Seal Beach declines Sunset

The Seal Beach City Council decided not to file for annexation of Sunset Beach or investigate the issue further in a unanimous vote Monday.

Seal Beach Mayor Gordon Shanks, Mayor Pro Tem David Sloan and Councilmen Charles Antos, Gary Miller and Michael Levitt voted to approve option three — to file and take no action — on a resolution to begin the process of annexing Sunset Beach.

“As much as my heart bleeds for Sunset Beach, I have to have as my primary concern Seal Beach,” Shanks said.

The council looked over a financial analysis of costs associated with taking on the small community, which found the endeavor to be potentially cost neutral, but councilmen said they didn’t have enough information.

“Right now it doesn’t look to me like it’s going to be revenue neutral,” Antos said.

The possibility of annexing Sunset Beach comes after the Orange County Local Agency Formation Committee put the community under Huntington Beach’s sphere of influence July 8. Sunset residents, who wish to remain an independent community, expressed interest in joining Seal Beach over Huntington because of the city’s small-town feel and treatment of Surfside — a small community, similar to Sunset Beach, that Seal Beach annexed.

The financial analysis for Seal Beach showed the numerous deposits, administration and lawyers’ fees associated with applying for annexation; the police and marine safety start-up costs and maintenance; and the possibility of having to re-district if the city were to gain Sunset’s 1,227 residents. Despite the report, the council expressed concerns over costs associated with long-term obligations, the liabilities associated with taking on a beach community and the reality of taking on the city being cost neutral.

Huntington Beach Mayor Keith Bohr spoke during public comment about the holes in the financial analysis.

Bohr said Huntington wouldn’t continue to provide Sunset with water if Seal Beach annexed them — adding another cost to Seal Beach, which would have to buy the water facility from Huntington.

Other residents, of Sunset and Seal beaches spoke for and against the annexation. Seal Beach resident James Caviola said it would be “fiscally irresponsible” of Seal Beach to take on Sunset.

“We’re going to pay for them and give up our representation? That’s wrong,” Caviola said.

Other Seal Beach residents seconded the sentiment, many citing the state’s fiscal situation and raising concerns about having to pay to support the community.

Greg Griffin, the president of the Sunset Beach Community Assn., said he is disappointed by Seal Beach’s vote. Griffin said he was hoping that they would at least look further into the possibility.

With Seal Beach out of the running, the way is open for Huntington Beach, but Bohr said they won’t be making a move until their cost analysis is complete.

There is no timeline for Huntington Beach to annex Sunset, if they chose to do so, said Carolyn Emery, Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission senior project manager.

Sunset Beach can technically remain unincorporated, but under the sphere of Huntington indefinitely, Emery said.