Mayor’s actions don’t match her words Since...

Mayor’s actions don’t match her words

Since the Coastal Commission meeting about the move of the

Corporation Yard to Act V, I have been puzzling a strange occurrence.

Shortly before the meeting, Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and Councilwoman

Elizabeth Pearson invited the Laguna public to view the “eyesore” tin

shacks that they said would be removed when the yard has been moved.

However, during the Coastal Commission hearing, Councilwoman and

Commissioner Toni Iseman delivered a bombshell. She had learned from

the city manager that Corporation Yard move or not, the tin shacks

would remain. Both Kinsman and Pearson, and the entire audience

appeared surprised.

That’s when my puzzlement began. I wondered how, if Iseman could

get this information, Kinsman could not.

Then, at the City Council meeting on Aug. 3, the matter was again

discussed. Pearson acknowledged that she did not know that the shacks

would remain. However, Kinsman immediately said that she had known.

So, more confusion: If Kinsman knew the shacks were not going to

be removed, why had she called for public support in moving the yard

so the “eyesores” could be demolished? What am I missing? Can Kinsman

please explain?

BONNIE HANO

Laguna Beach

League will monitor campaign disclosures

In 1994, Laguna Beach adopted a campaign ordinance proposed by the

League of Women Voters and Common Cause that placed a limitation on

campaign contributions for the offices of City Council, city clerk

and city treasurer. The campaign contribution limit for this election

cycle is $310. Since the league was one of the primary advocates for

this ordinance, we feel a particular responsibility to see that

compliance with the ordinance is uniform.

The league will be closely monitoring public campaign disclosure

statements as they are filed during this election. We will be doing

this as an ally with campaign treasurers and not as an adversary. The

forms are complex and inadvertent errors are easy to make.

We will ask treasurers for clarification when necessary. If a

mistake has been made, we will ask that an amendment be filed with

the city clerk. The league’s interest is in the integrity of the

process. As such, we will make a public report only when a material

error remains unamended after it has been brought to the attention of

a treasurer.

The league appreciates the willingness of candidates to serve the

public interest as elected officials.

LINDA BROWN

Co-Chair, League of Women

Voters

Laguna Beach Unit

Parking solutions are doable now

With three-million people just in Orange County, Laguna Beach will

never be able to have ample parking and minimal congestion during

peak-period beautiful summer weekend days. Nonetheless, more parking

would help, particularly for residents, and it would help now.

During the recent tour of the Corporation Yard, city staff said

residents with stickers should be able to park at the parking lot

adjacent to City Hall after the proposed Corporation Yard move to Act

V canyon lot. Lagunans ought to ask Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and members

of the City Council why not now?

I support using our limited financial resources to build the

Village Entrance parking structure as a top priority; however,

Kinsman and the City Council can vote now and provide additional

parking spaces right away:

* Stripe Glenneyre Street for parallel parking reducing four lane

to two lane street

* Make Brooks Street, etc. one-way with diagonal parking spaces,

which increases parking spaces more than 50%

* I don’t know how the City Council lost the public parking lot at

the post office on Ocean Avenue, but it needs to be returned to

public use, perhaps a great spot for resident sticker only parking.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “The politicians are fiddling,

fumbling and failing;” they certainly are regarding parking in Laguna

Beach.

GENE FELDER

Laguna Beach

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