Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach honors five-term Councilwoman Toni Iseman
The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach honored the two-decade tenure of Councilwoman Toni Iseman with a luncheon Friday.
The five-term politician, a Nebraska native who moved to Laguna in 1970 and was first elected to the City Council in 1998, thanked her supporters at the event, held at the club’s headquarters on St. Ann’s Drive.
Her 20 consecutive years on the council is a record in a city that incorporated in 1927.
Despite the headaches that go with public office, “In Laguna,” she said, “it’s worth it.”
Iseman used her time at the podium to warn about the dangers of over-development in Laguna, which has long suffered from traffic congestion and lack of parking in its village setting. She said residents are feeling “cranky, tired and impatient.”
“We’re a coastal town, but not a coastal resort,” Iseman said. “We are being loved to death.”
Iseman suggested installing parking meters in South Laguna to dissuade out-of-towners from using the neighborhood for free, all-day beach parking.
She singled out businesses she said make Laguna great, such as The Ranch at Laguna Beach, Urth Caffe, La Casa del Camino and the Old Pottery Place, and institutions like the Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Playhouse and Laguna College of Art + Design.
“It’s an amazing town,” she said, with “too much to do.”
Iseman’s term expires this year. She didn’t announce Friday whether she is running for a sixth term, but didn’t rule it out either.
She did, however, joke about opening a seniors-only bar where IDs are checked at the door to ensure an appropriate age.
“Do I Come Here Often?” could be its name, Iseman said.
Iseman concluded her remarks with a call to civic duty.
“We have a responsibility to the next generation,” she said. “So all of us, let’s do the right thing.”
City Manager John Pietig praised Iseman’s interest in seemingly mundane issues, such as vector control and wastewater, and her extensive network of contacts to get help for the city.
“You have to admire her educational background, her experience, her tenacity, the way she represents her constituents, her resiliency,” added retired City Manager Ken Frank.
He noted how “she’s no flash in the pan.”
Resident Rita Conn praised Iseman’s commitment, saying she’s never shown a hidden agenda.
“Compassion is not a choice; it’s an instinct,” Conn said, “and she has that.”
Realtor Chris Tebbutt, who established the Laguna Beach LGBT Heritage and Culture Committee, praised Iseman’s efforts on behalf of the community. He noted how she came to the group’s first meeting and, as mayor in May, presided over a city proclamation that made June Laguna Beach’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage and Culture Month.
“You work tirelessly, behind the scenes, to get things done,” Tebbutt said.
Iseman was also credited with helping AIDS victims in the disease’s early days, which were particularly devastating in Laguna Beach. Those remarks received a standing ovation. Another followed when Iseman concluded her speech.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
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