Laguna Beach Election 2026 · Candidate forum Completed forum
Laguna Beach Chamber Forum: Video, Answers & Transcript
Held Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 6:00–9:00 p.m. at Council Chambers.
Published recording · 2:15:58 · Published by NimbleGov PAC. Open the original on YouTube →
Moderator: Ed Steinfeld · Voice of Laguna
Forum held October 15 · Coverage updated October 16, 2026
16 discussion topics, seven participating candidates
Ed Steinfeld of Voice of Laguna moderated this debate, sponsored by the Chamber and Laguna Board of Realtors. Questions came from the sponsors and moderator. Seven candidates participated. Steinfeld said Sue Kempf and Mark Orgill had reported illness; both were absent. He read Orgill’s submitted statement at 12:10. Candidates received different prompts and follow-ups; the index includes 80 selected responses, opening and closing statements, and attendance records for all nine candidates.
Source and attribution notes
YouTube automatic English captions exported through the browser on October 16, 2026. Speaker attribution uses explicit moderator handoffs and identifying context. This is a debate with selected responses, not equal rounds. No answer is inferred from silence. Claims and accusations are attributed; the source captions remain uncorrected and are not independent verification.
NimbleGov PAC published the recording on October 16; the uploader is separate from the event sponsors. Topic headings and summaries are paraphrases. The caption export preserves automatic transcription errors in names, numbers and technical terms. Speaker assignments follow moderator handoffs; uncertain unannounced interjections are not assigned to candidates. Statements about finances, lawsuits, immigration enforcement and other people remain attributed claims. An allegation in the recording is not a verified finding.
Explore all 16 topics and indexed responses
- Economic development · 13:32
What does successful economic development look like, and how should the City support existing businesses and attract suitable new businesses?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffSupports faster approvals for small businesses while retaining protections for Laguna’s character. Favors easing unreasonable parking barriers but cautions against unrestricted changes that could concentrate similar businesses.
- Karen MartinCalls for predictable permitting and says application requirements can discourage property owners and tenants. Questions the efficiency ordinance’s owner-verification and indemnification provisions.
- Alex RounaghiFavors predictable, streamlined approvals rather than City recruitment of specific retailers. Cites shorter permit timelines, AI-assisted processing and easing parking requirements as ways to support businesses.
- Ashley CintasCalls for City involvement in helping property owners update aging, inaccessible buildings, faster permitting, and coordination with brokers to bring suitable businesses to available spaces.
- Joy BerryWants marketing to support local businesses and artists rather than simply promote Laguna as a place to visit. Emphasizes attracting businesses that fit the community.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Housing locations · 19:18
Where should housing be accommodated in the Downtown Specific Plan, and how should the City address state housing requirements?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffOpposes new development in the downtown core; sees more opportunity near the arts district and some commercial conversions. Questions parking allowances and additions above older buildings.
- Alex RounaghiSupports updating the Downtown Specific Plan to preserve local housing control. Supports adaptive reuse but identifies fire-code costs as a barrier and sees opportunity in existing arts-district live/work allowances.
- Ashley CintasWants updated population and housing data presented to the state before committing to housing numbers. Opposes new downtown development and favors examining vacant or aging properties elsewhere.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Beach safety · 22:39
How can the City improve beach-safety messaging, signage and outreach to visitors?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffProposes targeted social-media safety messaging and better beach signage. Connects advance warnings and adequate funding with reducing demands on emergency responders.
- Alex RounaghiSupports clearer beach-risk communication and coordination with the Coastal Commission on more effective signs. Is open to radio outreach if it reaches the visitors at risk.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Financial accountability · 25:58
Who would you trust with City finances, and what should change in financial reporting and oversight?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffLinks financial oversight to term limits and argues that changing long-serving committee membership can help bring different approaches.
- Karen MartinSays residents often struggle to be heard and connects financial-accountability concerns with her longstanding requests for a consistent, updated General Plan before zoning changes.
- Alex RounaghiAgrees with monthly financial reporting, cites the finance-department audit and recommendations, and characterizes treasurer/staff friction as a structural issue. Says the fiscal memo recommended ending reliance on capital-project funds to balance operations.
- Ashley CintasCalls financial conflict a prioritization and accountability failure. Says staff and Council should resolve disagreements and deliver reliable financial information rather than repeat election-year promises.
- Laura ParisiCalls for timely audits, reliable numbers and monthly Finance Department reports. Defends the elected treasurer as an independent check for voters rather than treating the office’s conflict with staff as merely organizational.
- Joy BerryCalls for accessible public financial figures and says Council must take responsibility for resolving staff conflict and protecting financial security.
- Edward BayukCalls for qualified CPA participation in financial oversight and respect for the treasurer’s role. Argues that independent professional review can help detect problems.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Tourism and local spending · 35:14
How should Visit Laguna Beach and the Chamber attract visitors who support local businesses and the arts?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffSupports consolidating Visit Laguna Beach and the Chamber. Wants tourism resources directed toward local businesses and arts rather than primarily marketing beaches, and criticizes existing leadership arrangements.
- Karen MartinSays concert approvals should address the General Plan noise element and effects on neighboring residents, rather than relying only on zoning-code discussion.
- Alex RounaghiSupports combining Visit Laguna Beach and the Chamber. Favors cultural events and institutions that serve residents and bring visitors who spend at local restaurants and hotels.
- Joy BerryRaises residents’ quality-of-life concerns about concert noise and argues that visitor-serving events must respect nearby homes and enforceable sound limits.
- Edward BayukSupports combining Visit Laguna Beach and Chamber resources to promote businesses, citing dissatisfaction he says he heard from local business owners.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Promenade lessons · 40:12
What would you have done differently on the Promenade project, including trees, costs, timing and communication?
Read indexed responses
- Alex RounaghiDefends the tree-removal decision on safety grounds but says the late notice and overnight process were the wrong communication approach. Would put experts on camera to explain evidence and methodology.
- Ashley CintasCalls for transparency on bids, costs, timelines and tree decisions. Says construction delays hurt downtown and argues that complete communication is a matter of leadership integrity.
- Laura ParisiWants future RFPs written so the public can understand cost categories and asks Council to consider citizen oversight of projects.
- Joy BerryCriticizes the project’s budget, disruption and handling of resident alternatives. Says less costly options could have preserved trees and accommodated both celebrations and parking.
- Edward BayukQuestions the process for authorizing construction drawings and raises concerns about tree impacts from subsequent street work.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Immigration enforcement and cameras · 45:11
What is your position on immigration raids in Laguna Beach, and what safeguards should govern Flock cameras?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffSays he did not knowingly endorse the banner in a circulated photograph, calls it an error in judgment, and opposes immigration raids on local businesses. Wants transparent reporting on Flock-camera purposes and results and would revisit the contract if benefits are not demonstrated.
- Alex RounaghiSays Flock data use and retention are limited by California law, including immigration-related rules. Cites a hit-and-run investigation as an example of utility while emphasizing privacy and constitutional protections.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Homelessness and outreach · 49:49
What should the City do about homelessness downtown, outreach and park-ranger staffing?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffCalls for regional cooperation and financial support from the County and neighboring cities, rather than leaving Laguna residents to shoulder homelessness-service costs alone.
- Karen MartinSupports personal outreach that identifies people’s needs and helps reconnect them with home or services. Questions the community impact of visibly armed park-ranger patrols and says she would budget for human-centered outreach.
- Alex RounaghiDescribes participating in the homelessness point-in-time count, calls for stronger state treatment/conservatorship tools, and says changes to the shelter contract sought to reduce downtown impacts.
- Edward BayukCalls for identifying individual needs and greater engagement with state officials over homelessness laws. His claims about organizations bringing people into Laguna are not independently verified by this index.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Council term limits · 55:17
Why support or oppose City Council term limits?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffSupports term limits, arguing that established political networks can discourage new participants and that the proposed service period still allows substantial time to accomplish goals.
- Karen MartinSupports term limits, arguing that Council appointments can repeatedly place the same people in City commissions and related roles.
- Alex RounaghiOpposes mandatory term limits, citing an informed electorate’s ability to decide whether incumbents should continue. Rejects the suggestion that Laguna lacks talented potential candidates and says he does not envision serving more than eight years himself.
- Ashley CintasSupports term limits, arguing that incumbents’ name recognition and campaign spending make it harder for challengers to compete.
- Laura ParisiSupports term limits for the policymaking Council while distinguishing that role from the operational continuity of an elected treasurer.
- Joy BerrySupports term limits, citing incumbents’ name recognition, established networks and the influence of large independent campaign spending.
- Edward BayukUrges incumbent turnover and criticizes potential developer-related conflicts. Does not give a separate, direct yes/no answer to the term-limit measure in this exchange.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Planning and building process · 1:01:30
What is the first change you would make to improve planning and building approvals, objective standards and recordkeeping?
Read indexed responses
- Karen MartinWants a clear roadmap for resolving conflicting codes, better plan intake and accessible records. Says objective standards must be consistent with state law and criticizes the new efficiency-ordinance application.
- Alex RounaghiRegards specialist planning staff as a possible management approach but emphasizes eliminating unnecessary regulation, simplifying property reports and creating legally defensible objective standards while protecting views.
- Ashley CintasWants an implementation plan for objective standards, stronger project management and better communication across departments. Says consistent rules and clear responsibility would improve approvals.
- Joy BerryProposes specialist planning staff for ADUs, remodels, new construction and commercial work, with staff empowered to become experts. Criticizes subjective property reports and favors clearer standards.
- Edward BayukOpposes shortening or changing record retention and says keeping property history helps protect residents and avoid mistakes.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Efficiency ordinance and trail access · 1:08:00
Did the efficiency ordinance change public-access requirements, and should access through the Ranch trail be pursued?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffSupports finding a way to reopen the blocked trail connection, linking walking access with the City’s stated goals for reducing car use.
- Alex RounaghiSays the efficiency ordinance carried forward existing General Plan and municipal-code access language rather than creating a new requirement. Distinguishes that issue from the Ranch’s separate coastal permit history.
- Joy BerrySupports reopening the mountain-to-sea trail connection and following planning and environmental rules consistently, citing benefits for residents, hikers and wildlife.
- Edward BayukArgues that state coastal agencies have authority to address blocked access and supports pursuing an open trail connection, while acknowledging he does not know the full history.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Construction, flooding and infrastructure · 1:14:00
Should the City develop business-recovery measures and coordinate downtown construction schedules, and how should it prioritize flood and coastal infrastructure?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffQuestions shifting capital-project money and criticizes the fairness and planning of temporary restaurant seating during construction. Suggests considering relief for other affected downtown businesses.
- Karen MartinQuestions spending and deliverables on the zoning-code update and says a compliant General Plan should come first. Urges Council to hold staff and legal advisers accountable and correct mistakes.
- Alex RounaghiAcknowledges that the Promenade construction timing could have been different. Supports rapid, well-communicated infrastructure work, acknowledges the stormwater plan is behind schedule, and raises integrated water/wastewater management and outside funding challenges.
- Ashley CintasSupports a recovery plan for businesses affected by successive construction projects and reviewing Zone 4 timing. Challenges stormwater delays and advocates earlier use of coastal-adaptation grants and completing funded projects.
- Joy BerryQuestions floodplain due diligence and repeated studies and argues that neighborhood needs, including South Laguna park repairs, should receive attention alongside major downtown spending.
- Edward BayukUrges seeking state-agency funding and says earlier warnings about flooding should have received greater attention.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Vacant storefronts · 1:26:10
How should the City, commercial landlords, brokers and the Chamber fill vacant storefronts, including possible vacancy penalties?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffProposes easier seasonal pop-ups and coordination with other cities and the state. Would examine results of vacancy ordinances elsewhere before selecting penalties, while urging more proactive landlord outreach.
- Karen MartinArgues that property appreciation can reduce landlords’ incentive to rent or sell. Proposes lobbying for tax-policy changes that could encourage transactions, acknowledging those decisions sit at state or federal level.
- Alex RounaghiPrioritizes permit and parking reform over a recruitment department alone. Describes tools for identifying permitted property uses and coordination with Caltrans and the County to accelerate approvals.
- Ashley CintasProposes bringing owners and brokers together and fast-tracking building upgrades. Supports a vacancy tax after an allowance for owners to fill spaces, with the exact timeframe still to be determined.
- Joy BerrySupports proactive economic-development staff who recruit suitable businesses, solve approval problems and work with property owners and residents. Wants marketing focused on businesses and artists.
- Edward BayukEmphasizes property rights but proposes an ombudsman or direct contact with landlords to help leasing. Calls for enforcement of property-maintenance requirements and separately raises a hospital-acquisition idea.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- City management and legal spending · 1:35:20
Should the City add a COO-type management position, and how should management accountability and legal spending be handled?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffOpposes adding the COO-type position before assessing existing staffing and potential cuts. Wants measurable legal-department goals and clearer reporting of settlement spending.
- Karen MartinQuestions the COO position and favors moving HR oversight out of Finance. Challenges claims of legal-cost savings and wants department heads empowered to resolve issues directly.
- Alex RounaghiSupports the COO-type role as an operational-accountability tool developed with the city manager. Says Council oversees the manager and attorney rather than individual employees, and defends the in-house attorney model as a way to reduce risk.
- Ashley CintasOpposes adding a COO-type position and says she would eliminate it. Argues that tracking initiatives and holding departments accountable are existing city-manager responsibilities.
- Laura ParisiPrefers decentralized management and empowering department heads. Would direct resources toward staff and resident services instead of filling the COO position.
- Joy BerryOpposes additional layers of management and favors training and empowering staff. Questions spending public money on continued appeals after private developers leave litigation.
