Official asks for public calm

City Atty. Philip Kohn defused a potential explosion Tuesday night at the City Council meeting with a plea to the public to be circumspect when commenting about the ACLU lawsuit challenging the city’s handling of the homeless.

In an unusual maneuver, Kohn publicly reported that informal settlement meetings are underway between the city and the ACLU, and both sides wished to avoid rancor that would ignite an already volatile situation. The uncommon practice of talking about an unresolved lawsuit was requested by the council.

“It was unusual, but the case had such high public visibility and was generating so much emotion, the council felt it would be advisable to try to lower the temperature and reinforce the city’s good intentions,” Kohn said Wednesday.

The public generally responded positively to Kohn’s plea.

“The city attorney has stolen my thunder,” the Rev. Colin Henderson said. “I came here tonight to speak on how important it is for us to come together. When we are under fire from the outside I am concerned that we do not get confrontational on the inside.”

Neighborhood Congregational Church pastor, the Rev. B.J. Beu, said religious organizations have an opportunity to elevate the discussions.

Reaction to a staff review of the implementation of the 14 council-approved task force recommendations presented by Assistant City Manager John Pietig did take some hits.

“I had some remarks that I will not read due to Phil’s [Kohn’s] remarks to avoid confrontation, but John’s [Pietig’s] report was not accurate,” homeless advocate Jim Keegan said.

Keegan disputed Pietig’s statements that citations for illegal camping on public property were rarely issued since February 2008 and that those were rescinded. Citations were issued for camping in Laguna Canyon, based on state law, not the city’s 1950 ordinance that is being challenged. And citations were issued for sleeping on private property and being drunk or disorderly in public — but those come under a different section of the city code.

“John’s report sounded very good,” Interfaith Council Chair Daga Krackowizer said. “But we can all read between the lines. There was more — much more to be said.”

Much of it was said at an Interfaith Council meeting Monday.

“It was a very constructive meeting at which recommendations and solutions were proposed,” Krackowizer said.

About 55 people attended and were encouraged to show up at the City Council meeting, which Krackowizer said accounted for the large turnout Tuesday.

She is collating recommendations and solutions suggested at the meeting for presentation to the City Council, if approved by the interfaith board.

“This is probably the most important thing we as a council should be doing,” Krackowizer said. “Personally I feel there is a lack of communication between the [Interfaith] council, the staff and the citizens. It’s muddled. Everyone should be on the same page.”

Not everyone sees the same thing when they look at the page.

The police department has been criticized for rough handling of the indigent. Doug DuMaurier, a homeless man who claims residency in Laguna for 61 years, tearfully accused police of breaking his arm.

Frank said Thursday the incident in question occurred during DuMaurier’s arrest on suspicion of stalking and intimidating a witness after an altercation at a local business. He complained of arm pain, was taken to the hospital, X-rayed and cleared to go to jail. Subsequently, a restraining order was issued banning DuMaurier from having contact with the victim or the victim’s family.

Police have been directed to track interactions with the homeless and report to the council, Pietig said.

“In Laguna, we believe all people should be treated equally,” Jean Raun said.

But the police had defenders.

Ann Krizman said she had seen officers spat on and cursed and still act in a compassionate manner.

“We need to address the homeless in the downtown area,” Krizman said.

Business owners complain that aggressive panhandling and antisocial behavior frighten customers and hurt business.

Sheila Bushard-Jamieson said she has a reputation for calling the police, but the panhandlers are not intimidated.

“As soon as the police leave, the panhandlers return,” Bushard-Jamieson said. “I have lived in Laguna Beach all my life, and I feel the city is more compassionate than any others around us.”

Nick Hernandez, who is connected to Habitat for Humanity, said Laguna is a generous town and offered the assistance of his group to help construct or remodel a property to use as a multipurpose center. They work cheap — about 15 cents on the dollar, he said.

A center operated by a nonprofit organization was the second of 14 recommendations by the city’s task force. The council approved a $100,000, no-interest loan, but no suitable site has been found by the Laguna Beach Relief and Resource Center, which operates out of a rental in Laguna Canyon, Pietig said.

The center was first organized to assist the victims of the 1993 fire and has continued to operate during subsequent disasters and as an ongoing resource for the disadvantaged.

Annual city grants of $15,000 to $20,000 help keep the center in business.

The city also matches in-kind $15,000 to $20,000 grants for cold-weather shelters in local churches.

Other contributions include setting aside a $100,000 loan to Friendship Shelter and grants to the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, which serves the uninsured or indigent.

“This is a town that knows how to come together,” longtime resident Arnold Hano said. “Rancor is not called for, but we have to get started.”

Mayor Kelly Boyd has taken some steps.

“I will personally submit names for a committee to oversee the implementation of recommendations made last year by the Homeless Task Force,” Boyd said.

“Some of them were on the task force, which represented a broad spectrum of the community. And they all were interested in helping the homeless.”

Task force members included Housing and Human Services Committee members Don Black and Faye Chapman, Friendship Shelter founder Henderson, Chamber of Commerce board member Dave Sanford, Krackowizer, Don Lee, Relief and Resource Center board chair Ed Sauls, Boyd and Councilwoman Toni Iseman .

Boyd, who initiated the task force, and Iseman will serve as council representatives on the new committee.

“I was generally pleased by the response of the public at the council meeting, but I wish they had attended some of the task force meetings to be better informed,” Boyd said. “I urge them to attend the oversight committee meetings to learn and to give input.”

BARBARA DIAMOND can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or coastlinepilot@latimes.com.