Plastic Bag Ordinance Workshop Scheduled for October

Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig's weekly update:

Artist Open Studios. On Saturday, October 1, enjoy the opportunity to visit the art studios of 24 of Laguna’s talented artists. Held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event includes free parking and trolley service from the Act V parking lot, located at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road. Artist Open Studios is not only a fantastic opportunity to see, buy or commission beautiful art, it is also an adventure to artists’ studios to uncover new talent and rediscover established artists. This is a program of the Arts Commission and has been funded by the lodging establishments and City of Laguna Beach.

Canyon Acres Flood Plain Study. The most recent flood plain mapping done by FEMA increased the number of homes in Canyon Acres that are within the mapped 100 year flood plain. Those property owners have been required to purchase flood insurance. The FEMA study did not take into consideration the Canyon Acres storm drain constructed by the City two years ago. In March, the City Council authorized a $26,000 engineering study to revise the flood plain mapping. That study has been submitted to FEMA for approval. If approved, then all homes in Canyon Acres would be removed from the 100 year mapped flood plain. FEMA requires that the City send letters to all affected property owners. Letters were sent to 37 property owners this Wednesday.

Firefighter Fundraiser for MDA. On Saturday, September 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Fire Association will be conducting a “fill-the-boot” fundraising campaign to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The off-duty firefighters will be working in the area of Coast Highway and Beach Street.

Revised State implementation date for South Coast Marine Protected Areas. At the recent California Fish and Game Commission meeting in Redding on September 15, the Commission announced an updated implementation date for the South Coast study region. The new revised proposed implementation date is January 1, 2012. For the Fish and Game press release on the revised date, click here. For more information on the South Coast MPAs or MLPA, click here.

Plastic Bag Ordinance Workshop Scheduled in October. A workshop for local retail operators and restaurants owners to hear details and provide comments about a proposed city ordinance to prohibit retail establishments from distributing single-use, plastic carryout bags to customers is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 19 in the City Council Chambers. Although workshops are frequently held in the evening, a morning workshop is preferred in this situation to accommodate members of the retail industry and get their feedback along with the public. This is similar to what was done with the polystyrene issue. Please call 949-497-0390 with any questions about the proposed ordinance.

New Public Safety Communications Supervisor Kristen Berry. With the retirement of Rita Fraser, the Public Safety Communications Supervisor position was filled this week by Kristen Berry. Kristen comes to us from West Com where she supervised a staff of 20 public safety dispatchers serving three Orange County cities. She has over 22 years of experience in public safety dispatching and is an outstanding addition to the Police and Fire staff.

Eucalyptus Tree Trimming and Inspection. The City maintains 450 Eucalyptus trees. Over the next two months, the City’s tree maintenance contractor will be inspecting and trimming the largest and oldest 225 of these trees.