- Edward BayukOpposes bringing the City Attorney position in-house and raises concerns about liability and costs. These legal and cost claims are attributed rather than independently verified.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Mayor selection · 1:47:43
Should the mayor be directly elected, and how should mayoral selection and public communication work?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffFavors a predictable mayoral rotation established in advance rather than using the position as a bargaining tool. Does not give a direct yes/no commitment to a separately elected mayor.
- Karen MartinSuggests a directly elected mayor could handle public-facing concerns while allowing the city manager to focus on operations and department heads.
- Alex RounaghiHas no settled position on a separately elected mayor and sees no clear problem with the current arrangement. Emphasizes the mayor’s public communication role and the city manager’s operational role.
- Ashley CintasRedirects the discussion toward conflict-of-interest safeguards in City business rather than personal allegations. Does not give a direct answer on electing a mayor.
- Joy BerryOpposes bargaining over the mayoral role. Calls for either clear, impartial selection rules or an elected mayor rather than informal pressure to agree with colleagues.
- Edward BayukRaises allegations involving the absent mayor and private business litigation; the moderator cautions that accusations require evidence. The exchange does not establish a position on electing a mayor or verify those allegations.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
- Civility and political harassment · 1:53:15
How should candidates and City-connected organizations respond to personal attacks and political harassment?
Read indexed responses
- Nick AronoffArgues that people serving City-connected organizations should meet higher conduct standards and should not harass candidates online. Thanks Rounaghi for speaking to the individual discussed while asking for broader leadership accountability.
- Alex RounaghiOpposes personal attacks, especially involving family or addresses, and says he communicated that privately to the individual discussed. Declines to take a definitive removal position because of potential legal and First Amendment issues.
- Ashley CintasCalls for Council members to publicly oppose intimidation and personal attacks and take responsibility for the political climate, while thanking Rounaghi for making contact privately.
- Laura ParisiSays Council should not condone abusive conduct by people representing themselves or City-connected organizations and suggests applying consistent civility expectations.
- Joy BerrySays candidates must take responsibility for abusive behavior by their supporters, reject it and prevent it from becoming part of City governance.
- Edward BayukCalls for mutual respect and grace, says leaders should address abusive conduct, and agrees that the individual discussed should not hold the City-connected role at issue.
Debate format: selected candidates answered each prompt; no response is inferred for candidates who did not speak in the indexed exchange.
Nick Aronoff
Read 14 responses and statements
Opening statement
Highlights local roots and international business experience; calls for open, practical leadership and support for small businesses without intimidation.
Watch statement · 4:51 ↗- 1. Economic developmentSupports faster approvals for small businesses while retaining protections for Laguna’s character. Favors easing unreasonable parking barriers but cautions against unrestricted changes that could concentrate similar businesses.
- 2. Housing locationsOpposes new development in the downtown core; sees more opportunity near the arts district and some commercial conversions. Questions parking allowances and additions above older buildings.
- 3. Beach safetyProposes targeted social-media safety messaging and better beach signage. Connects advance warnings and adequate funding with reducing demands on emergency responders.
- 4. Financial accountabilityLinks financial oversight to term limits and argues that changing long-serving committee membership can help bring different approaches.
- 5. Tourism and local spendingSupports consolidating Visit Laguna Beach and the Chamber. Wants tourism resources directed toward local businesses and arts rather than primarily marketing beaches, and criticizes existing leadership arrangements.
- 7. Immigration enforcement and camerasSays he did not knowingly endorse the banner in a circulated photograph, calls it an error in judgment, and opposes immigration raids on local businesses. Wants transparent reporting on Flock-camera purposes and results and would revisit the contract if benefits are not demonstrated.
- 8. Homelessness and outreachCalls for regional cooperation and financial support from the County and neighboring cities, rather than leaving Laguna residents to shoulder homelessness-service costs alone.
- 9. Council term limitsSupports term limits, arguing that established political networks can discourage new participants and that the proposed service period still allows substantial time to accomplish goals.
- 11. Efficiency ordinance and trail accessSupports finding a way to reopen the blocked trail connection, linking walking access with the City’s stated goals for reducing car use.
- 12. Construction, flooding and infrastructureQuestions shifting capital-project money and criticizes the fairness and planning of temporary restaurant seating during construction. Suggests considering relief for other affected downtown businesses.
- 13. Vacant storefrontsProposes easier seasonal pop-ups and coordination with other cities and the state. Would examine results of vacancy ordinances elsewhere before selecting penalties, while urging more proactive landlord outreach.
- 14. City management and legal spendingOpposes adding the COO-type position before assessing existing staffing and potential cuts. Wants measurable legal-department goals and clearer reporting of settlement spending.
- 15. Mayor selectionFavors a predictable mayoral rotation established in advance rather than using the position as a bargaining tool. Does not give a direct yes/no commitment to a separately elected mayor.
- 16. Civility and political harassmentArgues that people serving City-connected organizations should meet higher conduct standards and should not harass candidates online. Thanks Rounaghi for speaking to the individual discussed while asking for broader leadership accountability.
Closing statement
Calls for earlier resident participation, clear explanations of spending, small-business support, infrastructure priorities and an open, respectful Council.
Watch statement · 2:01:51 ↗Karen Martin
Read 10 responses and statements
Opening statement
Cites municipal-planning experience and calls for defining problems, full costs and alternatives before approving projects.
Watch statement · 5:54 ↗- 1. Economic developmentCalls for predictable permitting and says application requirements can discourage property owners and tenants. Questions the efficiency ordinance’s owner-verification and indemnification provisions.
- 4. Financial accountabilitySays residents often struggle to be heard and connects financial-accountability concerns with her longstanding requests for a consistent, updated General Plan before zoning changes.
- 5. Tourism and local spendingSays concert approvals should address the General Plan noise element and effects on neighboring residents, rather than relying only on zoning-code discussion.
- 8. Homelessness and outreachSupports personal outreach that identifies people’s needs and helps reconnect them with home or services. Questions the community impact of visibly armed park-ranger patrols and says she would budget for human-centered outreach.
- 9. Council term limitsSupports term limits, arguing that Council appointments can repeatedly place the same people in City commissions and related roles.
- 10. Planning and building processWants a clear roadmap for resolving conflicting codes, better plan intake and accessible records. Says objective standards must be consistent with state law and criticizes the new efficiency-ordinance application.
- 12. Construction, flooding and infrastructureQuestions spending and deliverables on the zoning-code update and says a compliant General Plan should come first. Urges Council to hold staff and legal advisers accountable and correct mistakes.
- 13. Vacant storefrontsArgues that property appreciation can reduce landlords’ incentive to rent or sell. Proposes lobbying for tax-policy changes that could encourage transactions, acknowledging those decisions sit at state or federal level.
- 14. City management and legal spendingQuestions the COO position and favors moving HR oversight out of Finance. Challenges claims of legal-cost savings and wants department heads empowered to resolve issues directly.
- 15. Mayor selectionSuggests a directly elected mayor could handle public-facing concerns while allowing the city manager to focus on operations and department heads.
Closing statement
Argues that changing Council leadership can improve the community’s culture and how residents and workers experience City government.
Watch statement · 2:04:11 ↗Alex Rounaghi
Read 16 responses and statements
Opening statement
Highlights wildfire preparedness, law enforcement, water reliability, cultural events and shorter permit timelines.
Watch statement · 6:53 ↗- 1. Economic developmentFavors predictable, streamlined approvals rather than City recruitment of specific retailers. Cites shorter permit timelines, AI-assisted processing and easing parking requirements as ways to support businesses.
- 2. Housing locationsSupports updating the Downtown Specific Plan to preserve local housing control. Supports adaptive reuse but identifies fire-code costs as a barrier and sees opportunity in existing arts-district live/work allowances.
- 3. Beach safetySupports clearer beach-risk communication and coordination with the Coastal Commission on more effective signs. Is open to radio outreach if it reaches the visitors at risk.
- 4. Financial accountabilityAgrees with monthly financial reporting, cites the finance-department audit and recommendations, and characterizes treasurer/staff friction as a structural issue. Says the fiscal memo recommended ending reliance on capital-project funds to balance operations.
- 5. Tourism and local spendingSupports combining Visit Laguna Beach and the Chamber. Favors cultural events and institutions that serve residents and bring visitors who spend at local restaurants and hotels.
- 6. Promenade lessonsDefends the tree-removal decision on safety grounds but says the late notice and overnight process were the wrong communication approach. Would put experts on camera to explain evidence and methodology.
- 7. Immigration enforcement and camerasSays Flock data use and retention are limited by California law, including immigration-related rules. Cites a hit-and-run investigation as an example of utility while emphasizing privacy and constitutional protections.
- 8. Homelessness and outreachDescribes participating in the homelessness point-in-time count, calls for stronger state treatment/conservatorship tools, and says changes to the shelter contract sought to reduce downtown impacts.
- 9. Council term limitsOpposes mandatory term limits, citing an informed electorate’s ability to decide whether incumbents should continue. Rejects the suggestion that Laguna lacks talented potential candidates and says he does not envision serving more than eight years himself.
- 10. Planning and building processRegards specialist planning staff as a possible management approach but emphasizes eliminating unnecessary regulation, simplifying property reports and creating legally defensible objective standards while protecting views.
- 11. Efficiency ordinance and trail accessSays the efficiency ordinance carried forward existing General Plan and municipal-code access language rather than creating a new requirement. Distinguishes that issue from the Ranch’s separate coastal permit history.
- 12. Construction, flooding and infrastructureAcknowledges that the Promenade construction timing could have been different. Supports rapid, well-communicated infrastructure work, acknowledges the stormwater plan is behind schedule, and raises integrated water/wastewater management and outside funding challenges.
- 13. Vacant storefrontsPrioritizes permit and parking reform over a recruitment department alone. Describes tools for identifying permitted property uses and coordination with Caltrans and the County to accelerate approvals.
- 14. City management and legal spendingSupports the COO-type role as an operational-accountability tool developed with the city manager. Says Council oversees the manager and attorney rather than individual employees, and defends the in-house attorney model as a way to reduce risk.
- 15. Mayor selectionHas no settled position on a separately elected mayor and sees no clear problem with the current arrangement. Emphasizes the mayor’s public communication role and the city manager’s operational role.
- 16. Civility and political harassmentOpposes personal attacks, especially involving family or addresses, and says he communicated that privately to the individual discussed. Declines to take a definitive removal position because of potential legal and First Amendment issues.
Closing statement
Connects Laguna’s history with long-term water reliability, arts and wildfire preparedness. Identifies retaining hospital services as a priority and seeks another term.
Watch statement · 2:05:16 ↗Ashley Cintas
Read 11 responses and statements
Opening statement
Cites business operations and budget experience and calls for understanding connected impacts, setting priorities and finishing funded work.
Watch statement · 7:45 ↗- 1. Economic developmentCalls for City involvement in helping property owners update aging, inaccessible buildings, faster permitting, and coordination with brokers to bring suitable businesses to available spaces.
- 2. Housing locationsWants updated population and housing data presented to the state before committing to housing numbers. Opposes new downtown development and favors examining vacant or aging properties elsewhere.
- 4. Financial accountabilityCalls financial conflict a prioritization and accountability failure. Says staff and Council should resolve disagreements and deliver reliable financial information rather than repeat election-year promises.
- 6. Promenade lessonsCalls for transparency on bids, costs, timelines and tree decisions. Says construction delays hurt downtown and argues that complete communication is a matter of leadership integrity.
- 9. Council term limitsSupports term limits, arguing that incumbents’ name recognition and campaign spending make it harder for challengers to compete.
- 10. Planning and building processWants an implementation plan for objective standards, stronger project management and better communication across departments. Says consistent rules and clear responsibility would improve approvals.
- 12. Construction, flooding and infrastructureSupports a recovery plan for businesses affected by successive construction projects and reviewing Zone 4 timing. Challenges stormwater delays and advocates earlier use of coastal-adaptation grants and completing funded projects.
- 13. Vacant storefrontsProposes bringing owners and brokers together and fast-tracking building upgrades. Supports a vacancy tax after an allowance for owners to fill spaces, with the exact timeframe still to be determined.
- 14. City management and legal spendingOpposes adding a COO-type position and says she would eliminate it. Argues that tracking initiatives and holding departments accountable are existing city-manager responsibilities.
- 15. Mayor selectionRedirects the discussion toward conflict-of-interest safeguards in City business rather than personal allegations. Does not give a direct answer on electing a mayor.
- 16. Civility and political harassmentCalls for Council members to publicly oppose intimidation and personal attacks and take responsibility for the political climate, while thanking Rounaghi for making contact privately.
Closing statement
Calls for leadership measured by completed results, citing connected challenges in finances, storefronts, emergency care and infrastructure.
Watch statement · 2:07:19 ↗Laura Parisi
Read 5 responses and statements
Opening statement
Explains her move from the treasurer role to a Council candidacy as a response to financial-information and accountability concerns.
Watch statement · 8:50 ↗- 4. Financial accountabilityCalls for timely audits, reliable numbers and monthly Finance Department reports. Defends the elected treasurer as an independent check for voters rather than treating the office’s conflict with staff as merely organizational.
- 6. Promenade lessonsWants future RFPs written so the public can understand cost categories and asks Council to consider citizen oversight of projects.
- 9. Council term limitsSupports term limits for the policymaking Council while distinguishing that role from the operational continuity of an elected treasurer.
- 14. City management and legal spendingPrefers decentralized management and empowering department heads. Would direct resources toward staff and resident services instead of filling the COO position.
- 16. Civility and political harassmentSays Council should not condone abusive conduct by people representing themselves or City-connected organizations and suggests applying consistent civility expectations.
Closing statement
Calls for restoring the treasurer’s independent role, professional financial oversight and timely, trustworthy accounting to guide difficult spending decisions.
