CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

The following is from the Laguna Beach City Council meeting of Nov. 20.

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STAFF CHAT

City Clerk Martha Anderson announced that the Registrar of Voters needs more than 6,000 volunteers to participate in the Feb. 8 Presidential primary. Information regarding the positions, compensation for the work and online applications may be found at www.ocvote.com/city. For more information, please contact Dennis.White@rov.ocgov.com or call (714) 567-7575.

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CONSENT CALENDAR

[Editor’s note: Consent calendar items get approved in one motion unless a member of the council, staff or public “pull” the item, which then requires opening it for public comment and a separate vote.]

Approved without comment:

?Minutes of the Nov. 6 adjourned and regular meeting

?General warrants totaling $1,772,001.63, issued Nov. 2 and payroll No. 10, in the amount of $701.961.89, issued Nov. 8

?Resolution extending the Bluebird Canyon Emergency Declaration, which is valid for only 21 days and must be renewed.

?A $16,500 contract to Wreckage Demolition to demolish city facilities at 503 and 504 Olive St.

?Resolution approving state Mills Act Preservation Agreements for 571 Graceland Drive and 2612 Solana Way and authorizing the city manager to sign the contacts with the property owners.

?Award of a $174,880 contract to GCI Construction for the Upper Park Avenue Storm Drain Project.

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Pulled for discussion:

?Community/Senior Center contracts awarded to Roy E. Whitehead Inc. for wood windows, $264,000; to Teserra for landscaping, irrigation and site furnishings, $160,896; and to Commercial Door Co. Inc. for a glazed overhead door, $13,102; 5-0

?Revocable license and encroachment permit for a new pedestrian entry feature, paving at grade and an existing fence and pilasters in the unimproved right of way at 430 Myrtle St., with a clarification that a gate height will be 5 feet, 6 inches 5-0

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DRB APPOINTMENTS

Incumbent Caren Luizzi and alternate Ken Sadler were appointed to two-year terms on the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board. Landscape architect Michael Wilkes was appointed to a one-year term as alternate.

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STATE BUILDING, FIRE CODES ADOPTED, 5-0

The council voted unanimously to adopt the 2007 editions of the California Building, Fire Mechancial and Plumbing Codes with local amendments.

Kinsman wanted the record to reflect that she did not approve of wood shingles on Laguna buildings.

Egly wanted the record to reflect that she thought the valuation threshold requiring the entire building to be sprinklered should be a 25% increase, rather than 50%.

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NON-RECYLABLE CONTAINERS BAN, 5-0

A proposal to prohibit single-use, expanded polystyrene food containers and kitchenware in Laguna food service establishments and preclude the use of expanded polystyrene or non-recyclable plastic in all city facilities and related concession, city-sponsored events or franchises at city facilities was given preliminary approval.

Exemptions may be approved if complying can be proved to cause an undue economic hardship or if there is no reasonable alternative.

Fines will be $100 for first violation, $200 for the second one and $500 for each subsequent violation.

Final approval requires a second reading and council vote.

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PTC RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED, 5-0

The council approved the recommendations from the Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee, based on a Fehr and Peers study, to convert sections of Cliff Drive and Beach Street to one-way traffic.

Cliff Drive will be one-way westbound from Broadway to Beach Street. Beach Street will be converted to one-way northbound from Broadway to Cliff Drive.

The change will create 20 diagonal parking spaces, a gain over the current eight parallel spaces.

The council also approved the PTC’s recommendation, based on the same study, to create a right turn lane from Legion Street onto South Coast Highway and to restrict parking on the north side of Eaglerock Way from Scenic Drive to Mar Vista Avenue.

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TOM BRADLEY STAMP, 5-0

Egly proposed council support for a stamp in honor of the late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. The League of California Cities is sponsoring the support, Egly said.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT LIASON SUB-COMMITTEE, 5-0

Egly, Kinsman and Assistant City Manager John Pietig were appointed to serve on a council sub-committee to meet with representatives of the Laguna Beach Unified School District to discuss the joint use of facilities.

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APPEAL DENIED, 5-0

The council denied an appeal of a Design Review Board approval of a Public Works project at Frontage Road and Arroyo Drive, which was supported by the Sawdust Festival and [Seven-Degrees] owner Mark Orgill. The sidewalk and street improvement project includes adding parking on Laguna Canyon Frontage Road.