o7The following is a recap of the...

o7The following is a recap of the August 2 meeting of the Laguna

Beach City Council.f7

LANDSLIDE

Ernest Stuart, of the Laguna Relief and Resource Center, reported

that $230,000 has been raised for landslide relief since June 1, of

which $62,000 has been disbursed to affected families, with another

$79,000 committed to relief, leaving a balance of $150,000 to be

distributed according to need. Fifteen families will receive $500 a

month through December to assist with rent payments. He also said

that volunteers are needed to help with landslide relief efforts.

The council voted, 3-0, to authorize the city manager to

distribute $6,000 from donations to the Adopt-a-Family campaign to

the Herek family and $2,000 to the Wright family, as suggested by the

Adopt-a-Family subcommittee.

It also voted to participate in the Federal Surplus Property

Program seeking to acquire abandoned trailers at Crystal Cove State

Park to use as housing for landslide victims.

FINANCIAL

The council approved general warrants of $744,993.06 and

$584,728.13; approved payroll in the amount of $ 679,841.11; awarded

a contract to GBA Master Series for $22,800 to add upgrades to the

sewer maintenance system; awarded a contract to Lenocker and

Associates for $9,900 to provide GIS information for the sewer

maintenance system; appropriated $18,700 from the sewer fund balance

to cover both sewer-related contracts; and set the fiscal year

2005-06 General Obligation Bond tax rate as .01973 per $100 of assessed value.

PROPERTY ITEMS

In property-related matters, the council approved a revocable

license and encroachment permit for a property located at 1107 Coast

View Drive; approved lot line adjustment application 05-09 at 1475

Capistrano Avenue; and denied the appeal and upheld a design review

board decision regarding a landscape plan at 15 Camel Point Drive.

DONATIONS

The council accepted the donation of $5,000 from the Ebell Club of

Laguna Beach for fire station repairs and remodeling; and accepted a

check for $2,000 from the Ebell Club for exercise equipment for the

Fire Department.

WATER QUALITY

The council voted unanimously 4-0 to reaffirm the council’s

ongoing commitment to improve water quality; accept the ocean

bacteria evaluation report completed by Weston Solutions; and direct

staff to submit the report to the state and regional Water Quality

Control boards, with a request that all coastline areas where there

is a 10% or higher bacteria level be excluded from the San Diego

Region bacteria compliance program and removed from the state

impaired water list during the next list update.

WHAT IT MEANS

Beaches that are removed from the list are exempt from new, more

stringent water-testing requirements, which city staff said would

cost between $50,000 and $100,00 and is unnecessary, since the

beaches are already closely monitored for water quality. Staff said

that the money would be better used to improve Heisler Park.

SOUTH LAGUNA STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS

The council reviewed a cost analysis for installation, maintenance

and expected life of previously approved decorative street lights for

the South Laguna streetscape improvement project, versus lights

maintained by San Diego Gas & Electric. After not being able to come

to a consensus on the cost differential, the council voted, 3-2, to

have the city manager prepare another report with more precise

figures. (Councilwomen Jane Egly and Toni Iseman voted no.)

WHAT IT MEANS

The council’s action could reopen the South Laguna streetscape

lighting to revision, depending upon whether a council member places

a formal motion for reconsideration on the agenda.

“We have had a landslide and need to find $15 million, so we

should look at the costs of all projects,” said Councilwoman Cheryl

Kinsman, who asked for the cost analysis.

Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider suggested that local businesses

could contribute to the decorative lights. “We have to look at

creative ways to pay for things,” she said.

City Manager Ken Frank noted the lights had not been purchased

yet.

Some council members thought it a bad precedent to reopen

previously approved expenditures.

“This will tear the town apart,” said Iseman, who also asked for a

report on rules regarding motions for reconsideration.