, the commission will recommend more stringent qualifications for the city attorney, city treasurer and city clerk positions. Candidates for these positions would need more education and management experience than they are expected to have now. And the new charter would allow the city council to make appointments to these offices if candidates running for them don’t meet the qualifications.
The commission will make the recommendations during Monday’s city council study session. There will be a public comment period.