Watch statement · 2:09:28 ↗Joy Berry
Read 12 responses and statements
Opening statement
Cites business and hospitality experience and calls for independent, resident-focused protection of finances, environment and local character.
Watch statement · 9:56 ↗- 1. Economic developmentWants marketing to support local businesses and artists rather than simply promote Laguna as a place to visit. Emphasizes attracting businesses that fit the community.
- 4. Financial accountabilityCalls for accessible public financial figures and says Council must take responsibility for resolving staff conflict and protecting financial security.
- 5. Tourism and local spendingRaises residents’ quality-of-life concerns about concert noise and argues that visitor-serving events must respect nearby homes and enforceable sound limits.
- 6. Promenade lessonsCriticizes the project’s budget, disruption and handling of resident alternatives. Says less costly options could have preserved trees and accommodated both celebrations and parking.
- 9. Council term limitsSupports term limits, citing incumbents’ name recognition, established networks and the influence of large independent campaign spending.
- 10. Planning and building processProposes specialist planning staff for ADUs, remodels, new construction and commercial work, with staff empowered to become experts. Criticizes subjective property reports and favors clearer standards.
- 11. Efficiency ordinance and trail accessSupports reopening the mountain-to-sea trail connection and following planning and environmental rules consistently, citing benefits for residents, hikers and wildlife.
- 12. Construction, flooding and infrastructureQuestions floodplain due diligence and repeated studies and argues that neighborhood needs, including South Laguna park repairs, should receive attention alongside major downtown spending.
- 13. Vacant storefrontsSupports proactive economic-development staff who recruit suitable businesses, solve approval problems and work with property owners and residents. Wants marketing focused on businesses and artists.
- 14. City management and legal spendingOpposes additional layers of management and favors training and empowering staff. Questions spending public money on continued appeals after private developers leave litigation.
- 15. Mayor selectionOpposes bargaining over the mayoral role. Calls for either clear, impartial selection rules or an elected mayor rather than informal pressure to agree with colleagues.
- 16. Civility and political harassmentSays candidates must take responsibility for abusive behavior by their supporters, reject it and prevent it from becoming part of City governance.
Closing statement
Calls for rules-based environmental protection, independent Council decisions and resident-oriented spending rather than deference to developers or visitor promotion.
Watch statement · 2:11:03 ↗Edward Bayuk
Read 12 responses and statements
Opening statement
Cites public-board and business experience and emphasizes transparency, fiscal responsibility, public safety and infrastructure.
Watch statement · 10:58 ↗- 4. Financial accountabilityCalls for qualified CPA participation in financial oversight and respect for the treasurer’s role. Argues that independent professional review can help detect problems.
- 5. Tourism and local spendingSupports combining Visit Laguna Beach and Chamber resources to promote businesses, citing dissatisfaction he says he heard from local business owners.
- 6. Promenade lessonsQuestions the process for authorizing construction drawings and raises concerns about tree impacts from subsequent street work.
- 8. Homelessness and outreachCalls for identifying individual needs and greater engagement with state officials over homelessness laws. His claims about organizations bringing people into Laguna are not independently verified by this index.
- 9. Council term limitsUrges incumbent turnover and criticizes potential developer-related conflicts. Does not give a separate, direct yes/no answer to the term-limit measure in this exchange.
- 10. Planning and building processOpposes shortening or changing record retention and says keeping property history helps protect residents and avoid mistakes.
- 11. Efficiency ordinance and trail accessArgues that state coastal agencies have authority to address blocked access and supports pursuing an open trail connection, while acknowledging he does not know the full history.
- 12. Construction, flooding and infrastructureUrges seeking state-agency funding and says earlier warnings about flooding should have received greater attention.
- 13. Vacant storefrontsEmphasizes property rights but proposes an ombudsman or direct contact with landlords to help leasing. Calls for enforcement of property-maintenance requirements and separately raises a hospital-acquisition idea.
- 14. City management and legal spendingOpposes bringing the City Attorney position in-house and raises concerns about liability and costs. These legal and cost claims are attributed rather than independently verified.
- 15. Mayor selectionRaises allegations involving the absent mayor and private business litigation; the moderator cautions that accusations require evidence. The exchange does not establish a position on electing a mayor or verify those allegations.
- 16. Civility and political harassmentCalls for mutual respect and grace, says leaders should address abusive conduct, and agrees that the individual discussed should not hold the City-connected role at issue.
Closing statement
Emphasizes transparency, professional audit participation, infrastructure and support for businesses, and says he will continue making recommendations regardless of the election outcome.
Watch statement · 2:13:37 ↗Mark Orgill
Absent · attendance record
Submitted statement · read by moderator
In a submitted statement read by Ed Steinfeld, Orgill says he is ill and unable to attend. He cites civility, wildfire preparedness, water reliability, artist spaces, neighborhoods and modernizing City government as priorities.
Watch statement · 12:10 ↗Absent. At 3:16, moderator Ed Steinfeld said both Sue Kempf and Mark Orgill had contacted him to report illness. No live answers from this candidate are indexed.
Sue Kempf
Absent · attendance record
Absent. At 3:16, moderator Ed Steinfeld said both Sue Kempf and Mark Orgill had contacted him to report illness. No live answers from this candidate are indexed.
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- 0:10Let me have all the candidates take their places, please.
- 0:43All right. Okay. Welcome everybody. Uh my name is Ed Steinfeld. I'm with the voice of Lagona. I uh left a little more time for applause. That's okay. That's all right. Now it sounds like I asked for it.
- 1:00>> Uh, I want to thank the board of realtors and the good beach chamber of commerce for helping us with this today and being part of this >> recording in progress. >> Thank you very much. And I want to thank our uh
- 1:15candidates for wanting to serve our community. A big hand for the candidates, please. In just a couple of seconds, I'll be introducing them individually, and I will ask you at this point to hold your applause until they've all been
- 1:30introduced. Uh, and needless to say, you look like a classy bunch here. Uh, there is absolutely no booing of a candidate. Please, if you do boo, you get a yellow card and then a couple of booze, a couple of yellow cards, you've earned a red card,
- 1:46and you're out of here. Um, after the introductions, each candidate is going to have the opportunity for a one minute opening statement. And for the rest of us, that opening statement is a listening session. And I ask you to hold your
- 1:59applause after each opening statement until they're all done. And uh, this forum is going to be a little different than the other forms. It's going to be more of a debate. Uh, it's an exchange of ideas and opinions among the candidates. And once the
- 2:15questions get started, it's the audience's responsibility to observe. Remember uh and I'm going to thank you all for ahead of time for not involving yourselves in the conversation. Uh the candidates will get two minutes to
- 2:29respond to questions directly put to them and each of the other candidates will get anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes uh to respond and that'll be at my discretion depending on the question asked. And uh halfway through, I don't expect this to go three, four or five
- 2:45hours or anything like that. I I expect a couple hours, we should be able to take care of uh take care of business here if we move with elacrity. Uh but halfway through, we'll give the candidates a few minutes to take a little break. Uh and at the end of the
- 3:00questions, uh the candidates will each uh give us a two-minute closing statement. Uh I I thank the candidates. I understand that this is like the 200th uh forum that they've done and I respect their being here. Uh I got a couple of calls today from uh
- 3:18Sue Kemp and uh and Mark that uh they're both sick >> so they are unable to make it. Mark has uh uh sent in a statement and I'll be reading his statement for him when it's time. Uh and again I'll ask you to hold applause for that point.
- 3:36Uh, I will introduce the candidates to you. To, uh, my left, Nick Aronov, Karen Martin, Alex Ragi, Ashley Simus, Laura Perezy, Joy Barry, and Edward Bay. You may know >> since since there are board of realtor
- 4:04questions, real uh uh chamber of commerce questions and my own questions uh from voice of the we will be uh just skipping around a little bit, one from each and then maybe a couple from one, but we'll get to all of the questions that each of the entities has asked us
- 4:20to. And hopefully all of you have attended council meetings. So you'll hear the little warning buzz. We have 30 seconds left and then you'll hear the really annoying buzz. >> All right, we're going to start with our
- 4:46candidate one minute statements. We'll start to my left, Mr. Aronov. Good evening. Thank you, Ed. Uh, thank you for the chamber and the board of realators for hosting. Uh, I'm Nick Aronov. Uh, you know, I grew up here in Laguna. I've had a chance to live and
- 4:59work overseas, opening up offices and starting businesses in multiple cities around the world. Uh, I understand the risk and the work behind keeping uh those doors open. You know, tonight is about Luna's economy and the future and leadership in an atmosphere we need to
- 5:13move forward. Business owners and residents should never feel afraid to question their council members, speak publicly, or support another candidate. When people fear consequences for speaking up, we have a leadership problem. We have real
- 5:27problems to solve in this town, and more of the same won't deliver different results. I would bring practical experience, proactive leadership, fresh ideas, and an open door helping small businesses thrive while protecting Laguna's character and making sure
- 5:43everyone gets a fair share. And I would bring that commitment year round, not just during election season. Thank you. >> Thank you, Nick. Uh Karen. >> Hi, Karen Martin. I came to Lincoln Beach in 1986
- 5:59and believe I found place where I've always lived. So, I've been here a while. I'm not running for a political career. I'm running because residents do their homework, show up, and ask legitimate questions. Yet, too often
- 6:18they feel their voices are not heard. The prominant put a spotlight on a larger problem for me. Too often we start with a project or a preferred answer before we have a clearly defined problem. The full cost, the alternatives and the effect on residents. After more
- 6:37than 30 years in municipal planning, I know these problems can be solved. I will listen. I will do my homework, ask difficult questions, and explain my decisions. Thank you. >> Thank you, Karen, Alex. >> Thank you, Ed. Thank you for the
- 6:54opportunity. I I'm Alexi and I'm grateful to to be born and raised in Laguna Beach and really honored to have the opportunity to serve on the city council for the last four years. I'm proud of the work that um I've been able to do with my colleagues on the issues
- 7:07that really matter to people. Number one is always public safety. The question is not if but when the next wildfire happens and we saw that during the Rancho fire when it was really government at its best. Um fully funding law enforcement, water independence, um
- 7:21having more concerts of the Irvine which was a day that I'll always remember because the downtown was full and businesses were thriving and environmentally government efficiency as it relates to small business. Um, you know, that's what we need in terms of
- 7:34streamlining. We've cut the timeline by 30% and there's there's so much more to do. So, thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to the questions. >> Thank you, Alex. Ashley, >> thank you. I'm Ashley Cintis and we live in the most beautiful city in America,
- 7:50which is why I decided to invest my life savings and build a business here. Um, I own Odo Sushi right here in downtown. But I think one of the biggest challenges facing Lagona isn't a lack of ideas, studies, or even money. It's that we're not constantly looking at the
- 8:04whole picture when we make decisions. And we're seeing those consequences of that right now. Take the downtown. We're going to be about a year in construction. that impacts the business community, employee livelihoods, and what's going to happen when we have El
- 8:17Nino winter that will delay this even further. Our coastline, our finances, all of these aren't separate problems. They're decisions affect that affect something else. And ultimately, res residents and businesses pay the price. I've spent my career managing budgets,
- 8:31employees, operations, and complex projects. And as a business owner here, I experience the consequences of these decisions firsthand. What I want to bring to city council is a different approach. understand the full impact before we make decisions, set
- 8:43priorities, finish what we fund, and being accountable for the results. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ashley. Laura. >> Hello. I am Laura Paresi and I've been your elected treasurer since 1999. I'm seeking a council uh seat, not because
- 8:58I'm tired of being the treasurer, but because the council and staff made have made it increasingly difficult for me to do the job that you elected me to do and that I um expect of myself. Even though I've been limited to a part-time treasurer, I strive for excellence my
- 9:15role. In the other part of my time, I'm serving uh the county of Orange as the assistant treasurer tax collector and I can advocate for what's needed for the city. To that end, um the county treasurer is going to be providing access to uh some property tax reduction
- 9:31programs that uh may be available to those homeowners who have property damage with this storm. I also have worked to train California treasurers through CMTA, served as a legislative chair for treasurers and sponsored Senate Bill 742, which is
- 9:48transparency in city accounting that was signed in 2017. >> Thank you. >> Joy, >> a little bit about me. I'm a self-made businesswoman, a former executive with large corporations, and now a small
- 10:02business owner, excuse me, in the hospitality industry restoring historic in a camp along the central coast of California. I'm running because I believe our council, our current council has lost sight of its primary mission, which is that to be a protector, a
- 10:16protector of our finances, our environment, our historic resources and character, and most importantly, our quality of life. With my background in finance development, hospitality, as well as an activist who knows and respects the community, I'm ready to hit
- 10:30the ground running as an effective resident focused council member. We need more than one thought leader. council. We need independent voices who will have the courage to not go along if the decision if the decision is not good for the community. We need someone who will
- 10:44stand behind the rule of law. No more favoritism because of who you know or the money they offer political campaigns. I will be that voice. I love this town and I want to see us all succeed. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Joy. Ed.
