LAGUNA BEACH : Day Laborers Get Word on New Law

After years of trying to persuade day laborers to stay away from a corner in north Laguna Beach, a strict new ordinance appears to have done the job before it even becomes law.

The ordinance, which makes it illegal to solicit work anywhere except at the city-designated hiring lot on Laguna Canyon Road, was approved by the City Council last month.

When it goes into effect Sept. 20, workers and prospective employers who do not heed it will be liable for a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

Since the ordinance was approved, police have been distributing letters signed by Police Chief Neil J. Purcell Jr. advising workers of the coming restriction.

That, the chief said Wednesday, seems to have done the job.

“It has made a world of difference at the north end” of town, Purcell said. “They are just not there.”

This city has long struggled with how to show support for day laborers while keeping them away from residential areas where they tend to annoy homeowners.

After designating a hiring lot in the 1800 block of Laguna Canyon Road, the city in 1988 provided a bus to transport workers from Coast Highway to the canyon. In 1989, Laguna Beach spent $9,000 to make the lot more pleasant, installing portable toilets and a turnaround driveway.

When those efforts failed, the council earlier this year approved a law that held only employers responsible when work solicitation took place away from the lot. A task force was created to monitor the progress.

When that law proved ineffective, the task force recommended the broader ordinance making workers liable too.

While the new law has made a significant difference in most parts of north Laguna Beach, Purcell said, workers are still congregating at a few canyon locations other than the hiring lot so police have begun distributing the letters there as well.

“We’re hoping we have the same type of voluntary compliance and we won’t have to enforce that ordinance on anyone,” he said.

Members of the Cross Cultural Task Force are now trying to generate support for a future hiring hall and resource center for the workers.