AROUND TOWN - Aug. 1, 2008

Incumbents unchallenged so far in local races

No candidates, other than incumbents, have filed to run for election to offices in Laguna Beach as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday, City Clerk Martha Anderson said.

The election will be Nov. 4, coinciding with the election of the U.S. president.

The nominating period closes Aug. 8. Candidates must file a petition seeking to be placed on the ballot that contains signatures from 20 locally registered voters.

Two seats are up on the City Council. Mayor Jane Egly and Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman have both filed to run for reelection. Anderson and City Treasurer Laura Parisi have also filed. Anderson is seeking her second four-year term, and Parisi is hoping for a third four-year term. If an incumbent decides not to run, the nominating period will be extended for an additional week, for only that office.

Weary applicants compromise

The City Council may have come up with an innovation to resolve potentially contentious appeals.

An appeal of a Design Review Board approval of a home overlooking the Festival of Arts grounds was scheduled last on the July 22 agenda. By the time the council got to the item, it was about midnight, and representatives of the festival and the property owner had reached an amicable solution.

In the interim, the festival board will be asked to approve the modifications made to the design of the proposed single-family home on an Olive Street lot formerly owned by the city and sold to a consortium put together by Realtor Mark Christy.

Christy, the project architect, and about a half dozen festival board members, including board President Wayne Baglin, attended the meeting.

Architect Ron Yeo and Baglin said they had reached a verbal agreement to reduce the light and noise impacts of the home on the Irvine Bowl, in which the Pageant of the Masters is staged.

If accepted by both sides, the agreement will be submitted to the council at Tuesday’s meeting, which will uphold the Design Review Board’s 4-1 approval as amended.

Meters collect more than $300 for homeless

The five meters designated as collection sites for donations for the homeless have collected $313.43 during the first week of operation, City Manager Ken Frank reported in his July 25 City Manager’s update.

The money will go to the Laguna Relief and Resource Center for programs.

Air quality grant OK’d

The South Coast Air Quality District has approved a $75,000 grant to Laguna Beach to help pay for three new trolleys which use propane, Frank stated. The addition of these vehicles has already been approved by the council as part of the city’s long-range transit plan.

Four women to be honored by AAUW

The American Assn. of University Women will celebrate its 10th annual dinner honoring four outstanding women leaders in Laguna Beach on Oct. 20, at Tivoli Too.

Honorees this year are: Mary Ferguson, Jan Sattler, Betsy Jenkins and Susan Bryant.

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m., dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m. Cost will be $55 before Oct. 14 and $65 afterward.

For more information, call (949) 497-0986 and for membership questions, (949) 455-0748.