TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM
Libby Bretthauer, Finance Director
Emy-Rose Hanna, Financial Services Manager
Toni Page, Revenue Services Supervisor
John Albi, Management Analyst
Josh Grady, Lead Account Specialist
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of:
a) Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 26-0005, Amending Sections of the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Chapter 6.01 Licensing Regulations; and
b) Resolution No. 26-0022 Amending the Citywide User Fee Schedule to Include a Business License Appeal Fee of a $500 Deposit, Plus Actual Costs (Not Budgeted) (Finance Director Bretthauer).
A) ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 26-0005
B) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 26-0022
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt: (1) Ordinance No. 26-0005 amending sections of the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Chapter 6.01, Licensing Regulations; and (2) Resolution No. 26-0022, to set a Business License Appeal Fee.
BACKGROUND:
After conducting a public hearing on March 3, 2026, the City Council introduced Ordinance No. 26-0005, that would, if adopted, amend Chapter 6.01, Licensing Regulations, of the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code. (See attached link for the March 3, 2026, staff report.)
Ordinance No. 26-0005 defines an appeal procedure in Section 6.01.240 that allows an applicant or licensee to appeal the Licensing Authority’s determinations concerning business classifications, granting or denying a license, the amount of a tax or fee or penalty, suspending or revoking a license, and/or other matters discussed in Chapter 6.01 Licensing Regulations. For any applicant or licensee who wishes to appeal the denial or revocation of a business license, the applicant or licensee must file an appeal and submit the applicable appeal fee with the City Clerk within 15 days following notice of the Licensing Authority’s decision. A hearing on the appeal will then be scheduled with a Hearing Officer.
Pursuant to Section 6.01.240 (Appeals) of Ordinance No. 26-0005, the appeal fee shall be set by resolution of the Manhattan Beach City Council. The intent of the appeal fee is to provide cost recovery of the appeal process for the denial or revocation of a business license and to ensure it does not exceed the reasonable costs of providing the service. To maintain consistency across other appeal fees within the Comprehensive Fee Schedule, staff proposes a Business License Appeal Fee based on a $500 deposit, plus actual costs (billed at fully burdened hourly rates). If applicable, the full amount of any business license fee, tax, or penalty that is challenged and claimed to be in dispute must be paid along with the appeal fee.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt: (1) Ordinance No. 26-0005, amending Chapter 6.01 Licensing Regulations of the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code; and (2) Resolution No. 26-0022, setting a Business License Appeal Fee.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance No. 26-0005
2. Resolution No. 26-0022
3. Staff Report - March 3, 2026 (Link)