EXTRAORDINARY BUSSINESS: 

 

The Breakers finished with an amazing season of 11 wins and 4 losses earning the title of 2022 PAC 4 Champions. In addition, Bella Rasmussen was the first female in state history to score two touchdowns in a single varsity game. Congratulations to the players, coaches and all who support this history making Breakers team. 

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#1 Proclamation Recognizing the Montage for its 20th Anniversary
      (No vote needed)
 

GW: It took about 12 years to get this project built and it’s been a great asset to the community since then and continues to be to this day. Alan Furstman, one of the founders of the Montage Group, was present to accept the proclamation. Congratulations and best wishes for another 20th years!


CONSENT CALENDAR:

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Adoption: Passed 5-0
 

GW: ERP software is used by almost every corporation in the US to literally “run the business”. For Laguna Beach it will handle Accounting, Budgeting, Capital Assets, Cash Management, Contracts, Inventory, Project and Grant Accounting, Purchasing, Vendor Access, Accounts Receivable, and Cashiering. And, the above list is just for what it does for Financials. System-wide capabilities also include Analytics and Reporting; Forms Processing; and, Content Management. For HR it will support Payroll, HR & Talent Management, Time and Attendance, Risk Management, and Employee Expense Reimbursement. Good Bye Excel Spreadsheets, (for the most part) and good bye to extensive manual processes which the City has used since it’s founding.
 

GW: I expect an increase in productivity and easier access to information for the public, city employees, City Committees and City Council. The initial cost is $1,093,000 for the ERP system, and $250,000.00 for implementation. Annual hosting and maintenance is $188,000.

See more on Tyler Technologies ERP solution here: https://www.tylertech.com/solutions/public-administration/civic-services

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Undeveloped Coastal Bluff - South View of Heisler Park.

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REGULAR AGENDA

 

Agenda Item # 9: Ordinance to Allow Development 7 Miles of Laguna’s Coast Bluff That Reduces the Setback from 25 feet to Something Less than Zero: Passed 4-1
 

GW: This is a complex ordinance. The staff report was 194-pages long and only released to the City Council and the public three days in advance of the meeting. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to digest this amount of detailed material over a weekend, and that is a big reason that noticing for land use issues and others that affect residents or neighborhoods need greater noticing time.

I voted against this ordinance as it really should be discussed further at a City sponsored workshop. The public deserves more time to review it.  Laguna’s coastal luffs are already built out but this ordinance will allow many homes, commercial projects and new development within a foot of the bluff face.

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Mayor Whalen said it had been vetted by the Planning Commission twice previously, but it is just not realistic to expect residents to regularly follow Planning Commission proceedings. To Illustrate, here’s a quick question for you:  What is the difference between the Planning Commission and the Design Review Board (DRB)?
 

Homes on coastal bluff sites built prior to 1977 and 1993 would be affected by this new ordinance. Of the estimated 500 coastal bluff homes, surprisingly not a single homeowner appeared in support of the ordinance. The report did not have statistics on how many homes would be covered by the new ordinance or it’s impact on commercial development of the coastal bluff---commercial development being what some suspect may be the real driver behind this ordinance change. 

Might this ordinance change allow for condominiums, restaurants, and retail stores to be developed along the coastal bluff between Legion St. and Hotel Laguna as previously circulated plans have suggested? I am very concerned that this new ordinance will allow develop of multimillion-dollar condos (owned primarily by people living outside of Laguna Beach), ocean view restaurant(s), and retail that will erase all current views from Coast Highway, and eliminate relatively affordable housing that is now available at this location.

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Residents will have a second chance to comment on this ordinance at the City Council meeting on March 21st. 2023. All ordinances require two readings.

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Item # 11- Possible trail from Aliso and Woods Canyon to Aliso Beach: Passed 5-0
 

GW: When the Ranch was completed some years ago, $250,000 was set aside by the Ranch to develop a trail at the periphery of the golf course. This would complete the trail to the Ranch parking lot. The trail now ends much further inland. At the cost of $30,000, the Laguna Canyon Foundation would study three possible trail routes and the finding would come back to City for further cost assessments and then back to City Council for review. Don’t expect a trail anytime soon, but maybe by 2025.

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Item # 12 – Glenneyre St. Safety Improvements between Legion and Mountain Ave: Passed 5-0
 

GW: A number of residents have been concerned about the lack of lighting at street corners, cars stopping at intersections where there is no stop sign as well as the lack of clearly marked and lit pedestrian crosswalks on Glenneyre.  Improvements will be implemented in 2023-2024 once the budget is approved.

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