City Council Recall in Laguna Beach

Recall no, public relations, yes.

The threats of recalling three members of Laguna Beach’s City Council because they have different interpretations of zoning laws is a waste of taxpayers’ money, council and civic leaders’ time and energy in fighting it.

What has happened to words like negotiation and arbitration?

Laguna Beach has the most extensive building restrictions in California, as noted by former planning director June Catalano. Members of our Planning Commission and design review board have pushed for better public relations tools to explain our many unique restrictions. The continual shortage of tax dollars against city government needs has created “make new laws, but spend little in trying to explain them.” Therefore, we are being subjected to “recall ‘em.”

The old axiom “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies in this case. We need to follow the example of our own Laguna Beach Police Department where in 1980 they hired an excellent public relations specialist with the title of Community Service Officer. The outgrowth of that has been our successful Neighborhood Watch program, and excellent police-business relationships with regard to checks and crime investigations.

The budget time for the city government is fast approaching. Dollars need to be spent for a public relations-oriented review using an outside specialist in this field. In this way, the city government can better communicate with residents and business people about our city’s unique positions. That could have eliminated the ruffled feathers that have now come to “Let’s recall ‘em, and fire the city manager.”

Recall, no. Better public relations, yes.

HARRY MOON

Laguna Beach