DATE: September 16, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: ADDITION OF LIMITED TERM FULL-TIME PROGRAM SPECIALIST POSITION TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION GRANT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RE:BEACH OCEANSIDE PILOT PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the addition of one provisional, limited-term full-time Program Specialist position within the Coastal Management Division to provide additional staff capacity necessary to administer, coordinate, document, and implement requirements associated with the California Coastal Commission (CCC) grant awarded to the City for the RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project; authorize the use of remaining available grant funds for the position and associated personnel costs; and authorize the City Manager or designee to take all actions necessary to implement the position.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In April 2025, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a $1.835 million grant award to the City to support baseline monitoring for the RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project and updates to policy documents associated with the City's Local Coastal Program (LCP). In June 2025, the City Council approved Resolution 24-R0588-1 authorizing the City to accept the grant funds from the California Coastal Commission (CCC), as well as donated funds from a non-profit organization, Resilient Cities Catalyst, to be used for building staff capacity.
The CCC grant was pursued to provide an expanded baseline monitoring program ahead of implementation of the Project, including extensive development of technical information necessary to support future coastal management decisions. Grant-funded activities include comprehensive shoreline and bathymetric monitoring, numerical model calibration, surf monitoring, biological monitoring, beach usage monitoring, preparation of a Baseline Monitoring Report, an update to the City's Coastal Hazards Vulnerability Assessment, an addendum to the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan, and a targeted LCP change.
The City Council previously approved acceptance of the CCC grant and authorized provisional staffing to assist with implementation of the grant program. The original staff report identified the need for additional capacity for grant management, contract development and coordination, data management, and public outreach.
The CCC grant provides an important opportunity for the City to develop the scientific, technical, and policy foundation necessary to guide implementation of RE:BEACH and future coastal resilience activities. However, successful implementation of the grant requires substantial City staff involvement in addition to the work performed by outside consultants. The proposed provisional Coastal Management position would provide dedicated staff capacity to support the Coastal Program Manager and would focus on the City's responsibilities as grant recipient and project manager, rather than duplicating the technical work being performed by consultants.
The proposed position would be funded entirely from existing external grant funds and previously authorized donated funds, and would not require the use of City General Funds, hence the designation of the position as Limited Term as defined by the Personnel Rules and Regulations. The position would be limited to the duration of available funding and the completion of the associated grant requirements, with opportunities for continuation of the position pending available funding and need.
Key responsibilities would include:
• Coordinating implementation of the CCC grant work program and maintaining
schedules for grant-funded deliverables;
• Supporting compliance with CCC grant agreement requirements, including
documentation, reporting, recordkeeping, and coordination with CCC staff;
• Coordinating consultant contracts, scopes of work, deliverables, invoices,
schedules, and amendments associated with grant-funded activities;
• Supporting coordination among technical consultants conducting shoreline,
bathymetric, biological, surf, beach usage, and other monitoring activities;
• Organizing and maintaining monitoring data, technical reports, project records,
and other information necessary to evaluate project performance and inform future management decisions;
• Supporting preparation and coordination of the Baseline Monitoring Report and
associated lessons learned;
• Supporting the update to the City's Coastal Hazards Vulnerability Assessment and
the addendum to the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan, including coordinating and working with internal staff from the Planning Division;
• Supporting the development of the targeted LCP change associated with the grant,
including coordinating and working with internal staff from the Planning Division;
• Coordinating with the California Coastal Commission, regional agencies, State agencies, federal agencies, neighboring jurisdictions, consultants, and other project partners;
• Supporting public outreach, stakeholder engagement, presentations, and
preparation of informational materials;
• Preparing staff reports, presentations, correspondence, grant updates, and other
• materials necessary to keep City leadership and the City Council informed of grant progress; and
• Providing continuity and institutional capacity through completion and closeout of
the grant program.
Staff recommends establishing the position on a Limited Term basis because the additional workload is directly associated with the City's current grant-funded coastal resilience program. The position would not establish a permanent General Fund obligation. The position would remain in place only for the period supported by available grant funding and would sunset upon completion of the applicable grant-funded work program, expiration of the grant funding, or exhaustion of available funds, whichever occurs first, unless budget and need warranted continuation of the position. Establishing the position as Limited Term provides the City with the staff capacity necessary to meet its obligations under the CCC grant while maintaining an appropriate distinction between temporary grant-funded workload and the City's ongoing permanent staffing structure, thereby allowing staffing flexibility. The position would exist within Coastal Management and work directly with the Coastal Program Manager. The position would complement existing City staff and consultant resources.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action does not require the use of City General Funds. All associated costs discussed herein are fully covered by either an external grant or donated funds.
The fully loaded cost of the limited term, full-time Program Specialist position at Step C is estimated at $105,743 in FY 2026-27. If approved, the position will be filled for approximately one year. The position will initially be funded through the available $51,606 in remaining funds from the RE:BEACH account 836195824272. These funds are from the CCC grant and were provided to support staff capacity for RE:BEACH. Once the RE:BEACH funds are exhausted, the costs associated with the position will be charged to the Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) account 839202225276, which has approximately $54,913 in available donated funds. These funds were provided to support the need for additional staffing within the Coastal Management Division.
The provisional position will expire when the grant period ends or available grant and donated funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Does not apply.
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Prepared by: Jayme Timberlake, Coastal Program Manager
Reviewed by: Chelsea D. Phebus, Director of Human Resources & Risk Management
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Program Specialist Job Description