Nothing Fishy Here: New No-Take Zone Is Coming January 1st

Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig's weekly update:

New Marine Protected Areas to take Effect January 1st - The Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve and Laguna Beach “No-Take” State Marine Conservation Area will be implemented on January 1st, 2012, per the California Department of Fish and Game.  The reserve extends from Abalone Point in Irvine Cove south to Goff Point off of Treasure Island.  The conservation area then extends to Seacliff Drive at Table Rock beach.  Take of all living marine resources is prohibited in both Laguna Beach MPAs.  The remainder of South Laguna is included in the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area that allows the recreational take of finfish, lobster, and urchin, and has specific protections for the tidepools. The State of California Department of Fish and Game is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Marine Protected Areas throughout the state. California Fish and Game issued a press release on December 16th, 2011. For more information, see the press release by clicking here, or visit the California Department of Fish & Game site here.

Holiday Tree Recycling - Waste Management will collect and recycle Holiday trees at no charge between December 26, 2011 and January 13, 2012 on the regular collection day.  Trees four feet or taller must be cut in half.  Residents are reminded to remove decorations, tinsel, metal ornaments, and metal stands from trees.  Flocked trees will be collected but cannot be made into compost due to their chemical content.  After January 13, 2012, a tree can also be recycled by cutting it up and placing it in the green waste cart.

Farmers Market - The Farmers Market manager has notified the City that the Farmers Market will be closed the next two weeks on Saturday, December 24 and Saturday, December 31 due to the holidays. The Farmers Market will resume on Saturday, January 7, 2012.

Citizen’s Academy - After over three years without a class, the Police Department announced this week that the City will sponsor a Citizen Academy class starting February 9, 2012.  A waiting list has almost already filled the twenty-five open seats for this free program.  The Citizen Academy is a one night a week event for twelve weeks designed to provide community members with a better understanding of the Laguna Beach Police Department.   The class also serves as a training program for newly hired civilian police employees.  This will be the department’s seventeenth class with 328 graduates.

Parking Spaces on Bluebird Canyon Drive - On January 26, 2012 the Parking, Traffic and Transportation Committee will consider a request from City staff to establish ten parking spaces on the 1300, 1400 and 1500 blocks of Bluebird Canyon Drive.  Public notices were mailed yesterday inviting residents to attend the meeting and comment on the proposal.  This issue arose from two requests from residents to impose parking restrictions on Bluebird Canyon Drive to provide for adequate access for public and emergency vehicles.  No parking – tow away restrictions had been established by the City Council in 1992 on both sides of Bluebird Canyon Drive from Rancho Laguna Road to 1595 Bluebird Canyon Drive.   However, many of the signs had been missing or removed for several years.  In August, City staff re-installed the signs after notifying residents.  In response to several requests for preservation of parking, Public Works identified ten parking spaces that could be restored and still provide at least a 16 foot wide travel lane and seven feet of parking width.  The Fire Department would prefer to continue with the existing parking restrictions to provide 20’ of lane width to facilitate the movement of emergency response vehicles in the neighborhood.

City Hall Closed on December 26, 2011 and January 2, 2012 – As a reminder, City Hall will be closed on these dates.