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Ray Jackson Newsletter — August 3, 2026
📬 Councilmember Ray Jackson | Hermosa Beach | August 3, 2026
Good morning, Hermosa Beach,
Long before the law degree and the Council seat, I was an Army combat medic, and that job leaves you with a permanent respect for people who train relentlessly for moments they hope never come. Wednesday evening, I spent a few hours in a room full of them at the 2026 Lifeguard Medal of Valor Awards, honoring Los Angeles County ocean lifeguards whose readiness saved lives this year. By the weekend, those same lifeguards, plus thousands of athletes from age 8 to their 80s, filled our sand as the International Surf Festival wrapped its four-city run on Sunday.
It was a week that showed off the best of who we are. It also produced new armor for a police dog, a parking fine schedule that is now in effect, and a downtown question I genuinely want your opinion on. Here is what you need to know.
🚨 Public Safety
🔹 Valor, with names attached. On Wednesday, July 29, I had the honor of attending the 2026 Lifeguard Medal of Valor Awards alongside Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, and colleagues from all four beach cities. Section Chief Olivier O'Connell received the Medal of Valor for pulling two people from a burning home while off duty, and Ocean Lifeguard Specialists Hogan Inscore and Sam O'Hare earned theirs for climbing into the wreckage of a collapsed balcony to help save four critically injured victims. Ocean Lifeguard Sarah Foley received the Distinguished Service Award for her rapid response to a badly injured bodysurfer, and retired Senior Rescue Boat Paramedic Captain John Stonier was honored for a lifetime of innovation in ocean rescue.
→ 🎯 My take: The old medic in me heard one lesson repeated all evening: excellence gets built years before the crisis, through training, teamwork, and quiet professionalism when nobody is watching. We are fortunate to have the very best watching our coastline.
🔹 National Night Out is tomorrow night. The Hermosa Beach Police Department hosts National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Clark Field, 861 Valley Drive, with drone demonstrations, a K9 demo, police vehicles, games, and food.
→ ⚡ Why it matters: Neighborhoods where residents and officers know each other by name are simply safer neighborhoods. If you go, introduce yourself to an officer, and while you are at it, to the neighbor you have not met yet.
👉 View the National Night Out event details
🔹 New armor for K9 Arco. At our July 28 Council meeting, the Hermosa Beach Rotary Club presented a check to fund an armored protective vest for HBPD K9 Arco, critical equipment that will protect him on the most dangerous calls.
→ 🎯 My take: A city of 1.4 square miles keeps itself safe through partnerships, and our service clubs keep proving it. Thank you, Rotary. Arco has our backs, and now we have his.
👉 Read the Council meeting recap
🌊 Environment & Protecting Our Coast
🔹 Californians want their coast protected. A new statewide survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 82 percent of Californians say the California Coastal Commission has been mostly a good thing for this state.
→ 🎯 Why this matters to me: I sit on that Commission, and I can tell you the iconic coastline we love did not survive by accident. It survived because Californians decided, decades ago, that the shore belongs to everyone. Numbers like these tell me coastal protection and public access remain values that unite us, and I intend to keep it that way.
🔹 The Commission meets in San Pedro next week. The Coastal Commission's August meeting begins Wednesday, August 12 at the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro, a short drive from the South Bay. Public comment is open to everyone, and when coastal decisions are being made this close to home, our voices carry farther. I hope some of you will take advantage.
👉 View the Coastal Commission meeting schedule
💰 Budget & Finance
🔹 The new parking fine schedule is now live. As of Saturday, August 1, most parking citations, including expired meters and time limits, are $75, street sweeping violations are $55, and a citation left unpaid for 21 days now doubles, with a late fee equal to the original fine.
→ 💡 Plain English: Nothing about good parking habits changed, only the price of forgetting them. Feed the meter, mind the sweeping signs, and if a ticket does find you, resolve it within 21 days. Every dollar saved stays in your pocket, which is where I prefer it.
👉 How to pay or contest a parking citation
💼 Economic Development
🔹 A downtown question I want your take on. On Sunday I floated an idea on social media: could a responsibly managed social district work here? Picture a clearly defined downtown area where adults can purchase a beverage from a participating local business and enjoy it while strolling, an approach a growing number of California cities are exploring to support local businesses and create more vibrant downtowns.
