What Manhattan Beach's council actually did June 16, in plain English

A housing-code overhaul passed 4–1, two charges on your fall property-tax bill got locked in, and the November ballot is set. Here's the meeting, translated — what was decided, who it affects, and what's still open.

This is our reader's-digest version of the June 16, 2026 Manhattan Beach City Council meeting. Every figure traces to the city's official record; links are at the bottom. Nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice.

The big one: a state-driven rewrite of the housing code (passed 4–1)

Council introduced Ordinance 26-0009 on a first reading, voting 4–1 with Mayor Franklin against. "First reading" means it cleared the first of two required votes; a second reading and final adoption is expected at the July 7 meeting, which is the last public-comment window before it's law.

The ordinance amends the Municipal Code and the Local Coastal Program — the city's coastal-zone rulebook — to carry out five programs from the certified 6th Cycle Housing Element, which is the state-mandated plan for where Manhattan Beach must allow new housing. The concrete changes:

The "no-net-loss" lot rule. If you own two adjoining lots under common ownership — say you bought the parcel next door for a bigger yard or a pool — state law now requires a residential unit on the adjacent parcel. This is the change most likely to surprise ordinary homeowners.
Supportive housing becomes "by-right" in multifamily zones, up to 50 units. "By-right" means a qualifying project skips council discretion — the city reviews it for code compliance but can't vote it down. This drew the most public concern at the meeting.
Manufactured homes are now allowed in all single-family zones, and low-barrier navigation centers (short-term shelter with services) are permitted in mixed-use zones near transit.
ADU (accessory dwelling unit, i.e. a granny flat) rules were updated to satisfy state Housing & Community Development comments.

Both sides, briefly. Supporters — including the council majority — note that refusing to comply risked the state decertifying the Housing Element, which would strip the city of its authority to approve or deny its own building permits (the "builder's remedy" exposure). Opponents, including Mayor Franklin's no vote and several commenters, object to losing local discretion, especially the by-right supportive-housing provision. City staff narrowed the practical footprint: the only transit stop that pulls parcels into the navigation-center scope is the Douglas/El Segundo Metro station, which reaches only large commercial parcels on the south side of Rosecrans.

Two line items on your fall property-tax bill

Streetlighting assessment (passed 5–0). Council levied the annual Streetlighting and Landscaping District assessment. The rate hasn't changed since 1996 — it now covers less than a third of actual cost, leaving a projected $270,687 hole for FY2027 that the general fund backfills, with a cumulative shortfall approaching $4 million. Translation: this charge on your tax bill is heavily subsidized. Raising it would require a Proposition 218 proceeding — a mailed ballot of affected property owners, weighted by each parcel's assessed value, like the city's 2024 stormwater vote. Council flagged the gap as a future problem but started no such proceeding.

Storm-drain fee (passed 5–0). The storm-drain service fee gets a 3% CPI bump — the inflation adjustment voters approved in 2024 — adding roughly $27,500 across the city. The county folds it into property-tax bills once parcel data is finalized in mid-July. No general-fund subsidy was needed this year.

Also decided

The November ballot is set. Council called the November 3, 2026 general election.
Water plan adopted. The 2025 Urban Water Management Plan passed; Stage 2 conservation restrictions remain active.
400 MBB & Lot 3: a public open house is set for July 15, 6–8 PM at Joslyn Community Center — the last input window before conceptual designs for the 400 Manhattan Beach Blvd site and Parking Lot 3 go to council later this summer.
An AdminSure workers'-comp contract extension passed 5–0. Council adjourned to July 7; the September 1 meeting is cancelled for summer break.

What's still open

The housing ordinance's second reading is July 7 — the final chance to comment before adoption. Revenue ideas floated earlier (a business-license-tax ballot measure now being polled, a parking-citation increase from $59 to about $65, a credit-card pass-through fee, and a possible utility-users tax) return to council in July. None are decided.

How to weigh in

When the July 7 agenda posts, eComments take about two minutes at manhattanbeach.granicusideas.com — you don't need to attend or read the full packet.