Morro Bay meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Morro Bay City Council agenda includes 40-year harbor lease; Planning Commission to weigh BESS ban

The Morro Bay City Council's Aug. 11 agenda included a proposed 40-year master lease with Bayside Landing Inc. for harbor lease sites, a lease amendment for the Harbor Hut Restaurant, and authorization to apply for state recycling grants. The council also discussed conditions at Morro Bay City Park and considered a letter opposing state marine protected area petitions. Minutes from the meeting have not yet been published.

Recent meetings

City Council (Aug. 11)

The council's consent agenda included three resolutions: Resolution No. 43-26 approving a 40-year Master Lease Agreement with Bayside Landing, Inc. for Lease Sites 49-52/49W-52W at 431, 451, and 495 Embarcadero; Resolution No. 44-26 approving a lease amendment for Lease Site 122-123/122W-123W (Harbor Hut Restaurant) at 1205 Embarcadero; and Resolution No. 45-26 authorizing application for CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Grants. The council also considered authorizing a letter of opposition to California Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding Marine Protected Area petitions 2023-19MPA, 2023-20MPA, and 2023-29MPA, and discussed Morro Bay City Park conditions, community input, and direction for near-term improvements and future planning. These items were on the agenda; no votes or decisions are recorded in the available materials.

Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Committee (Aug. 6)

The committee held a special meeting to receive and file survey results for the Waterfront Master Plan, review and provide direction on a preferred alternative, and consider approving minutes from the June 4, 2026 special meeting. Attachments included a staff report, survey summary, demand analysis memo, and Embarcadero Road cross sections.

Harbor Advisory Board (Aug. 6)

The board received presentations on the refurbishment of Harbor Patrol Vessel 3864 and on Marine Protected Area petitions. It also received updates from ad-hoc committees on grants, clean marina replacements, and Embarcadero loading zones.

Planning Commission (Aug. 4)

The agenda contained only procedural boilerplate and software interface text, with no specific decisions, proposals, or discussion items listed.

Upcoming meetings

Planning Commission (Aug. 18)

The commission will hold public hearings on two items: an appeal of frontage improvement requirements for a 958 sq-ft house and 719 sq-ft deck at 416 Main St (Minor Use Permit 25-03), which staff recommends continuing to September 15, 2026; and a citywide zoning code amendment package that would permanently prohibit front-of-the-meter battery energy storage systems (BESS) and adjust minimum residential density in commercial and mixed-use districts. The amendment affects sections 17.08.020, 17.08.030, 17.09.020, 17.30.240, and 17.53.050. The commission will also consider approving the June 17, 2026 meeting minutes.

Citizens Oversight - Finance Advisory Committee (Aug. 18)

The committee will select a vice chair, receive updates from subcommittees on revenue policy review and Measure Q/E accounting and reporting, consider appointing a member to the Measure Q/E subcommittee, and approve minutes from the 02/17/2026 regular meeting. The agenda is largely procedural.

Public Works Advisory Board (Aug. 19)

The board will review intersection control evaluations for Elena Street at Greenwood Avenue and Main Street at Pacific Street, and provide input on staff's plan not to install stop signs. It will also receive the Water Reclamation Facility Q4 FY25-26 quarterly report and consider recommending approval of an amendment to the GSI Water Solutions extraction well agreement.

Coming up

• Planning Commission – Aug. 18
• Citizens Oversight - Finance Advisory Committee – Aug. 18
• Public Works Advisory Board – Aug. 19

Morro Bay council to weigh 40-year Bayside Landing lease; recent meeting minutes pending

Morro Bay city boards and committees met four times in the past two weeks, but no minutes have been published for any of those meetings, so no decisions are confirmed. The most consequential item on the upcoming City Council agenda is a proposed 40-year master lease with Bayside Landing, Inc. for harbor property on the Embarcadero. The council will consider that lease, along with a restaurant lease amendment and a grant application, at its regular meeting on August 11.

Recent meetings

City Council (July 28)

The council's regular meeting agenda included several consent items: office lease agreements for 695 Harbor Street with Visit Morro Bay and the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce; a two-year temporary license for Grassy Bar to dock a FLUPSY and work dock on the North T-Pier; a cooperation agreement with San Luis Obispo County for CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs covering 2027–2029; appointments to the Citizens Oversight/Finance Advisory Committee and Public Works Advisory Board; and a proclamation declaring July 2026 “Parks Make Life Better” Month. The council also held a closed session to discuss price and payment terms for Bayside Landing lease sites at 431, 451, and 495 Embarcadero Road, negotiations for 1700 Embarcadero (Morro Dunes RV Park), two potential litigation cases, and a performance evaluation of the City Manager. Minutes have not yet been published.

