An update from the mayor

The city is moving forward since the June 1 landslide, and we are making progress on many fronts.

1. Landslide -- Phase I repairs: The clearance of the flood channel, winterization of the hillside and shoring up in some critical areas is expected to be completed by mid-December. In order to complete this phase, 12 homes had to be removed, including the uninhabited “mausoleum.” The cost of this phase is $7 million, and funds have come from borrowing from the capital-improvement projects fund, delaying the purchase of a fire engine and borrowing from various other funds (such as the open space fund, community center/senior center fund and the communications equipment fund) and hiring freezes.

2. Measure A -- sales tax vote on Dec. 13. The council voted to allow the public to decide if they want to incur a half-cent sales tax for six years through a measure that will be put before Laguna Beach voters on Dec. 13. If passed, funds from the sales tax will generate $5 million to ensure that the entire city does not suffer a lack of city services and capital improvement projects. Another $3 million will go into the general fund to create a contingency “disaster fund” in preparation for our next emergency.

3. Landslide -- Phase II repairs: The price tag to rebuild the hill that will allow us to install the required lost infrastructure is $8 million.

We are hoping that the federal government (through help from Diane Feinstein) and the state will help us raise additional funds to complete the restoration. We anticipate starting this phase in mid to late April and completing it before the next rainy season. We will be going out to bid for this work.

4. Adopt a Landslide Committee -- The committee continues to work. Our first goal was to find semipermanent transitional housing for all the families and to help them get settled. We are in the final stages of placing the four families who will be using the trailers from the State of California (and who were helped through the generous gift of $45,000 to move the trailers from the Laguna Board of Realtors and the cast of MTV, who raised close to $20,000 for the cause). We’ve also found free housing for four other families and helped a senior couple who may not rebuild move into a place in Leisure World.

Now our goal is to begin raising cash for the families to help pay geology, structural engineering and architectural fees. To that end, three fundraisers are being organized by members on the committee.

* Nov. 12 -- Comedy Nite at the Women’s Club at 7.p.m. $20. Tell your friends; just show up.

* Dec. 4 -- Cocktail party at a posh restaurant in Laguna Beach from 4 to 7 p.m. $100. Limited seating; tickets will be pre-sold by committee.

* Feb. 5 -- Citywide Super Bowl party at a hotel. $50 each; wine and beer not included.

Donations may be made to: City of Laguna Beach, Landslide Relief, 505 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach, CA 92651

These donations are tax-deductible. Our allocation of funds are based on immediate need and may not be spread across all families.

I want to again thank Walkie Ray for donating the free storage lockers for a year for our families, and also to thank Ganahl Lumber for their recent assistance with the trailer repairs, decks, skirting, etc.

5. Village Entrance -- The City Council was given a presentation of the revised Village Entrance concept at its Oct. 22 workshop. The council approved the concept and has authorized moving forward with the selection of an environmental impact report consultant. Several lots owned by the city on Olive Street in North Laguna will be sold (but not the property that is being rented to the Girl Scouts for $1 per year) to build the new corporate yard behind the Act V lot. Then the current maintenance yard will be cleared and more temporary parking created. The new Village Entrance project will need planning commission and design review approval, as well as a final approval from council and the Coastal Commission, before work can begin. In the meantime, funding will need to be determined. I have long held that parking revenues should go to build new parking, and we generate about $1 million a year from parking revenues. This could go to support a revenue bond if four council members agree to it.

6. Community Center/Senior Center -- This project has been put on hold until we find out what happens with the Measure A sales tax initiative. The seniors are still raising funds to build their share of the building, as well as endowment funds.

7. Design Review Task Force -- The task force gave a report and we held a workshop at City Hall the morning of Oct. 22. The council has asked for final input to the report from the design review board and planning commission. We will take the matter up in January. There are cost implications to implementation that will need to be considered. However, the City Council was very impressed with the recommendations and I personally want to see most of them implemented. I added a recommendation that we require that all purchasers of new homes sign a disclosure that relates to our design review process so that “all those who enter” know what they’re getting into when they buy in Laguna Beach!

I want to thank Cheryl Kinsman for bringing the concept of a design review task force together to tackle this very controversial issue and also thank the task force for hundreds of hours of quality work.

8. Winter Fantasy -- The Sawdust kicks off its Winter Fantasy on Nov. 19. Be sure to visit them for your holiday shopping.

9. Hospitality Night -- Santa comes to town on Dec. 2 on a fire engine. I am being joined by some of the landslide family kids on the fire engine. Mark your calendars to come downtown that evening to ring in the season.

Things are looking up; let’s keep it positive!

* Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider is the mayor of Laguna Beach.

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