LAGUNA BEACH : Supervisors Name 2 to Water Board

Two of the four directors of the South Coast Water District who forgot to file candidacy papers for reelection were appointed to serve new four-year terms this week by the County Board of Supervisors.

James Smith and Harry Lawrence, both of Dana Point and both incumbents, will be officially seated on the board at its Dec. 15 meeting. Smith lives in the Monarch Beach section of the city and Lawrence, an 18-year board member and its president, lives in Monarch Bay.

Eric Jessen of Laguna Beach, a manager in the county’s Environmental Management Agency, and Ingrid McGuire of Dana Point will fill the two remaining seats. Jessen was also appointed by the board and McGuire, a former Dana Point council member and the only candidate to file for election, automatically won a seat on the seven-member panel.

The supervisors were forced to make appointments Nov. 3 because the four incumbents, all of whom had plans to seek reelection, missed the filing deadline. The two incumbents who will be leaving the board are Charles Benton and Ed LaBahn.

The district provides water and sewer service to about 7,300 customers in south Laguna Beach, the northwest portion of Dana Point and a small portion of Laguna Niguel.