CITY COUNCIL WRAP UP

APPROVED

APPROVED

5-0

The following is from the Feb. 7 meeting of the Laguna Beach City Council.

CITY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

With more seats than applicants for the Parking, Traffic and Circulation and Recreations Committees, the City Council approved all of the applicants who filed by the deadline.

Neil Katz, Dennis Myers, Michael Schneider and Carolyn Wood were appointed to the Parking and Traffic and Circulation Committee. Myers and Wood were incumbents, and Katz is a former member. One seat remains unfilled.

Michael Hoag and Rebecca Meekma were appointed to the Recreation Committee, leaving two vacancies.

Terms for both committees are two years.

The council also extended the terms of the Environmental and the Housing and Human Services committees from March 1 to Nov. 1. Most of the members of the two committees would have served less than a year by March.

SUMMER TRAMS

More riders than ever rode the festival trams in 2005, an increase of 15% over the previous year.

To make the rides even more attractive this coming season, the council voted to make some changes in routes and hours of operation. City officials also decided to number the bus stops and add drivers. Service to Aliso Creek Inn, which added 12 minutes to the South Route and served few riders, will be eliminated. Aliso Creek Inn management will provide shuttle service for their patrons from the Inn to Coast Highway, where they will be picked up by the trams.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city will increase the festival tram system budget next fiscal year by $20,000 to hire more drivers. The goal is to reduce service delays during the driver’s evening mealtimes.

NATIVE VEGETATION PROTECTION

The council reviewed the city’s procedures for the removal of native vegetation and discussed ways to strengthen protection of hillsides and habitats.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council directed staff and the Planning Commission to consider modifications to city law. The proposals include:

1. Ensuring that a certified biologist is involved in requests by property owners to reduce vegetation for fire safety, or when there’s a request for goat-grazing to clear brush. Also, the proposal would create procedures to clarify the Fire Department recommendations to Design Review Board approvals as there have been misunderstandings in the past.

2. Fines for violating procedures.

3. Imposing a moratorium for applying or receiving permits if procedures are violated.

The council also recommended that areas disturbed by vegetation removal be restored to their original condition within 60 days of the Design Review Board’s approval of a restoration plan.

APPEAL HEARD

A neighbor appealed approval of a 670-square-foot addition and one-car garage at 494 Holy Street. The neighbor objected to the size of a deck on the project. He said it invaded his privacy.

WHAT IT MEANS

All of the council members asked he Design Review Board to reconsider the deck in the project to see if the neighbor’s concerns can be addressed.