What is the Redondo Beach Civic Glossary?

A plain-English reference of local government terms you'll encounter in council meetings, city documents, and news coverage. Every term is sourced from actual Redondo Beach city proceedings.

How do I use the glossary?

Browse alphabetically using the letter navigation at the top, or link directly to a specific term by clicking its heading. Terms are also used as tooltips throughout our articles — hover over underlined terms to see definitions inline.

Can I suggest a term to add?

Yes! If you've encountered a local government term that isn't covered here, let us know. We continuously expand the glossary as new terms come up in council meetings and city documents.

Reference · Civic Glossary

Glossary

Every civic term, acronym, and government phrase used on Better Redondo — defined in plain English. Click any letter to jump, or link directly to a term.

A

ADR (Average Daily Rate): The average nightly room price across hotels.
ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit): A smaller secondary home built on a lot that already has a primary residence.
Assessed Value: The value assigned to a property for tax purposes — usually the purchase price plus up to 2% annual increases under Prop 13.

B

Brown Act: California's open-meeting law requiring public notice and access to government meetings.

C

CalPERS: California Public Employees' Retirement System — manages pension funds for city employees.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act): State law requiring environmental review of projects that may significantly affect the environment.
CIP (Capital Improvement Program): One-time spending on streets, buildings, and infrastructure.
Conditional Use Permit (CUP): Permission to use a property in a way not normally allowed by zoning — requires a public hearing.
Consent Calendar: A batch of routine items voted on together in one motion — any Council member or member of the public can pull an item for separate discussion.
Council District: One of five geographic districts in Redondo Beach, each represented by one Council member.

D

Decision Package: A supplemental request a department submits to change its base budget.

E

eComment: The online portal where residents can submit written comments on specific agenda items.
EIR (Environmental Impact Report): The detailed study required under CEQA for projects with significant environmental effects.

G

General Fund: The City's main checkbook — pays for police, fire, parks, libraries, and most day-to-day services.
General Plan: A city's long-range blueprint for land use, housing, transportation, and public services — required by state law.

H

Housing Element: The section of a city's General Plan that addresses housing needs — state law requires it to be updated every 8 years.

L

Legistar: The software system Redondo Beach uses to manage agendas, minutes, and legislation.

M

Measure A: LA County's 0.5% sales tax increase (effective April 2025) for transit and transportation.

P

Prop 13: California's 1978 property tax limitation — caps the tax rate at 1% of assessed value and limits assessment increases to 2% per year.
Prop 218: California law requiring voter approval for most local tax increases and property-related fees.

Q

Quasi-Judicial: When a commission acts like a court — hearing evidence, making findings, issuing binding decisions that can be appealed.

R

RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessment): The state-assigned target for how many new housing units a city must plan for.

S

SB 330 (Housing Crisis Act): State law limiting a city's ability to downzone or reduce housing capacity.
SFR (Single-Family Residence): A standalone house on its own lot.
Specific Plan: A detailed plan for a defined area within a city — more granular than the General Plan.
STR (Short-Term Rental): Any rental for less than 30 days — Airbnb, VRBO, etc.
Structural Deficit: The gap between recurring revenue and recurring costs — one-time fixes don't close it.

T

TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax): The tax visitors pay on hotel room bills in Redondo Beach (currently 12%).
Transfer Tax: A one-time tax collected when a property changes hands.

U

UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability): The gap between what CalPERS projects it will owe retirees and what it currently has invested.

Z

Zoning: The rules that govern what can be built where — residential, commercial, mixed-use, etc.

Missing a term? Let us know and we'll add it.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

What is the Redondo Beach Civic Glossary?: A plain-English reference of local government terms you'll encounter in council meetings, city documents, and news coverage. Every term is sourced from actual Redondo Beach city proceedings.
How do I use the glossary?: Browse alphabetically using the letter navigation at the top, or link directly to a specific term by clicking its heading. Terms are also used as tooltips throughout our articles — hover over underlined terms to see definitions inline.
Can I suggest a term to add?: Yes! If you've encountered a local government term that isn't covered here, let us know. We continuously expand the glossary as new terms come up in council meetings and city documents.