- 10:58>> Hi, Edward B. Thank you all for coming this evening. Um I uh have lived here for more than 30 years and during that time have served the community as well as the state uh regarding three political appointments uh California new motor vehicle board California finance
- 11:17housing agency board of directors Nevada highspeed rail board as well as a trustee board member of art museum 2015 I was awarded a infregard award sponsored by a government agency promoting industries of importance to protect critical industries of the
- 11:36United States. I'm running for city council because I believe Laguna deserve beach deserves experience, independent leadership and value, transparency, fiscal responsibility, public safety, emergency preparedness, environmental stewardship and thoughtful
- 11:54planning. The train here has left the station. So, we are on a critical path here now and Laguna needs Laguna Beach residents need to make an important decision in this election season. Thank you, Ed. Appreciate it. Thank you. Uh I will now read the statement from
- 12:12candidate Orgill. Uh as I mentioned earlier, uh candidate Orgill and candidate Kemp are not here. Uh thank you to the ch to the Chamber of Commerce, Board of Realtors, and Voice of Luma for hosting tonight's forum. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling well and
- 12:27cannot attend. I've appreciated the opportunity to discuss Laguna's future through 10 candidate forums, my weekly mayor's update, and conversations with residents. When I first ran, I promised to help restore civility. We've made meaningful progress toward a more
- 12:42respectful, productive council that works through disagreements and gets things done. I'm running for re-election to build on that progress, strengthening wildfire preparedness, improving water reliability, protecting artist spaces and neighborhoods, and modernizing city
- 12:55government. Through our general plan update in partnership with the coastal commission, we're working to protect Laguna's culture, heritage, and environment while addressing today's pressures and planning for tomorrow. I remain committed to bringing people
- 13:07together and keeping Laguna safe, resilient, and special. Okay, so as I mentioned to you all, uh this is an This is uh in debate style. So I will point a question at one of you and then ask another of you for a followup. And any candidate that wants a
- 13:25piece of that action, just raise your hand and I'll give you a few seconds to to dial into that. Okay. Let's talk about economic development and the city's role. And I'll uh I'll start with Karen. Uh
- 13:40in your view, what does successful economic development look like for Laguna Beach? and what role should the city play in supporting existing businesses and attracting new businesses that align with our community? I'll add that at one time the city used to have
- 13:55an initiative called open for business and they used to advertise it outside the boundaries of the city to invite potential businesses to come and talk to planners and the people who would be involved in the approvals. Uh have we lost our imagination not having things
- 14:12like that? Thanks for the question. Oops. >> Thanks for the question. Um, I think what we've lost is the um trust in the businesses that would love to locate here in town and be a part of our community. We've lost that trust because
- 14:32our permitting process doesn't work. Mark Orle states that the general plan update is underway, but actually they have not even issued the RFP for the general plan update. They only discussed it two weeks ago. Um, I think what businesses need is predictable
- 14:48permitting. The efficiency ordinance has an application process that makes it almost impossible for a property owner to sign. I can give you specific examples of that if you'd like. Um, one specific example is it asks the property owner to completely indemnify the city
- 15:07and verify that everything in the application that is for the tenant is true and correct. Essentially moving the responsibility of the city planning department to the property owner. I think that's really going to hurt our community. I
- 15:25think our we've gone in the wrong direction. I think there's many people that would like many people and businesses that would like to to be here. It's just not a safe environment for somebody to invest in. >> Okay, Alex, take a minute and uh do you
- 15:41agree? >> Um I I don't agree. I'd like to talk more about the identification things. That's typically pretty standard for applications, but we can talk offline about that. Um but I think for me it's really about streamlining. I'm against I
- 15:52don't think that city government is really good at going out there and finding the best uh retail. That's just not what city government does. we should be doing is making it a very predictable and streamlined process. Um, and so we've cut the time from initial submitt
- 16:05to to building permit by 30%. I think that's it was a low bar before. There's more to be done there. I'm excited about the possibility with AI. Imagine a world where you could have a business approved in 15 days what we'd be able to do. And then also streamlining our parking
- 16:18requirements. Wave sandwiches is a perfect example of the draconian parking requirements that really get in the way of small businesses that we want to see in this community. So, I think that um that really the key is not to be having, you know, where the city's having to go
- 16:33out and recruit people, but instead have a really predictable and streamline code where the small business is able to want to invest in. >> All right. I'm going to give Nick and Joy each 30 seconds. Nick, give me 30. >> Yeah. I think sometimes, you know,
- 16:45government needs to get out of the way. I think when we're, like Alex said, when we're uh trying to control, there's a good time to be in the way, like we want to make sure we're not opening up our doors to a bunch of Fortune 500 companies and
- 16:57which I think we need to continue to uh keep the character of Laguna and focus on small businesses but you know by doing that and wanting that you know a small business owner can't be paying rent for six months while waiting for a c and that's where we need to get out of
- 17:10the way and make things easier as much as I agree with Alex's comment about uh making things easier for businesses like waves when it comes to parking we can't just open the floodgates and then any you know we're going to have a bunch of ice cream shops on uh on the prominade
- 17:24and that's because of bad polic We have bad policy. We get a bunch of coffee shops and ice cream places. >> Thank you, Nick. Enjoy. >> There's a big difference between marketing a place and a business. And unfortunately, our incumbents have
- 17:37focused on marketing our location and attracting more people to come. Our marketing dollar should go to be helping the businesses and the artists and marketing and attracting those businesses to town. I think a lot of it is how you message your location and
- 17:52your attractiveness to bring these people in. And I And I feel like our um messaging has been all wrong. >> Okay. Ashley through. >> Yeah. So I mean it's it's a two-sided problem. Um having done a restaurant built a restaurant here. So the city
- 18:10does need to get involved when it comes to the property owners. We have a lot of independent property owners here and a lot of the buildings are s like very aging infrastructure. They need ADA updates etc. So they need to be incentivized to want to upgrade their
- 18:24buildings otherwise no one's going to be coming in because it's going to cost a lot of money from for an independent business to come in. So there needs to be a better um fasttrack pering process which every city does and then we need to make it knowledgeable with work
- 18:37working with brokers of what's available. I mean it's a two-sided process but the city definitely needs to get involved. >> All right. Thank you. And so I've been a business owner here as well as a commercial property owner. I've had
- 18:48tenants and I know business owners here. I know all the commercial uh renters as well, but I there's this the city is very difficult to deal with. I there's a business person that's sitting in the audience uh Laguna Beach Laguna Nursery Ruben Florence. It took him forever to
- 19:09get sign signage permits done correctly and he would submit them and they ran them around ran them around. It took him five years to for me Ashley opened the business. It shouldn't be like that. >> Thank you. Okay. Uh, next question directed at Ashley Centus. What
- 19:26locations would you identify to add housing in the downtown specific plan in order to satisfy the requirements of our HMA? >> I keep forgetting to turn this off. So, sorry. Um, well, first I would want to we need to relook at the data and
- 19:42represent it to the state. So, the housing um housing that we uh numbers that we gave to the state was from 2019 and our population has decreased. So I wouldn't want to give any form of approval of an amount and so we go back to the state and most likely get a
- 19:56reduced number. Two, I do not want to develop the downtown whatsoever. Um there's a lot of other um areas other parts of Lagona that are sitting vacant. I don't think we should build new. We have other developments that that aging infrastructure we could turn into
- 20:10something. >> Is there a specific area you see? >> I would like more. I I not I would say more on the outskirts if we were to do any development. We don't need to do anything in an already very congested area.
- 20:21>> Nick, >> yeah, I'm against development in the downtown area. I think it's been discussed before where the downtowns included sort of the arts area near where like Lagoon Beach Brewing is, and I could see more uh housing in that
- 20:34area, but I think in the downtown, especially when they've been discussing half a parking spot for some of these uh units, it doesn't make any sense. Now, we can convert some maybe commercial buildings into But to to build on top of these old
- 20:47buildings, it doesn't make any sense. >> Okay, >> sure. >> Um, 30 seconds. >> Okay. Since we know the office is no longer as vital as it used to be. So, I would love to do an inventory of all the
- 20:59downtown office space that's vacant. Dedicate planning staff to those land owners and see if we can't convert those to housing because the office space has um parking already for the um location. And then um if it's a new space, it counts towards arena numbers. If it's a
- 21:18converted residential space, it doesn't count. So I would that would be a win-win for me. >> Okay. >> And there's dangly across the street. Example, there's a building that's offices that could be easily converted
- 21:31to apartments. They all have their own bathrooms. So there are opportunities downtown. >> Okay. Thank you for that. >> Yes, Alex. Yeah, I mean I I think that the key here is we want to have local control in our housing only requires
- 21:43that we update the downtown specific plan. We don't have to build a single unit of housing and so adaptive reuse. We all like the idea of it. I'm for it. We haven't been able to navigate the fire code issues associated with that where it's cost prohibitive. I think the
- 21:55art district is the place where it makes the most sense as as Nick was saying earlier. There's already threetory artist live work housing that is allowed there. Let's just cross off the word artist and we're going to satisfy our read numbers.
- 22:08because remember we don't have a housing element. We don't have any control. >> Okay. >> Um I go back to the capacity study that I've been talking about. Um I think we need to look at the realistic capacity of our community. And although um many
- 22:24of these suggestions seem to make sense, I want to know for sure, are they in a flood zone? Are they in a high fire hazard zone? Is the hillside going to slide down? Um I think we really need to look Safety first. >> Okay. Thank you. I'll direct this
- 22:40question first to Alex and then come to Nick afterwards. Uh when we're talking about safety at the beaches, we know that even recently in the last few days, we've seen the power of the ocean. We've had a couple of drownings over the summer. Uh rip currents. Uh and getting
- 22:55the messaging out to visitors about safety at our beaches. Uh was this summer's messaging campaign from the city a failure? I think that we can always do better as it relates to messaging. It's a really hard thing to solve for in the sense
- 23:12that especially the beaches in South Lagoon, what you have is um is the the waves are different than than other beaches and people it's really easy for people to to get to think that the water is a lot less dangerous than it actually is. So I think we I'm always open to
- 23:27more ways to do that. One of the things I worked on was the cove outside three bay. There have been deaths there. We tried to that basically articulated how many people have died here. The coastal commission would have let us do what we came up with a compromised sign that
- 23:41really was not effective. So I think we actually the coastal commission the coastal development group required we need to work with them on how can we more effectively document it because a lot of the signage is just not going to people aren't going to recognize it but
- 23:53I think it really takes understanding what what the risk is in terms of number of deaths. Would you be open to utilizing both radio stations in town to get the message out to people that actually are listening? >> I'd want to make sure that we're doing
- 24:06it in a way that where we're targeting targeting the visitors, but I think we I'm open to to all ideas for that. >> Nick, >> yeah, I mean, we have the data uh that tracks who's going to what beaches, uh, so we can target them with social media
- 24:19posts and also we need to improve signage. I'd hate to be sitting here saying that we be spending more money on signage, but that's why making sure that we have a balanced budget is important because when something comes up where we need to spend money on it, we need to,
- 24:32you know, effectively update our signage uh to make sure people are aware of um of the dangers of the beaches, especially in South Laguna, because it all kind of snowballs from there. Domino effect, if we don't have the proper signage, we don't have the proper
- 24:44notifications going out to these people going to the beach. Now, we're paying for our firefighters to go out there constantly, emergency personnel that I mean, how many helicopter rescues have we seen this year? Growing up it was maybe one a year. Now it's once a week.
- 24:58>> Okay. Thank you. Na 30 seconds. >> Do we do we do red flags when it's dangerous? >> Yes. >> How often do we do red flags when it was dangerous this summer? >> How often do we do it?
- 25:12>> I mean I'm just wondering like the communication to when we had you know a child drowned and had multiple drownings this summer. Just where was the responsibility making sure that red flags are out more often? They do flags that are down at beach. Yeah.
- 25:26>> All of them. >> Not at all beaches. >> You should do it at all beaches. >> Okay. Well, then that's the solution. Red flags at all beaches. Especially my just main beach. I think there was drownings that that needs to happen. I
- 25:36mean, I grew up at a beach. Anything happened, the red flag was out. No one just went for a while. >> I mean, Marine safety have a difficult job. You I've seen it firsthand where they tell them to get out of the water and then they pass by the beach and then
- 25:47people go back in the water. Sometimes you can't stop people from doing stupid things, but what we can do is just put our marine safety in the best position to be successful and protect our visitors, but you know, you can't protect everybody.
- 25:58>> Okay. Thank you. Okay, Laura, this next question is for you. Uh you have stated before that you prefer not to have to run for city council. Uh you're perfectly happy as our city treasurer. Uh but you wanted your candidacy to focus on to focus the voters's attention
- 26:15on fiscal responsibility. If not you, then who on this panel would you vote for to trust with the city's finances? And where do you specifically believe the incumbents have failed us? >> And then I'll go to Alex. >> Okay. Well, you know, it it sounds like
- 26:38most of the panel has talked about fiscal responsibility. I think it's a it's a talk that you have to walk. you have to insist and look at the numbers. I think on the panel um any all of the incumbents or any of the incumbents have talked about it but they're not
- 26:57following through with the information that that we need. Um as far as the new people that are the the candidates for council, I think all of them would be excellent choices. Um I they've heard about the issues. They've heard people. This is an area that not just me but I
- 27:19think the public is um tired of not knowing what the numbers are, delayed audits, audit findings. We need to know and have numbers we can count on and make good decisions based on. >> Are we not getting numbers? Are you not getting numbers you can count on from
- 27:38the incumbents? >> The audit was the last audit that we had was delayed by months. Um, I would advocate for a monthly financial report prepared by the finance department. It's required in our municipal code. Um, that the staff just doesn't do it. I think we
- 28:02should insist on it. >> Alex, is that a is that a failure of city management? >> I I can't speak to that, but I will say I agree with Laura about the monthly report. I to um I I put the the reports in the cloud and was able to figure out
- 28:14how to I'm hoping we can we can do that. So, I agree with Laura on that. But as it relates to the the overall approach, I mean, the city manager is the most important person in this. And what in finding Dave Gibbs, our city manager, which is very hard to find a good city
- 28:26manager. He comes from Newport Beach where they have a very good financial uh position and so he he played a huge role in that. We did uh with council member initiated a finance department audit. We still need to look at some influencing many of the recommendations there. I
- 28:42believe some have. One of the issues has been um the uh you know issues between the treasur and the finance department. So I'm hoping that you know maybe that we can work together and figure out a way where we have shared roles because it's just a complicated situation with
- 28:56um with different responsibilities there. And then the 12page memo that I worked on I mean I think people can say it's an election issue. I would argue the opposite because we were pretty transparent in what the problems in our city's finances were but also gave a
- 29:09balanced perspective. Is the uh issue between the treasurer and the finance department a situation of personalities and should the council get involved? >> I think it's an organiz I think it's a structural issue because you know I I've um and I I like Laura um but there have
- 29:24been issues with I think each city manager in the office of the elected treasure. So I'm committed to finding a way where we can look at how the responsibilities align with the government code and move forward in the smartest way possible because it's just
- 29:36complicated when you have the staff reports to the city manager and and and the city treasur reports to the voters that that leads to to conflict. Um, and so I'm I'm hopeful we can find a way forward past administrations at city hall.