Planning Commission (August 4)

The agenda contained only procedural boilerplate and software interface text. No specific decisions, proposals, or discussion items were listed.

Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Committee (August 6)

The committee met in special session to receive and file survey results for the Waterfront Master Plan, review and provide direction on a Preferred Alternative, and consider approving minutes from the June 4, 2026 special meeting. Attachments included a staff report, survey summary, demand analysis memo, and Embarcadero Road cross sections. No decisions were recorded.

Harbor Advisory Board (August 6)

The board received presentations on the refurbishment of Harbor Patrol Vessel 3864 and on Marine Protected Area petitions. It also received updates from ad-hoc committees on clean marina replacements, loading zones in newly red-marked areas on the Embarcadero, and grants. No votes or decisions were reported.

Upcoming City Council meeting (August 11)

The council will consider several consent items, including:

• Adoption of Resolution No. 43-26 approving a 40-year Master Lease Agreement with Bayside Landing, Inc. for Lease Sites 49-52/49W-52W at 431, 451, and 495 Embarcadero.
• Adoption of Resolution No. 44-26 approving a lease amendment for Lease Site 122-123/122W-123W (Harbor Hut Restaurant) at 1205 Embarcadero.
• Adoption of Resolution No. 45-26 authorizing an application for CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Grants.
• Authorization of a letter of opposition to California Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding Marine Protected Area petitions 2023-19MPA, 2023-20MPA, and 2023-29MPA.

The council will also discuss conditions at Morro Bay City Park, community input, and direction for near-term improvements and future planning.

Coming up

• **City Council Regular Meeting** – August 11, 2026. The agenda includes the Bayside Landing lease, Harbor Hut amendment, CalRecycle grant application, MPA opposition letter, and City Park discussion.

Morro Bay City Council weighs harbor license, office leases; closed session covers waterfront property talks

Morro Bay's City Council packed its July 28 agenda with harbor licensing, office lease agreements, and advisory board appointments, but minutes from that meeting have not yet been published — so only the agenda items can be reported, not the outcomes. The council also met in closed session the same evening to discuss real estate negotiations at two waterfront properties.

City Council Regular Meeting — July 28

The council's published agenda listed several consent items, including:

• **Office leases at 695 Harbor Street** with Visit Morro Bay and the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce.
• **A 2-year temporary license agreement for Grassy Bar** to dock a FLUPSY (floating upweller system) and work dock on the North T-Pier.
• **A Cooperation Agreement with San Luis Obispo County** for CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs covering 2027–2029. These are federal housing and community development grant programs administered jointly with the county.
• **Appointments** to the Citizens Oversight/Finance Advisory Committee and the Public Works Advisory Board, following interviews to fill vacancies.
• **A proclamation** declaring July 2026 "Parks Make Life Better" Month.

Because minutes are not yet available, it is not possible to confirm which items were approved, whether any were pulled for separate discussion, or how council members voted.

City Council Closed Session — July 28

The council met in closed session to discuss price and payment terms for two property negotiations:

• **Bayside Landing lease sites** at 431, 451, and 495 Embarcadero Road.
• **1700 Embarcadero**, the Morro Dunes RV Park site.

The agenda also listed consultation with legal counsel on one case involving significant exposure to litigation and one case regarding the initiation of litigation, plus a performance evaluation of the City Manager. Closed session details are not publicly reported unless the council takes action in open session.

Planning Commission — July 21

The Planning Commission's July 21 agenda contained only procedural boilerplate. No rezonings, contracts, ordinances, or fee changes were scheduled.

Coming Up

• **Planning Commission — August 4:** No substantive items listed on the agenda.
• **Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Committee — August 6:** The committee will receive and file survey results for the Morro Bay waterfront plan and review a Preferred Alternative, along with attachments including a staff report, survey summary, demand analysis memo, and Embarcadero Road cross sections. The committee will also consider approving minutes from its June 4 special meeting.
• **Harbor Advisory Board — August 6:** Presentations are scheduled on the refurbishment of Harbor Patrol Vessel 3864 and Marine Protected Area petitions. Ad-hoc committee updates are also expected on grants, clean marina replacements, and Embarcadero loading zones.

All meeting details are drawn from published agendas. Residents can verify outcomes once minutes are posted on the city's official meeting portal.

