The following is from the May 17...

The following is from the May 17 meeting of the Laguna Beach City

Council.

BEACH ASHTRAYS

Scott Allen commended the council for adopting an ordinance

banning smoking on the beach but said the location of ashtrays and

signage needed to be reviewed. He recommended relocating the ashtrays

to beach access entries rather than next to benches, which he said

encourages rather than discourages smoking. City Manager Ken Frank

said he would look into the matter.

UTILITY POLE

Paul Huling said that everyone points a finger at someone else

when he tries to pinpoint responsibility for an unsightly utility

pole that was supposed to be removed in the Arch Beach Heights

undergroundproject. Sprint said the city is responsible. Frank said

it was up to Sprint to move the pole. He will check it out.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Rik Lawrence reminded the council that he had asked for an agenda

item about the city’s public notification procedures. Mayor Pro Tem

Steven Dicterow said he would put it on a future agenda. It is

tentatively scheduled for the June 7 council meeting.

SETTLEMENT AUTHORIZED

Frank announced that the council, in closed session, had

authorized a settlement of a lawsuit brought against the city and the

Festival of Arts for failure to provide adequate facilities for the

handicapped. The city’s share of the settlement was $10,000.

PARKING METER STUDY

Councilman Steve Dicterow said he and Councilwoman Jane Egly had

hosted another neighborhood parking meeting, at which it was agreed

the city should hire a traffic consultant recommended by one of the

members of the participating neighborhoods.

The consultant will conduct an analysis of the meter bagging

program -- an attempt to gauge the effect of non-metered parking on a

specified section of Glenneyre Street. Dicterow said he hoped the

process would lead to broader recommendations to help solve the

problems in what the neighbors are calling the Flatlanders Village,

and throughout the city.

DONATION

The council thanked the Masson Family Foundation, Felix and

Kristen Martin and Brian and Shia Kennedy for their donation of

$4,400 to purchase a scoreboard, clock, ball lockers and balls for

the city’s water polo program.

EXPENDITURES

The council approved checks issued on May 5 and 6 in the amount of

$959,936.44 and a payroll of $513,512.46 on April 28.

The council:

* awarded a contract not to exceed $26,150 to Whitfield Associates

for improvements to Fire Station 4;

* approved the purchase of an aerial lift truck for $15,295 from

Great Pacific Equipment in Fontana; and

* awarded a $239,150 contract to Willdan for design and

construction management of the installation of six urban runoff

devices.

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT EXTENSION

The Business Improvement District, which funds art groups and

programs that bring tourists to town, was extended for 12 months. The

funding comes from a voluntary percentage of bed taxes paid by the

hotels and motels in Laguna. Laguna Surf, a time-share, submitted the

only opposition to the extension.

WHAT IT MEANS

The district will contribute an estimated $1,330,000 in fiscal

year 2005-06, to be divided among the Laguna Beach Visitor’s Bureau,

which will get $665,000, and the Laguna College of Art & Design,

Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Art Museum, Arts Commission and community

art organizations, each to get $133,000.

Proceeds from the district might be more. The estimate for fiscal

year 2004-05 was $1,230,000. As the year nears its end, the estimate

was revised to $1,426,800.

NEW LIFEGUARD QUARTERS AND PUBLIC RESTROOMS

The council awarded a contract not to exceed $175,000 to Whitfield

Associates to design a new headquarters for city lifeguards and a new

restroom for the public at the north end of Main Beach.

Laguna Art Museum Director Bolton Colburn said a flat roof on the

headquarters would be an ideal spot for plein-air painting classes.

WHAT IT MEANS

Lifeguards will finally get new headquarters that don’t smell and

give them a panoramic view of the beach.