- 29:51And and you're you're going to go and join you're going to go back to Alex because Alex is on an audit committee with Sue Kemp. And on that audit committee should be a person there's a few people in the audience even should have a finance degree CPA that can help
- 30:07them and guide them and they have not done that. And the issue is the election year. We're in an election year and they are meeting without help from a CPA and they're moving money from our capital expenditure to balance the budget. You don't do that. And you need someone who
- 30:26is a CPA to help them. Alex, you know that. >> Alex, >> just a correction. It's funny. I don't know why it's still on the website. I've never been on the audit committee, >> but but the um
- 30:38>> that's the efficiency adop committee, not the audit committee >> regarding balancing the budget. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, but so I I but I think that's what our memo recommended was that we stop doing the balancing the budget from the CIP and we were able to
- 30:51cut 1.5 million spending. >> Okay. Joy, Laura, and then Ashley. >> Well, I'm tired of hearing about transparency. I mean, with technology today, uh there's no reason why the residents and everybody can't see the actual numbers I tease but there is a
- 31:06software out there called Excel and it's not that hard but basically put the numbers and share it and so to also you know Alex to say that I hope to work together that's not enough we must work together because the numbers and our financial security is everything and I
- 31:23don't think it's city manager I think it's the um responsibility and the authority rest with council and it's our obligation >> Lauren I have to respectfully, Alex, disagree with you because I don't think it's
- 31:38organizational. I think that we have a general law form of government. The elected treasurer is the check and balance for citizens and um it's it's a matter of um oversight. It's a it's it's not o it's not an oversight. It's
- 31:58people people may not like when I come up with the fact that gee there's no money in the bond accounts. Don't you can't blame me for that. >> Can you blame? >> No. Well, I I um on on that issue and that's a I don't have So what what maybe
- 32:15the question Laura is has there been a city manager where it's been a really effective relationship >> in other cities? Yes. >> Yes. I I sit I sit on the league of California cities. There's a city manager department and there are many
- 32:28cities that have a very good relationship between the elected treasurer and the city manager. In fact, I had the city of Certino's manager ask me about how do you get an elected treasure? >> Yeah, I I guess I was just asking with
- 32:42the Laguna Beach city manager. I think that's that goes to my point about organizational. I think there's a fundamental issue and disconnect and um it's a competent one because you're absolutely right. you have government code responsibilities and you take them
- 32:54really seriously. >> Ashley and >> um it's a prioritization problem. I mean any organization I've been in my my accountant or my VP of accounting was my best friend and seems like a lot of emotions and feelings in all aspects of
- 33:14city hall right now and that's why we're in a multi-year deficit for the first time in Lagouna Beach history. So to sit here and say that we're going to work on it, which is really the election year promise, um it's pretty ridiculous. I mean, we're we're negative three years
- 33:29in a row because people can't get along. I mean, we're adults here. >> Thank you. I think this translates across so many different disciplines, and that is that we're not heard. It's amazing what happens when you run for city council. You get heard because
- 33:46we're up here. So, I thank you for hosting this, but I think Laura Laura is right. This was the way to get heard. There were decades that I've been trying to be heard about our general plan and the fact that our general plan was internally inconsistent, not updated.
- 34:04And I even asked um the incumbents, why are you working on a zoning code update? Because you actually cannot approve that zoning code update unless your general and is already in compliance. >> 15 seconds in. >> Ed, I have an experience running a
- 34:21billion dollar company and I sold the company. My partner sold it. It was so bad they moved the money around. I got so pissed I lost the lawsuit. But I hired the head of criminal investigation for the IRS and they discovered the other parties stole $400 million from
- 34:39HSBC Bank. So there is ways and that's why Alex and you and Sue Kemp should have a CPA working with you, directing you. So her job is easier and her job should be respected and she should not be running for city council. She should be doing her job and doing it right and
- 34:58she does it right. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I was just to say that's why term limits are important because I think on the audit committee is uh council member Whan and Kemp who've been on for
- 35:08Whan for 12 or 16 years and Kemp for eight. So if you have the same people not going to get things to change. >> Okay, stay there because the next question is at you. Uh and we're talking about tourism and local spending. We're going to skip back and forth as I
- 35:21mentioned. Uh Nick, how would you work with visit the beach and the chamber to encourage higherend visitors? Uh the people that come for stays that spent money in our restaurants that buy expensive art. We claim we're an artist colony and an art community. Uh we
- 35:41should be selling our most expensive pieces to visitors. Uh so what would you do with visit to the beach and the chamber to encourage higher end visitors? You know, that's a great question. I was talking to uh somebody on the chamber today and um they don't
- 35:57really communicate with with visit Laguna. I've been at the Vis Laguna board meetings pretty much everyone over the past year. They're not communicating together at least on a consistent basis, which is very alarming. You have Visit Laguna that has all the money and the
- 36:10chamber that has all the businesses but with no money. So, in my opinion, from what I've heard, and I don't want to make any like uh major um you know proclamations, but it sounds like they need to merge together to be in a more efficient uh group to make sure that we
- 36:24can work together to make sure that visit Laguna with the money can highlight the businesses. You know, over the past several years, you've had Visit Lagona advertise spending th hundreds of thousands of dollars advertising our beaches instead of advertising our
- 36:37businesses in the arts. So, they've said that they've made that change over the past year. We're slowly starting to see the changes, but the problem is it's been like a shuffle of the deck chairs in the Titanic. You have the same people from different positions still involved
- 36:51in Visit Lagoon. You have the same puppet masters, you know, overseeing everything. You have the mayor and council member Kemp left the board of Visit Lagona, but now they're, you know, on the stewardship committee, which meets with Visit Laguna, where the
- 37:03previous CEO or the previous general manager of Surf Sand, which you know, $100,000 is now also the CEO of Visa Laguna. So you have this constant moving around of positions and you're getting this group thinking things aren't changing and for us to see our business
- 37:18is thriving. We're gonna we need a change of leadership and we need to mix things up. >> Alex, respond to that please. >> I I totally agree with Nick about consolidation. I've always thought that it makes sense to have visit lagona and
- 37:29the chamber combined because essentially you can't bring high quality visitors to town if you don't have high quality businesses. That's really the role of the chamber. I think one of the other things that we can really do to attract high quality visitors is have more
- 37:42events and cultural institutions. One great example of this is um when we had Jack Johnson at the Irvine Bowl and I I verified this with Ashley the data I had but we had um we had about uh 1350 visits from people who went to that concert that went to restaurants before
- 38:00140 of them went to Odo Sushi our downtown was alive that night and I think that's a great example of how we can create cultural opportunities for our residents that also attract people who are going to stay at hotels, go to restaurants and spend money in our city.
- 38:13Okay, join 15 seconds. >> But those concerts are also uh disturbing the quality of life of many residents that live around there. And so we need to be cognizant. >> Allow me to interrupt. So you believe the lady that said her whole house was
- 38:26shaking with the Jack Johnson concert. >> I've heard many people have come to me since running saying that the noise was intolerable. And apparently we have an averaging of decimals for noise. Most cities have a limit and you cannot exceed those limits and that's what I'm
- 38:44used to seeing and then people need to respect those decades some of the houses are so close. Those are the ones that are being affected and so they probably are but everyone else is fine and then it's a great venue to to promote
- 39:04events. >> So you know what's interesting and I know I go back to this that discussion that night was around an ordinance, a zoning code ordinance. Nobody once looked at the noise element of the general plan. It wasn't even in the
- 39:18discussion. The noise element of the general plan actually looks at how festival events affect neighbors. And the noise element of the general plan is an mandatory element because noise affects public health. And I think that was completely missing from that
- 39:38discussion. And Nick made a very good point about putting together Visit Lagona and the chamber. The chamber helps businesses promote businesses. And eight of my signatures, nomination signatures came from businesses. And I got an earful
- 39:55from eight businesses and they hate the chamber. They're not supported by the chamber. They hated the people who ran the chamber who left Laguna. Uh the head of the chamber was all the home. She moved back to Las Vegas and they did not like her. They didn't get they felt like
- 40:11a stepchild. So, I was spooked by it from what I heard. But visit Lun Visit Luna. It's so much money. They should join them and and promote the business. Thank you, Ed. Uh, Alex, I'm going to point this one at you. Uh, that'll be probably the only prominade question and
- 40:29I'll let everyone else jump in if they want. uh with the nearing completion of the prominade and uh with still what everyone says is more work to do uh is there anything you would have done differently in the project? >> I mean I think
- 40:44>> specifically what you >> to me the biggest error was the way that the tree issue was communicated. It was um and it I think the decision was was ultimately the right one we had it was the city manager's decision and he made absolutely the right decision. It was
- 40:59there were two arrest reports that the trees were a threat to um to public to say health and safety. One of the things so when I was mayor for example during the Rancho fire or during the the Palisades fire what I did was I brought all of the different department heads
- 41:14including the water district and we did a a call that was sent out to the community basically walking through preparedness putting all the facts on the table. I would have I think that's the type of approach that we should have done with the trees is bring the experts
- 41:26put them on camera be really transparent explain your methodology because council for four years. What I found is that people in this community are very sophisticated and when you explain why you're making a decision, even if they don't agree with the outcome and I've
- 41:39dealt with that on several controversial situations, they appreciate understanding the methodology. So, I think the way that we handled that where we did it in the middle of the night where there was very little notice um was not the right approach. But again,
- 41:51uh so that that would be the one thing. Does >> that lend itself to the bigger communications lack of communications issue that we've talked about before? I mean, yeah. I think I think that >> Did we have a communication a dedicated
- 42:03communications director, communications department? >> We we have that now. So, we had that before. >> You have a $90,000 a year consultant or someone who's on who basically just does uh social media essentially who has yet
- 42:17to reach out to this radio station to say, "Hi, my name is Lauren and I'm now doing communications. Hey, there's a traffic accident. Hey, so it when there was the fires, >> yeah, >> I would get notifications immediately. I
- 42:31got a a call at four o'clock in the morning from Cassie Walder, the communications director. That no longer exists within the city. >> Yeah. No, I think I think we can always do better on communications. >> Troy,
- 42:45>> I think this community was misled on the so-called promin court. I mean, it was approved on a $2.7 million budget in just a couple months of construction. Well, we really don't know the final number, but we know it's close to 9 million and it disrupted the businesses
- 43:03for almost a year and they lost their summer. And it the council showed a a sign of hubris in the fact that they wouldn't even consider the multi-alternative designs that our creative residents tried to put forward for alternatives
- 43:19that would have cost a lot less money and would have um acted as both parking a celebration place and um saving trees. >> Thank you Joy. Ashley, >> um, one of the other things that you had mentioned in the GOP forum was not doing
- 43:37due diligence on the bid. Um, which I do respect you saying that. So, I just want to add to that because it goes along with Joy as well, not only from the transparency on the trees, but also on the transparency on the budget, the transparency on the timeline of this. It
- 43:52was supposed to be completed in June, went all the way through September, greatly impacted the downtown. Um, but the transparency is the overall theme and While we do have a comms person to give partial information on social media, really communication is
- 44:07integrity. And so the city council should have integrity to want to communicate everything with the residents. >> So you have integrity, you have transparency. people, residents should ask, why did city council have an
- 44:21emergency meeting in November 2025 approving $350,000 for SWA Group to do the construction drawings? Oh, and by the way, everyone, June 20th, there is a meeting for Ocean and Beach because they're going to be talking about trees again. And so, let me just tell you
- 44:39something. If you not read a book about trees, go pick one up. They communicate. The reason why we lost all those trees, we dug up the whole street and they're about to do it on beach and ocean. >> Thank you, R. >> Laura,
- 44:52>> the uh request for proposal RFP um had big categories in it that couldn't be ma easily dissected by by the public. I would hope that future RFPs are um more easily understood by the public. And I would hope that project that um the council at least considers having a
- 45:18citizens oversight committee. >> Okay. Uh Nick, I'm going to give you two minutes on this next question. We're going to cover a little bit later on in the forum. We're going to cover bullying. Uh this is not part of that, but I do want to give you an opportunity
- 45:31to respond to this question. Uh there's a picture circulating on social media with you standing behind the banner praising ICE. A lot of our businesses, especially our restaurants, rely on immigrant staff who, even though they're documented, they're rightfully terrified
- 45:45of ICE. So, the question is, do you support ICE operating within our city limits, either pulling over vehicles or raiding businesses as they did the car wash several months ago, or do you condemn their actions? >> I appreciate the question. Um, you know,
- 46:00I've been wanting to clarify this. I've made some comments online clarifying the photo and uh I was working at an event for a client uh was asked to get in a picture. Um you know I normally when you're working for a client you're not in the photos you're behind the scenes.