Morro Bay Council Agenda Included Wastewater Plant Purchase, Lease Talks; Outcomes Pending

Morro Bay's City Council had a full agenda on June 23, including a proposed purchase of a jointly owned former wastewater treatment plant and closed-session lease negotiations for two Embarcadero-area businesses. However, minutes from that meeting have not yet been published, so it is not yet possible to confirm which items were approved, rejected, or continued.

Wastewater Plant Purchase on the Agenda

The council was scheduled to vote on authorizing the City Manager to close on the purchase of the former wastewater treatment plant property from the Cayucos Sanitary District. The properties involved are listed as 160/180 Atascadero Rd and 1700 Embarcadero. The agenda described the plant as jointly owned. No purchase price was listed in the available agenda materials.

Development Impact Fees and Water Plans

Two public hearings were scheduled for the same meeting. The first concerned adoption of Resolution 38-26, which would establish new development impact fees and the FY 2026-27 master fee schedule. The second covered the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan — documents the city is required to prepare and update periodically under state water law.

Consent Calendar Items

Several items were placed on the consent calendar, meaning they were slated for a single vote without separate discussion unless a council member pulled them:

• Accepting an $8,100 grant for police impaired-driving enforcement and accreditation.
• Approving the SB-1 funding project list for FY 2026-27 pavement management. SB-1 is the state gas tax that funds local road maintenance.
• Filing notices of completion for park and creek bank projects.

Because minutes are not yet published, it is not confirmed whether these consent items were approved as listed.

Closed Session: Harbor and Front Street Leases

Before the regular meeting, the council held a closed session to confer with a real property negotiator on two lease sites:

• Lease Sites 122-123/122W-123W at 1205 Embarcadero, identified as Harbor Hut.
• Lease Sites 102/102W and 105.1W/105.2W at 1001 Front Street, identified as Giovanni's Fish Market.

The council also conducted a performance evaluation of the City Manager in closed session. Public comment was accepted before the closed session began. No outcomes from closed-session negotiations have been reported in the available materials.

Waterfront Committee Meeting Had No Listed Items

The Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Committee met on July 2, but the provided agenda contained only procedural boilerplate with no specific discussion items or decisions listed.

Coming Up

• **Planning Commission — July 7, 2026:** The available agenda contains no substantive items, public hearings, or projects. Residents should check the city website for the complete agenda, as additional items may be posted.

Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the June 23 City Council meeting should watch for the publication of minutes on the city's website.

Council Considers Purchase of Former Wastewater Plant, New Fees

The Morro Bay City Council weighed a major land acquisition and a series of fee and planning items at its June 23 meeting, though the outcomes of the votes were not available as of press time. Minutes from the regular meeting and a closed session held the same day have not yet been published.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Purchase

A key business item on the agenda would authorize the city manager to close on the purchase of the jointly owned former wastewater treatment plant property at 160/180 Atascadero Road and 1700 Embarcadero. The property is currently co-owned with the Cayucos Sanitary District. No purchase price appeared in the agenda materials, and the vote tally is unknown.

Development Impact Fees and Master Fee Schedule

The council held a public hearing on Resolution 38-26, which would establish new development impact fees and set the city’s master fee schedule for fiscal year 2026-27. No information on public comment or final action was available.

Water Management Plans

A separate public hearing addressed the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and an accompanying Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The hearing allowed residents to comment before a council vote; the outcome remains unreported.

Public Safety Grant and Road Funding

The consent calendar included two items typically acted upon together: acceptance of an $8,100 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for impaired-driving enforcement and police accreditation, and approval of the list of pavement management projects to be funded by Senate Bill 1 gas tax revenue in fiscal year 2026-27. It is not known whether the consent agenda was approved.

Closed Session on Waterfront Leases

Before the regular session, the council convened in closed session to confer with its real property negotiator over two Embarcadero sites: Lease Sites 122-123/122W-123W at 1205 Embarcadero, home to Harbor Hut, and Lease Sites 102/102W & 105.1W/105.2W at 1001 Front Street, occupied by Giovanni’s Fish Market. The council also conducted a performance evaluation of the City Manager. No reportable action was announced following the closed session.

Waterfront Master Plan Committee Meets, No Agenda

On July 2, the Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Committee convened, but the posted meeting files contained no discussion items or business, according to the city’s public portal.

Looking Ahead

The city’s meeting calendar shows no public meetings scheduled in the next two weeks. When published, minutes from the June 23 council meeting will clarify the status of the wastewater plant purchase, fee changes, and other items.