City Council: 2 appointments made to Design Review Board
One seat on the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board is still up for grabs.
The City Council on Oct. 16 appointed Monica L. Simpson and Robin Zur Schmiede to the board for terms to start Feb. 1 and run through Jan. 31, 2015.
Councilman Kelly Boyd has proposed delaying the appointments and extend the application period because two incumbents who had been expected to reapply didn’t.
However, the council voted 3 to 2, Boyd and Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson opposed, to proceed with the interviews.
“I make my selections by comparing the applicants,” Pearson said.
Councilwoman Toni Iseman said if the council went ahead with the appointments, it might not have to extend the application period.
When only two of the four applicants were appointed, the council voted 3 to 2 to extend the application period to December.
The council voted 3 to 2 to interview applicants at the Dec. 4 meeting, which will give them plenty of time to attend at least two board meetings, as recommended by the council.
Iseman and Mayor Pro Tem Verna Rollinger opposed the Dec. 4 date, preferring to do the interviews at the Nov. 13 meeting.
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Property owner to pay city to get rid of easement
Laguna Broadway LLC has agreed to pay the city $20,000 toward the design and construction of a pedestrian pathway between Laguna College of Art & Design and the ACT V parking lot in return for the elimination of a public access easement across its property.
The California Coastal Commission has conditionally approved the removal of the easement, subject to completion of the pathway and the $20,000 contribution toward the pathway project.
Public Works Director Steve May said this was the procedure used in 2007 to allow Three Arch Bay Assn. to obtain a coastal development permit to repair a stairway to the beach, conditioned on a contribution by the gated community toward the public beach access at Brooks Street.
The vote was 4 to 0. Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson recused herself because her office is in a building owned by Laguna Broadway LLC.
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Waste Management negotiations extended
The City Council approved a six-month extension of the contract with Waste Management of Orange County, which was due to expire June 30, 2013.
Without the extension, City Manager John Pietig said the city would have had to request bids for solid waste collection services within the next few weeks.
“This is a short-term extension to continue negotiations.” Pietig said. “If we cannot reach an agreement, the contract will be put out to bid.”
The extension moves the expiration date of the seven-year contract to Dec. 31, 2013.
“I am disappointed with the company,” said former Waste Management employee David Ross, who was let go by the company after 30 years.
“If I was still in charge, the contract would completed by now. You should be aware that industry has changed. Waste Management has changed....When the six months is up, you will have options you didn’t have before. I don’t represent any company, but if it gets to that point there are four other companies that would give you a contract.”
Staff will report to the council in January on the status of the negotiations and contract options.
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