- 46:15So I wasn't planning on being in the photo. I stood up from behind walked around. Didn't know there was a banner holding a sign up that said those words. Took the picture, sat down when they were breaking up from the photo. I saw what was written on the sign and you
- 46:29know that kind of felt sick to my stomach as I don't support what was on that sign and so it was a you know it was an er judgment and you know it's a learning experience um and I don't support IC I don't support them you know raiding the businesses in our town we
- 46:43have a lot of people who come to the US who are trying to make a better opportunity for themselves and for their life and we need to be you know that's our broken immigration system you know and um as I believe I'm the only person on this das you know I've worked and
- 46:56lived overseas and had to go through the immigration process myself. And trying to get a work visa, it's stressful. It's expensive. Uh you don't know if you're going to lose your job or you're going to get deported yourself. And so I empathize with what people go through.
- 47:09Um obviously, you know, people who are criminals and they're breaking the law here in the US should be deported and I believe we can all agree with that. But the people who are here trying to work and make a better life for themselves and for their families deserve the the
- 47:22opportunity to do so. And it's just it's a really complicated situation with our uh with our federal government. Um and one last thing, I think this goes into a bigger issue as well with like the flock cameras because you know this council has signed on for cameras in the city in
- 47:382024, the two that are here tonight and Alex as well. And there's been issues with you know ICE using block cameras and you know I think we need to be transparent with our residents uh in the police department and the city of what was the reason for signing on with the
- 47:53what are the what are they looking for? What are the results? Um do we have any measurable improvements with safety in L Beach by having them? And if we don't, maybe we need to be, you know, revisiting that contract and removing them.
- 48:04>> Thank you for that, Nick. Uh Alex, do we have limitations on the usage of the flock cameras? >> Yes, we we have um this is a question I talked to our our police chief about. I actually saw them used firsthand when I I try to do different ride alongs and
- 48:16shadow city departments and I saw them them using it and um there are limits um about when how long you can you can hold the data. There are limits that are based on California law about about immigration for example. Um I totally get I feel like our whole world we live
- 48:32we have no sense of privacy anymore with you know I think our phone is the biggest biggest um uh burden of that. But then one example where they were used was a hit and run right by wigs and and that that technology was helpful. So I think we need to be there's a
- 48:48balancing act of how we can protect people's constitutional rights but also how we can uh deploy them as a force multip force multiplier for public safety is a very it's complicated issue that requires more than a minute. Thank you.
- 49:00>> Okay. >> Sure. Take take 30 seconds. >> There is a problem at the city and the beach police department. People are not aware of that uh the software system that runs all the departments in the city and the police department. If you
- 49:16have keys to the kingdom, the software guy or the city manager, you can make changes. You can delete intruders names on uh police reports. You can delete a DUI if you got a DUI and you want to get off. Phone call is placed and the DOI is deleted. That's not fair.
- 49:35>> Alex, is that true? >> I I'm not aware of that. If you have any evidence of that, let me know. That's concerning. >> You do have evidence. There is evidence. >> Okay. >> Without without tangible evidence. It's
- 49:50just a conspiracy. >> Nope. They have evidence of people's names. I don't want to embarrass anyone. Okay. Uh Karen, this question is pointed at you. I've seen you walk through downtown many times, almost every day. Uh I've seen Laura walk through downtown
- 50:06almost every day. Uh it's about homelessness. And I once saw you near an assault case with a homeless person. Uh park rangers. Do we have enough park rangers? Are they doing enough? What would you do about the homeless
- 50:25situation downtown? And as as you take your walks, do you notice more? >> Um, so last part of the question first. Um, most recently, yes, I have noticed more. Um, for a while there, I had I didn't notice any and I did walk every morning. Um,
- 50:46you know, I've been here for 40 years and we we we've always had people of um a very eccentric nature. There was the what was his name? The cowboy. And um and we worked with them and we we actually brought them into our community. And that's what I love about
- 51:07the beach. Um, I think back in, um, 2009 when there was the ACLU, um, lawsuit, um, we had literally hundreds of homeless people camping on the beach and, um, that was a real problem.
- 51:27I like the approach that the police department has been work has worked with where they identify the people and try to figure out how to get them back home. And I know that they've been very successful. I actually do not believe that having an
- 51:44armed person with a um bulletproof vest on it it's changed the look and feel of our community. Maybe it's necessary in this day and age, but for me, if we I don't think we need park rangers. What we need are human beings that connect to other
- 52:05human beings that have um fallen on really tough times. >> Would you budget for that as a member of council? >> Yes, I would. Yes, I would. Nick, >> you know, jumping on that uh budgeting part, I think, you know, well, during
- 52:23this election season, you know, I'm following different people online and I see the uh former mayor of Newport Beach, you know, bragging about reducing homelessness by 90% in Newport Beach and you wonder where are they going, >> right? And they're coming to Laguna
- 52:37Beach because we're a compassionate community. they drive now. >> So, what we need to be doing is working with the county and the other communities around Laguna and, you know, holding their feet to the fire and asking for money to, you know, make sure
- 52:49that we can support uh people who come here into this community because, you know, we can't take we can't be the only city in in Orange County that's willing to take in uh people experiencing homelessness because there was a gentleman that came in now like at the
- 53:03last city council meeting looking for a place to stay. And so, you know, I think the more that cities like Huntington Beach and New Orle Beach Irvine are pushing people out and they're coming here, we're going to need to find funding resources and it shouldn't be
- 53:15just on us and the other cities in Orange County. >> Um, thank you, Nick. Um, I really think identifying who these people are and understanding whether they really are homeless or whether it's being pushed by a different organization or tribe. Um,
- 53:32for >> what other organization? like what happened when the ACLU was doing doing and bust a whole bunch of people in. That was weird. Um, but I think we have the technology now to identify these people and um let our police department
- 53:49know and I think we can work to move those folks. I've been on three state boards and one thing I've learned is I think city council needs to go to Sacramento once in a while, talk to our senators and assembly people because there are things
- 54:04and laws that you can change like the California Homestead Act needs to be changed desperately. That act alone will dramatically change the entire state of California. And so, uh, our city council people are are frustrated because of the homelessness problem, but it can be
- 54:22addressed and it just hasn't been done yet. >> Okay. >> Uh, chairman, it's Alex, did you want to say something? >> So, one of the things that I I always try to do is the the point in time count
- 54:34where every two years you go and join volunteers. I actually joined um our district attorney Todd Spitzer. We count we did the count together and um it's it's a really interesting experience to people seem to wake them up in the middle of the night and um and so in ter
- 54:49one of the things that that I think has made a difference we need the the state needs to do a better job with the care program where it was supposed to be looking at how you can put people in conservatorship it's very limited but then um at the local level what we did
- 55:02was we had a day program that was just for people who were not involved in the shelter to go we were able to renegotiate that contract with the friendship shelter with the idea that only the people who are staying in that shelter should stay there not come
- 55:14downtown and then it would and the goal is to mitigate it being a draw, but it's a very complicated issue. >> Okay. Uh term limits really fast. Uh at one of the previous forums, uh the three incumbents were against term limits and the six others, the six non-incumbents
- 55:31for it. Alex, on my show when we had the conversation most recently, you said that they're okay on a federal level and a state level, but locally, no, because we're too small of a talent pool. I don't I don't think I said the talent pool part that doesn't sound like me.
- 55:48>> Okay, that sounds my paraphrase. Okay, >> but we're too small to tap. Would you agree with that? >> No, that's not >> So, tell me why. So, tell me why you would be against terms.
- 55:58>> Yeah. So, I I actually don't agree with the idea that I think we have a lot of talented people in this community. So, I I that's not the reason for me. It's more about the fact that um and again, it's really it's up to the voters. So, and we'll see what they do. I've never
- 56:12seen a term limits initiative that didn't um pass. So, we'll we'll see how it goes. For me, it goes back to the idea that I think we have a very educated and sophisticated electorate here where you are not guaranteed to win when you're an incumbent. When you're a
- 56:25county supervisor, for example, like very I think I'm more of one county supervisor who's lost elections because people don't really know what they do. In Lagouna Beach, people really pay attention. So, I think that we have um a you know, I I think I don't imagine
- 56:41spending more than eight years on council. It's a very difficult and demanding job. But I think that you know people like Bob Williams for example had a lot of value and um and so I I don't know that I think the people were able to decide that he did that not
- 56:56necessarily um the term limit that would have continuing to serve. >> Okay. And if I uh if I misqued you I'll go back and check if I misqued you I apologize. >> Thank you. having run for the first time. I'm not a
- 57:09politician, but it's very very difficult to go up against incumbents. They already have the brand, they have the names, they have all the contacts, and let's face it, um they're they're saying, "Oh, well, we didn't know about this $100,000 that came in." And they
- 57:23blame it on Citizens United. Well, um we have one council member that had a similar big pack uh money pack like that. And it used to be when it was limited to individual contributions, it was different. But now big money is steering our government. And without the
- 57:40term limits, we are going to be controlled by Wall Street private equity. And I don't think that's what democracy is really about. Nor do we want that. >> Ashley. >> Yeah. I mean, we do have um a very smart
- 57:54voter base. However, someone would have given $100,000 for mailers, banners, radio, newspaper ads if name ID wasn't so influential. Um, and so I think that that's why term limits is so important. To Joyy's point, is very difficult when incumbents um have been around for 8,
- 58:1612, four years, whatever it may be, and have a name ID with the city um and can also, you know, have speak to things that they've done. And so I just have to say the term limits is that look where we're currently at with the people who have been in here for such a long time.
- 58:31And so we do need to vote new people in. >> Karen, Nick, then Laura, and then >> thank you. I'll be quick. Um, you know, I think term limits are so necessary because the city council actually appoints or um, uh, commissions
- 58:49um, folks to sit on these planning commissions, the uh, housing and human services committee, the land trust. And when you start digging into the weeds on who's sitting on those commissions and why, there's a there's a a line that gets followed and people move from one
- 59:07commission to another to another and it's always the same person and they're always towing the same line. >> Nick, >> I agree with Karen. I mean, term limits are so important just because of that right there. you, like Alex said, you
- 59:19have a lot of great people in this town, but then, you know, if you're not in that bubble or part of that group, it's very intimidating to stick your neck out there, as all as we have all learned during this race, uh, myself included. And I think it if you can't get what you
- 59:34want to get done in 16 years with a two-year break in between, you know, come on. >> Laura and Ed, >> thank you. Um, having been the treasurer for 26 years, I I understand both sides of it, but I have four term limits.
- 59:50Mainly because the council is a policym body and it is good to get fresh ideas in there. Um, it'd be like having auditors that you didn't >> would you did you learn anything in your ninth year that you didn't know in your fourth year?
- 1:00:08Did you did did you need to be the treasurer in your ninth year that you couldn't have done something that you didn't accomplish in those first days? >> The advantage of having a treasurer repeat is more operational. I knew how the books should run. I knew
- 1:00:25how they should look. Um I could cover more territory um with the different um financial issues and But I found myself reaching out and using the skills of an of a municipal treasurer to train other treasurers to to do exactly that.
- 1:00:47>> I think what Laura is trying to say is consistency consistency like the Fed. So Tuesday last uh city council I recommended to Alex and Sue and Mark to step down and allow one of these six candidates to step in their shoes. You all smiled at me, but you
- 1:01:06know I didn't finish the recommendation because you all laughed. You are work for developer. You had to recuse yourself. You wouldn't have to recuse yourself. You can go make a lot of money with the developer. So you're in a position of understanding inside
- 1:01:21information, but then when it goes to the vote, you recuse yourself. >> I don't understand why no one step down. Thank you. Um Joy, >> uh first thing you would do to improve the building or planning process?
- 1:01:42I think we need dedicated staff for dedicated projects. I would take staff that just works on ADUs. I take staff that just works on remodels. I take staff that just works on new builds. I take staff that just works on commercial. And that way they become
- 1:01:59experts. they know it. We need to empower them. We should not have to have an attorney, right? Our our planning reports and let them really become um knowledgeable in that field and then they are the go-to person and it's not so confusing.
- 1:02:15>> Alex, is she wrong? >> I I think it's that I mean I think it's it's certainly a good idea. It's really that's more of a management decision about what the department head wants to do. I think from the council's perspective and I there's a lot of
- 1:02:30ability to it with respect to ads for example it's essentially the same that you have to do it one of the problems is that it's for it's hard enough to recruit planners and so they want to have some more diverse experiences I think one of the key things is to look
- 1:02:43at unnecessary regulations and we're here with the board of realtors one of those is the real property reports where it cost $400 it was a very laborious process that where it was caused delays for closings and created liability for the city what I was able to do is work
- 1:02:56with city staff work with the board of realtors we were able to come up with a solution where it's a lot cheaper now. It's basically instantaneous and and it was a win for everyone involved. So, I think we have to that's why I like shadowing different departments because
- 1:03:08you really see what are the policy changes that can um free up staff to work on the things that really matter. >> I'm going to go Karen and then Ashley. >> Thank you. Um I think we need a road map. are we know one of the reasons why our planning staff and um community
- 1:03:25development staff are it'sa it's it's chaos and um what we need is a policy that explains what happens when there's a code collision and a clear way of making that decision and that also comes from recordeping and I think we've missed the boat in record
- 1:03:48keeping And so the to for your question, I'd say the first thing we need is we need a way to effectively um take in plans and make them available to the public. And that answers the transparency question. And I'll say one more thing. The efficiency
- 1:04:07ordinance came up with a new planning application. It's not the one that Ashley went through. It's brand new and it does not work and it is going to hurt any of the realtors that are trying to get these commercial spaces built. >> I'm going to circle back to that in a
- 1:04:23little bit. Thank you for that, Ashley. And then Joy again. I mean, I think I think the first thing that needs to happen is that we need to put a plan together for objective standards because right now there's so many there's so much so much breakage in the different
- 1:04:39departments communication because everything is subjective. No one communicates. No one knows who's doing what. And so there has to be it's not going to happen overnight. I mean, it's it's a really big problem. It's going to take at least a year. So, but there
- 1:04:50needs to be a plan together on how we're going to achieve that goal and then start um working and putting the tools in place for the different departments to learn how to project manage and communicate with each other so we know where things are in the process.
