City Council Meeting Wrap-Up

The following is from the Oct. 18 City Council meeting:

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PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

•Bruce Hopping complained that Laguna has no affordable restaurants, suggested the Festival of Arts do something to thank Laguna residents for putting up with summer hassles, and requested the city sponsor a sand castle contest.

Festival of Arts member Pat Kollenda pointed out that residents are admitted free to the festival grounds every day of the show. Richard Picheny named some affordable restaurants in town.

•Robert Ross verbally attacked federal Judge David O. Carter and City Attorney Philip Kohn. He said no action had been taken on his complaint about encroachment into streets in Top of the World.

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Saturation patrols to target DUI drivers

The council approved unanimously an agreement with the Anaheim Police Department to participate in the AVOID Campaign to conduct six saturation patrols from December through September 2012. They also approved accepting grant funds of $7,500 for overtime pay to officers for the sole purpose of targeting motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Laguna ranks No. 1 overall for DUI arrests, but also ranks No. 1 compared to 97 other cities with similar population for fatal and injury traffic collisions involving alcohol, according to a staff report submitted by Workman. He is hopeful that participation in the program will decrease the number of alcohol-related collisions.

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Disaster Preparedness Committee appointment

Ann Quilter was appointed to serve on the city’s Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Committee through June 2013, to no one’s surprise.

The City Council approved at the Oct. 4 meeting the addition of a ninth member to the committee. Originally proposed to create a place for Quilter on the committee, the newly approved seat was opened to all applicants, which Councilwoman Verna Rollinger suggested was in line with council policy.

One other person did apply. Neither applicant attended the Oct. 18 meeting.

Quilter will serve as an interim voting member until her official appointment.

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Charging stations report

Drivers of electric vehicles will be charged for parking while recharging their vehicles at the city stations in the summer months.

Free parking during a trial period this summer showed a $1,712 loss in revenue.

To mitigate the loss, the council voted to charge a $5 parking fee for a maximum of four hours at the charging stations. Tickets will be issued for exceeding the four-hour limit.

Electricity, which will be free year-round, cost the city $215 and if the pattern of use continues, the annual cost should run about $800, city officials were told.

Data was collected between June 6 and Sept. 9 on the cost of electricity, lost revenue and the number of hours the two charging stations at Forest Avenue and Laguna Canyon Road were in service to determine a rate structure for the future.

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Next meeting

The council’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held Tuesday, beginning with a closed session at 5 p.m. The public meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 505 Forest Ave.

Meeting agendas are available by 4 p.m. the Thursday prior to the meeting in the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall. Agendas are also published on the city’s website, https://www.lagunabeachcity.net, by 5 p.m. the Friday before the meeting.

For more information, call the City Clerk’s Office, (949) 497-0705.

—Barbara Diamond