AERIAL VIEW of Huntington Beach housing (Shutterstock).

A proposal to adopt a “housing element update” to settle the city’s long-standing feud with the State of California was continued to the June 16 meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council.

The council on Tuesday night voted 6-0 – with Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark absent – to take the matter up at its next meeting.

At issue is the city’s position that the RHNA (regional housing needs assessment) that would require that Huntington Beach zone for – but not necessarily build – about 13,000 new housing units, doesn’t apply to them.

At the urging of then-City Attorney Michael Gates, the city has been battling against the requirement, claiming the Huntington Beach – as a charter city – can exempt itself from certain state laws.

The courts have not supported this, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case after lower courts have taken the State of California’s side.

A state judge has ordered the city to pay a fine of $50,000 for each month it fails to file a “compliant” housing element.

An ironic element surfaced after Election Day on Tuesday. Gates is now the Republican candidate for attorney general; the Democratic nominee is incumbent California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has been prominent in compelling “Surf City” to submit to the state law.