→ 🗣️ My ask: This is a conversation, not a proposal. I want to hear the enthusiasm and the concerns alike, from residents, business owners, and families. Would it help our downtown, or change something you value about it? Tell me honestly.
👉 Share your thoughts on the post (Instagram)
🔹 Surf Festival weekend filled the sand and the shops. From Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2, the International Surf Festival brought thousands of participants to Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance for signature events like the Judge Taplin Lifeguard Medley Relay, the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim, and the Charlie Saikley 6-Man Volleyball Tournament. One coast, four cities, and a very good weekend for the local businesses that keep our town running.
🔹 Circle August 14 to 16 for the Summer Sidewalk Sale. Downtown merchants will roll out special promotions, discounted items, in-store activities, and live music for families throughout downtown Hermosa Beach. Deals are nice; keeping those dollars on our own blocks is even nicer.
👉 View the Sidewalk Sale details
🏖️ Around Town
🔹 Sunday's Triathlon needs volunteers. The Hermosa Beach Triathlon returns this Sunday, August 9, from roughly 7:00 to 11:00 AM, with a quarter-mile ocean swim, a 10-mile bike ride on the Valley and Ardmore loop, and a 3-mile run on the Strand. Organizers need help with athlete support, registration, water stations, and the finish line, with most shifts falling between 5:00 AM and noon.
→ 💡 Heads-up: Expect morning street impacts along the course. Better yet, be part of the course. Race day runs on volunteers, and handing water to a triathlete at sunrise is a pretty great way to spend a Sunday morning.
👉 Sign up to volunteer for the Triathlon
🔹 A song for a warrior. Last Monday I caught up with my old friend Jennifer Palmer at Brian Sheil's Sing-A-Long at The Deck. Jennifer has battled cancer with a courage and grace that humble everyone around her, and seeing her smiling and singing reminded me why this town feels like family. Some weeks, the best civic news is simply a friend doing well.
🗳️ A Note on November
🔹 One step closer to the ballot. This past week I moved another step toward officially qualifying for the November election, with real gratitude to our City Clerk team for expertly shepherding six candidates, so far, through the process. A bonus was bumping into my neighbor Eric at City Hall, and I also want to thank Yellow Jersey for early support that means the world. Serving this city has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I would be honored to earn your trust and your vote once again.
📅 Dates & Community Events
🔹 Tuesday, August 4, 4:00 PM: Planning Commission special meeting, Council Chambers, 1315 Valley Drive.
🔹 Tuesday, August 4, 6:00 to 8:00 PM: National Night Out at Clark Field, 861 Valley Drive.
🔹 Tuesday, August 4, 6:00 PM: Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Council Chambers.
🔹 Wednesday, August 5, 5:00 to 6:30 PM: Zoning Code Update virtual office hours on the commercial zoning updates. Join from your couch and ask planning staff anything.
🔹 Sunday, August 9, 7:00 to 11:00 AM: Hermosa Beach Triathlon, citywide course.
🔹 Wednesday, August 12: California Coastal Commission meeting, Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor, San Pedro.
🔹 Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 16: Summer Sidewalk Sale throughout downtown Hermosa Beach.
🔹 Tuesday, August 25, 6:00 PM: Next regular City Council meeting, Council Chambers, 1315 Valley Drive. Agendas post at least 72 hours in advance.
🔹 Thursday, September 10 to Sunday, September 13: The 3rd Annual Hermosa Beach Open brings championship beach volleyball back to the Beach Volleyball Capital. Mark your calendars.
👉 View the Zoning Code Update office hours details
👉 View City Council agendas and meeting information
📱 Stay Connected
If you have a service issue to report, the Go Hermosa! app is the most direct way to get it to the right department at City Hall.
👉 Submit a service request via Go Hermosa!
For community updates and commentary between editions, you can follow me on Instagram.
👉 Follow @RayForHermosa on Instagram
This week hands you an unusually rich menu of ways to show up: a night with our police officers at Clark Field on Tuesday, a virtual conversation about our commercial districts on Wednesday, an early Sunday morning handing water to triathletes on the Strand. Pick one. Small cities work because neighbors do, and few things make me prouder than watching this one prove it week after week. My inbox is always open, and I will see you around town.
Working together to build an ever better Hermosa Beach.
Ray Jackson
Councilmember, City of Hermosa Beach