- 1:05:04>> Okay, Joy, 15 seconds, please. >> Our PRs are subjective. We got a staff person just whipping through saying it's this way. And there's a very famous Supreme Court case that went to the state of California Supreme Court that if the U government employee says, "Oh
- 1:05:17yeah, you can build a 20story tower and you build it and then they find out it was wrong, the the government's not held responsible. The due diligence relies on the owner of the property or the buyer. And so to have our our city take on the liability and create these subjective
- 1:05:37standards, they say, "Oh, it's buildable, not buildable, buildable, not buildable." Because there's no real process, objective standard process like Ashley just said. >> Thank you, Joy Karen. 15 seconds. >> Um, objective standards are a good goal,
- 1:05:50but how do you get there? Because you need to meet state law. And right now, they tried to do that with the efficiency ordinance. You need to understand how the law works, not just make objective design standards because then it's going to be in conflict with
- 1:06:06all the other ones. >> Alex, answer Karen's question. >> Um, I mean, I think that the state of California really has put us in a position where objective standards are the most defensible thing and it does create a lot more predictability. The
- 1:06:23challenge that we have to deal with that is really the the very difficult question is that we precedent of subjective determinations of of things like view activity. So the question in front of us is how we're able to uh to protect people's views come up with an
- 1:06:38objective standard that works because the history has been subjective and then also the coastal development permit is subjective as well. So um >> thank you Alex Ashley >> really easy as Karen said we don't need people to read the law there is a law
- 1:06:54with the state. So then Alex very easy change the subjective to objective because we follow the state laws. So that's the problem is implementation. We're just not doing it. >> So 15 seconds. Ashley's partially right. You need to go back to Alex. Alex, city
- 1:07:09council voted on changing recordkeeping policy. Residents from the community came in and spoke. They were against the change in recordkeeping. That's where the problem is. If you don't know your history, you're going to make mistakes. And the city council changed it this
- 1:07:26past year. I watched I was here. I watched residents complain. You need to ask Alex, why did you change? He's going to tell you the state two-year. No, you can do anything you want and it protects the property owners, the residents. >> Thank you, Edward. This is the uh
- 1:07:43portion of the trip where the driver says, "All right, there's the one more McDonald's and one more off-ramp. You guys can take a break for five minutes or we can power through." I want to leave it up to you guys. want take a five minute break or you want to power
- 1:07:55through? >> Power through. >> Thank you. >> Ask Alex. Alex is getting >> so uh we talked about the efficiency ordinance and uh it's a little muddy.
- 1:08:10Uh it requires an easement for either trails or benches. Uh there's a portion of it on page 58 of the 77 pages that requires easement for either trails or or benches or a little road of some kind on your private property. I want to go back a few years to when uh the ranch
- 1:08:30was bent rounds. Uh there was something called the mountains to the sea trail which was saddle back to creek and it was part of the master plan. uh in order to get the water treatment plant there, but Browns had agreed to cut a trail uh from the mountains to the sea. Uh
- 1:08:50and they promised at that point to have it in perpetuity. So, whoever Ben Brown sold the property to would be required to take on that trail as well. They then sold it to the Athens group and the Athens group couldn't make that property work for them and they sold it uh to
- 1:09:08what is currently the ranch uh as uh part of that uh and that was Mark Christie and as part of that uh the efficiency ordinance uh Mark Christie cut a by the way Mark Christie was able to cut a deal with the coastal commission to allow them to
- 1:09:26avoid that stipulation by Ben Browns that it be a mountains to the sea. It's now fenced off with no access. It's cut off point. If the efficiency ordinance is as you read it, should the ranch open up that fence? Alex,
- 1:09:46>> I think they're two totally separate issues. There's the coastal development permit where there was a requirement from this study that I I'm not aware of the history you're bringing up. And then we have really what the efficiency ordinance essentially codified was
- 1:09:59policies 14A and 14J of the general plan which um wrapped up vertical integration. So really what and there's also another in the code that existed before I don't have the citation in front of me I think um so the efficiency ordinance did not create that
- 1:10:15requirement essentially um that requirement already existed in the general plan and policies 14A 14J um and it also municipal code so it was not a change in it was a change in updating the fact that it was part of this ordinance but it was not it was the
- 1:10:33polic orance was adopted just as it is today. >> So as you explained it here, whose responsibility would it be to make it clear to the entire community? >> Well, it already was the policy. So there's no change.
- 1:10:46>> Okay. Uh just recently Dave K put out the email sent >> to the community, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. And that's where he clarified that in your opinion verified that? Well, I mean I I look at the document is the the
- 1:11:00general plan policy 14A 14J and then um the if you read 25.15 010 uh subsection P that's it's identical essentially identical language. >> Okay. >> Anyone else want to know this?
- 1:11:18>> Well, I just asked the question has it has it been done on all the applications because what I've been seeing on reports is a lot of the stuff in the general plan is missed. So where in the general plan is that? Is that in the open space element or is that in the land use
- 1:11:34element? Because typically when you look at the staff reports, the staff reports are only referring to the land use element. >> And question for you and Alex may have to answer this. The the fencing that closed everything off and what Mark
- 1:11:51Christie did, he got the California coastal commission. >> It was a legal move. Yeah. Yeah. And and they're not the only ones. So constitutionally, the California Constitution, the California Coastal Commission has the power, but so does
- 1:12:04the California Conservancy has the power to open that gate. So the issue is whatever Mark Christie did, I don't know how he did it. It's it it can be open. >> I wish we'd follow 14b policy 14b on the steepness rule. I mean, one of the
- 1:12:22things that uh we don't follow our rules. And that's some of the problem. And you there's favoritism going on. And yeah, we should open the mountain mountain to the sea trail because it would help everyone. It would help the animals and help hikers. And it's it's a
- 1:12:37improvement in the quality of our lives. And that's what's really important is the residents everyday lives. And I do think we need to start following the rules. I mean, I formed a environmental group. We sued the city and we won because they ignore or they're very
- 1:12:53subjective as to which rules they want to follow or not follow. >> Nick, >> yeah, I would just say I'm in favor of trying to find a pathway to open up that gate. I've been on that trail myself and you come up to that point. You're just
- 1:13:04like >> you're stuck behind a fence. >> You're stuck behind a fence. You got to turn around and walk the other way. And you know, if this council and this community or especially the city continues to talk about, you know,
- 1:13:14reducing use of cars and using the trolleys and more bike paths, well then they need to be, you know, like walking the walk and talking the talk and not just saying all the nice platitudes but then not actually following through on it with being able to give, you know,
- 1:13:28our residents an opportunity to use those u trails. >> So, and so all of the walkways into our beaches, the steps, they're taken care of by the California Conservancy. And if someone blocks the steps or let the trees fall on them and don't want you
- 1:13:46passing their houses to walk down to the beach, they can be told, "Hey, open this up." And it did happen in North Laguna off cliff a few years ago by a famous property owner, but it got open. So that gate can can be open. >> Thank you. Uh this question is to Ashley
- 1:14:04and then I'll go to Alex after this. Should we propose an emergency economic recovery program for affected businesses or ask the city to review the zone 4 and downtown improvement project schedules together to account for winter storms and business disruptions.
- 1:14:21>> Uh yes, I do think that the um city needs to work on some form of a recovery plan for all businesses that are going to be um impacted. So downtown um and yes, I have a business down there, but the prominade was greatly impactful to us um in a negative way. And now we're
- 1:14:39going through complete construction of all of our sidewalks and our streets and shutting down the roads when we all know that we businesses barely survive during the winter time. I mean we it just it's very expensive to operate and this construction plan. I just feel as if no
- 1:14:56one in city hall considered the businesses when you took us through prominade for almost a year and then now zone 4 is going to go all the way into probably March or April because of El Nino. Um, and I don't know why the conversation isn't being had to probably
- 1:15:11postpone zone 4 because El Nino is going to greatly impact it. Um, we're going to have flooding. We have no update on how our storm drains um were um fixed at all by the uh the plan that was put in place. And so I think that the business community needs to be communicated with
- 1:15:27about everything that we're going to the city is going to do to help protect us when we're going to be closed because of all the damage that's going to happen with media. >> Alex. >> Yeah. I think in in retrospect it would
- 1:15:38have given the prominade the time it should have been different. So I think that's that's a fair point. Um as it relates to I mean one of the reasons that we have a big flooding issue in in the downtown is because in the early 2000s there was a project to do a flood
- 1:15:53channel replacement basically all funded by the county. Um and the council at the time rejected it based on the impacts to business which I totally empathize with. I think that's the problem with construction. But I think that um the goal is to you have a project that needs
- 1:16:07to be done like something related to flooding is to figure out how you can do the construction as quickly as possible have uh during the day and night have and have really good communication with all those impacted so that everyone can understand and hopefully get through it
- 1:16:20but you have to invest in infrastructure. >> Can I just follow up on that? So my question then is in these last four years the city has put together a hazard mitigation plan climate action and ad education plan and you authorized
- 1:16:35$370,000 for a storm water master plan was due April 2026. Was any of that done? >> So the the climate action it's a it's a good question. The climate action plan >> it was actually my next question but thank you any
- 1:16:50>> okay >> um there there is a study that and that's the problem with some of what we do is like we just do a study that recommends another study. So I there is a study that's going to be taking place um related to coastal um erosion and sea
- 1:17:06level rise. Dr. Brett Sanders from UCI is someone who I've been in contact with. He's the expert on this. Um as it relates to to sand and those issues as relates to storm water. I totally agree with you that plan is not that it's behind schedule. But one of the things
- 1:17:18that I'm very interested in is putting our water, waste water, and sewer all under potentially the water district because that is you should look at water in an integrated way and we have not been doing in a focus on storm water. That's why we initiated.
- 1:17:32>> I'm just going to >> Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead, please. >> Um I guess this is where forward thinking is super important with city hall because we've known about El Nino since last year, right? We we had a very calm winter last year. So it was going
- 1:17:46to be a big one this year. supposed to be on record the worst storm in California history. Why would we postpone a storm water master plan that is going to help prevent flooding when we had years of identification of things that are very much clogged and then put
- 1:18:02$9 million into a farm? I mean, that's just like the prioritization of what's going to really impact the city. the storm the storm water plan wouldn't have been uh we wouldn't have been able to do it but we we prioritize getting that plan done which it hasn't been done but
- 1:18:15at least that's going to be a start so I I hear what you're saying about um about the storm but yeah we really need to invest in our infrastructure and that's why >> so this is just what happens when you do so many plans like we all forget that
- 1:18:27they have it and then nothing gets >> done like four different >> plans I'm gonna give I'm gonna give everybody a shot here I'm going to go with Nick first So on that topic, then you have uh
- 1:18:39what was it about a million dollars uh to pay for the prominade came from the Bluebird Canyon uh storm drain repair project. So that's been shelled for three years. This is what happens when you move capital improvement project funds over into the general fund because
- 1:18:52you have to delay all these projects. And back to the original part of the question where it was about what to do for the businesses downtown. You know, we've been giving free seating and free outdoor uh dining for uh for three restaurants and a coffee shop for the
- 1:19:08past four and a half months. And I'm sure Ashley doesn't like to hear that when she has to pay for her parklet and all the other uh you know restaurant tours downtown. And then how about the non restaurant businesses on the prominant? what sort of tax did we give
- 1:19:20them a sales tax break where we could give that money back to the to the business owner? There's so many things that the city could have done, but we they were just kind of, you know, playing whack-a-ole trying to solve everything because the project was four
- 1:19:31months delayed. And we still don't even know what the plan is to charge those uh restaurants for outdoor dining. So, there's just no plan. And then now they're wanting to do more construction downtown. It's it's just a complete mess.
- 1:19:42>> I'm going to give everybody a shot. Karen, >> um thank you Ashley for bringing up the four plans that were done. It's also like the zoning comprehensive zoning code update. You can't vote on a comprehensive zoning code update unless
- 1:19:56the general plan is is compliant with state law, which it isn't. And um I I also would like to ask with one of the plans, which is the comprehensive zoning code update, the original contract was $321,000 and they were supposed to have something
- 1:20:15to the public by October. Um they later increased that contract to 709,000 but they did not there's still no deliverables. What it says in the in the staff reports is that they used that money to do the efficiency ordinance and some of the other things but they we it
- 1:20:37it's ridiculous. Joy >> agree. I mean, this town was built a hundred years ago before FEMA was in place and we knew and I was the one that came to counsel and raise my hand saying it's in a flood plane, not only a flood
- 1:20:53plane, but a flood wave, which is where the water rushes through the fastest and then all of a sudden, okay, well, we'll do a study. We just do a study. But they brought Phil in and now we have to think about it. It goes to what Ashley said about thinking and due diligence, but
- 1:21:08And when Nick said, "Yeah, they're taking a million dollars from other projects." I live in South Lagoona. We've had to live with a broken swing for the last 10 years. We can't even get a swing set fix and millions and millions are going to one little park
- 1:21:22downtown. It just shows the priorities. >> Closes actually. Um besid besides um besides the fact of doing a lot of plans I think what we do incorrectly as a city is we work very siloed instead of working with other cities and understanding what they're doing. So
- 1:21:40back in 2023 the state governor Nome put in um a sea level rising like initiative and program that um all the city coastal cities will need to have to meet like four or six objectives. So then the coastal commission put in a local commission fan SB1 and SB272.
- 1:21:58Since then, just real quick, San Clemente received 1.5 million in a grant. Seal Beach 500,000. Rodondo Beach 500,000. Huntington Beach 500,000. So all of these other cities, we don't have the money went and got grants through the coastal commission. So I just don't
- 1:22:12understand why we wouldn't be doing the same thing and be able to fix everything that we're is about to get destroyed that we could have prevented. stay on this topic for a little bit then I'll go to >> at a previous forum I brought this up to
- 1:22:25the the incumbents that they need to communicate with Sacramento to get money from different state agencies and they were warned before they issued the 350,000 to S SWA that there could be flooding after they do the remodel because they brought the street up. So
- 1:22:46now he said 12 more inches that could go into the stores. So and I've been here 34 years. I've never seen BMS built on the beach before. Karen, >> um with regards to all of these plans being done and um this council approving them and
- 1:23:09approving staff to write the RFPs, I question why why does council constantly defer to staff and the city attorney um and constantly defend staff and city I agree that we're lucky to have the people that we have, but I think we need
- 1:23:32a different way of communicating to our to our city attorney and our staff to hold them accountable for things. That doesn't mean make them bad or make them necessarily evil. But if they're wrong, they're wrong. And let's fix that problem. because I think a city attorney
- 1:23:49should know that you don't do a zoning code update without having a general plan. >> Nick, slightly, excuse me, slightly slightly back to what they were saying earlier when it comes to uh being prepared with the sea
- 1:24:02level rise and the damage we're seeing from El Nino. You know, to be fair, they are addressing it now, but that's just the overall theme of this council is this reactiveness to these storms, the hurricanes coming up and the damages to our beaches, especially in South
- 1:24:17Lagoona, like at Aliso, you know, that's going to cost close to a million dollars to fix that lot. That could have been not necessarily saying we could have prevented it and had all the sand uh put in place ahead of time, but like Ashley and Ed were saying, we could have tried
- 1:24:29to access those dollars earlier. Now we're at the table with a bunch of cities trying to get access to that money and now we're at the end of the line. >> Okay. Actually, >> well, and to that point, 1.5 million was
- 1:24:41allocated to the parking of Aliso Beach and it was never used. So, that's just another kind of theme of um if you're going to fund it, you need to finish it. But I do have a question. Have we ever looked into SB272 or SB1? Just curious. >> I I think we did. I don't have I don't
- 1:24:58have the statute memorize but I think we have looked into that but we always one of the challenges maybe Ed again I think from you more about Sacramento is that a lot of these grants have an equity component and so Laguna Beach is not we don't have the um the poverty that
- 1:25:15that's associated with that so it's always a challenge to get grants we're able to get I think um so definitely something we should look at but just just kind of addressing the issues of I totally agree. We need to be thinking about, you know, really the next hundred
- 1:25:30years. That's what Good Beach is all about. Last minute we're here because of visionaries who are willing to think differently and creatively. I'm really proud of I think we we acted proactively with our deal with Newport Beach to have water independence. I think we acted
- 1:25:42proactively when Bob and I were able to negotiate agreement with all the water districts. And if you if you think like it's tough up here, look at what happens with these water districts. Deb knows it's very uh everyone's they say whisies for uh drinking waters for fighting
- 1:25:57where we get 12.5 million to really modernize treatment plant and then fire station one we fire station in South Lagoona now we're going to have at least one seismically sound fire station we need to have four >> okay I'm going to move on uh we'll talk
- 1:26:12about working with commercial landlords and by the way thank you for that discussion we're going to revisit some portions of it in just a couple minutes here but working with commercial landlords is to with uh how could the city and commercial landlords as well as
- 1:26:24brokers and the chamber work together to fill vacant storefronts and what role if you were elected would the city play in recruiting businesses and addressing barriers that keep those spaces vacant? >> Well, it's a free country, so remember that everyone is entitled to property
- 1:26:43rights. So, we can't as a city take away your property rights. But we can I'll give you an example. The hospital I recommended because the hospital wants to close it down. They've had two meetings use imit imminent domain and buy the hospital and we are a worldclass
- 1:27:01city. So we can change that whole hospital and become even more famous and fill it with orthopedics and plastic surgeons. But the answer to your question regarding commercial landlords and residential landlords, it's difficult because they have rights. And
- 1:27:18as a city, the only thing you can do is have a um unbundsman to talk to these people. And I know a lot of the landlords. >> What would you do? What would you do? I I believe that Dave Kev or someone at the city does communicate with the
- 1:27:36landlords and they try to facilitate leasing it at less pricing you know they so there is someone at the city Alex you can probably answer this that does do this and so but they're unsuccessful and so one of the things that could be done code enforcement could force the
- 1:27:56painting of the Luna Beach hotel that should have been done years ago because it's an eyesore and it's the centerpiece of Lagoon Beach. Although someone needs to force the Merit family to paint that hotel. It's beautiful and it'll look prettier if we paint it.
- 1:28:15>> Thank you, Karen. You're asking about you're asking about property owners and what you need to remember in Laguna Beach is that the land value and the property values have something called appreciation income and so those property owners have no incentive to I
- 1:28:35mean the rent is not nearly comparable to the appreciation income of those properties. So, we need to find out a way to incentivize those property owners to sell. And I think one of the ways we do that is we get rid of capital gains tax and more. And I know that's a state
- 1:28:55issue and a federal issue, but we need to change. >> So, as a city council member, how do you do that? >> So, I I think what we need to do is lobby for something like that. But I property owners are smart and it is a
- 1:29:08free it is a free country and they They have no incentive to sell because their capital gains are going to be so high. They have no incentive to um have tenants because tenants are difficult. >> Nick and then I'll go to Ashley.
- 1:29:25>> So there's a few things here at play and you know Ed's mentioned it a few times about you know city council members going to Sacramento working with our partners at the state level because this is this is not just a problem facing Laguna Beach. This is all up and down
- 1:29:37the coastal communities that are facing this issue. you know, we've got property owners whether, you know, we could maybe we have a list. If you go on the city's website, it takes you to like a portal where you click Bloopnet and it just shows a list of properties and it's a
- 1:29:50phone uh link to the chamber, which of course, like I said before, if the chamber is being starved with money, you're not going to get a lot of, you know, support from them. So, an idea that we could have is, you know, the city could get out of the way when it
- 1:30:00comes to permitting. You know, we have a a clear window when we have a lot of people coming to town. >> 15 seconds. >> You could call it Labor Day or sorry, Memorial Day to Labor Day. we can come up with some sort of popup idea. I know
- 1:30:12we've talked about this before, but try to wave a lot of the permitting, the fees or the insurance or liability that comes with opening up these uh businesses. We need to get creative. And this goes back to when you have people on council that are getting, you know,
- 1:30:25complacent with their position, think that they have everything in the bag. They're not really pushing themselves to find, you know, new creative ideas to open up. >> Ashley and then join. >> Yeah. So, it's it's a few different
- 1:30:36problems. One, we need to bring all the property owners together and to really understand it. From my perspective is that one of the biggest problems is that it's going to take a lot of money and a lot of time going through our processes in order to update a lot of these
- 1:30:49buildings because they're not ADA compliant. They need new roofs, etc., etc. So, where the city can do its part, and what I would do on city council is making sure we can fasttrack that, get them through to update it, and then you can add a vacancy tax after a year or
- 1:31:02two or whatever onto the property owners if they don't fill the vacancy. You know, something that I did in the spring, even before wanting to be on the city council, is I sat with Mayor Oracle and people from city hall and I introduced them to a top brokerage firm
- 1:31:16um that I've worked with in the past and filling a bunch of retail spaces because a lot of these property owners having worked with them is that they're their brokers aren't active. They're not actively because they're single unit. They're not they're very independent.
- 1:31:28And so, we need to help bring tenants to um to these property owners because most of them do want to fill it. They don't want to be living on sitting on a decrepit building. >> Joy, >> a lot of cities have an economic
- 1:31:40development director and they're very proactive in recruiting certain businesses. We we have not been proactive. We're more marketing come, you know, come to our beaches, come to our trails. We need to work economically with people. I also think this town has
- 1:31:57so much passion that I've seen, you know, like I keep bringing up how Tony Eman chained herself to a bulldozer to stop the Irvine Company from building the canyons out. I think if we had a lot of the community come together and work with economic development and the
- 1:32:13commercial land owners, we could probably come up with a wind solution. >> Alex, >> yes. So I I mean I think at the end of the day you could have a um you know an economic development department but if you're advertising a two to three year
- 1:32:26wait time you're not going to you might be afraid the best salesman is not going to be able to get the get people to come here. So we really need to streamline we have to continue looking at the parking requirements which pose a huge issue as it relates to new businesses and they're
- 1:32:37really excited about with our cross beam pilot program. It's going to have a feature where you can essentially understand what are what can you build or what can what uses are available at your property. That's a game changer. And then what we have been doing that I
- 1:32:49think is exciting is we have kind of um our someone in the city manager's office they've worked with. So truly pizza for example they needed a calr encroachment permit they were told it would take six months. Thankfully city staff was able to get them to make it a week. The
- 1:33:03county health department they uh supervisor Foley has been able to cut uh make it 90% faster. So we're always trying to work with them. So try there's so many different agencies involved. How do we bring everyone to the table because at the end of the day I think
- 1:33:15the We can't control the free market. We the free market. We can't control state or federal tax policy, but we can make it really uh we can control the city process and that that's my focus. >> Ashley, >> yeah, I just want to say a lot of cities
- 1:33:31um postco implemented a vacancy tax in order to fill. So, it it is something that we can do. So let me ask let me ask Nick should we use a commercial vacancy ordinance to address these storefronts >> in uh in the fear of saying we should study it don't obviously want to do that
- 1:33:47um but what we need to look at uh success stories from other cities if you just you know use your AI and look online Santa city of Santa Cruz did it San Francisco did it uh in some cases they reduced the vacancy rate by 50% but we just need to you know talk to those
- 1:34:02cities and see what the consequences were what the benefits I I'm not going to sit here and say tonight that that's going to be something that's going to solve the problem. But what we can't do, what the other two council members that aren't
- 1:34:13here would do is they've said multiple times as well, what we can't we can't get a hold of them. Nothing else we can do. Like you we have to be more proactive and try to be more aggressive and trying to communicate with them. If they are, you know, leaving their
- 1:34:26property empty for 6, 12, 24 months, whatever we want timeline we want to set, probably more than a year, then we need to start maybe, you know, penalizing them in some way, you know, putting them in code enforcement on them and try to make sure that we work with
- 1:34:39them, incentivize them, like what Ashley said, you know, working with broker. This all comes down to coming up with new fresh ideas. That means new people on council that are willing to experiment with things that um you know different ways to solve the problem
- 1:34:54because if you keep electing the same people you're going to get the same results. >> Joey finish. >> Well in other towns these economic development directors are the cheerleader for these commercial
- 1:35:04businesses to come in and that's with Marriott. I they actually help me um take a contaminated site and get it approved to where we could legally build on it. So if have if we need a problem solver that understands the businesses that can market to the businesses and
- 1:35:22stop marketing more tourism and market to the businesses and the artists. >> Okay. Uh everyone I want everyone to jump in on this one but it's pointed at Alex and it's going to take a few minutes to roll this one out. So uh Alex uh you and Sue are part of the
- 1:35:38efficiency and fiscal sustainability ad hoc committee with budget recommendations. One of those recommendations was uh within the city manager's office. Gavin had retired. Uh it was uh now we're looking to replace that position with a COO type of
- 1:35:56position at $315,000 that will uh if everything goes according to plan, he'll be able to step into Dave's shoes when Dave retires. So, two questions there. And again, that for me, the COO position, and I've mentioned this to you on air, and the CEO, that's
- 1:36:13two people doing one job. Uh, you didn't see it that way when we talked on air. You probably still don't. I could tell by the look on your face. But that, what does that mean for Jeremy, the other assistant city manager? He's hit a ceiling where now he's probably looking
- 1:36:27somewhere up for somewhere else to go. Uh, and I'm wondering if you, and you can't speak for Sue, but I'm wondering if you lack confidence in Jeremy as a potential city manager. I mean, um, we I I would never my job is over to one person or two people, the
- 1:36:46city manager and the city attorney. Jeremy's a great employee for the city and that's just a totally inappropriate uh question for I mean I I'm never going to talk about personnel. >> Well, you made the recommendation. It's not an appropriate question.
- 1:36:58>> No, the question the recommendation is about the fact that based on talking to the city manager, we have a our city is very complicated. the city manager's job is to look at is to deal with, you know, the council members, deal with the public, and um but when we look at all
- 1:37:14of our different departments from an operational perspective, the goal is to have someone who can be um who can help provide accountability, focus on efficiencies, and it's something that was that in coordination with the city manager, we were able to do. As Nick
- 1:37:29said, it's important to think differently about how government works. This was a job that was already built. I the the number you said the containment that it's there's a range as I understand it from the salary. But um yeah, I think as a council member, it's
- 1:37:41really important that we never talk about individual staff because we our job is to oversee the city manager and the city attorney and we do that in close session. If you thought that was an appropriate way to hear this, would that $315,000 be better spent in
- 1:37:56the city attorney's office hiring a settlement negotiator to save off the multi-million dollar lawsuits that are coming down the pipe? We've got two big ones coming. Which which lawsuits? So, there are and I'll start with this that uh we have now and city attorney Megan
- 1:38:12Gabaldi is sharp. She's focused and she's true to the letter of the law. She's as good a city attorney as you can have. I've made the case before that former city attorney Phil Conn was just mailing it in in his final couple years uh and didn't give the city proper
- 1:38:27advice to prevent at least two of our biggest lawsuits. One of them was the hostile takeover of Hotel Laguna where he recommended signing uh the police side with the fraudsters that took it over and two is the $150 million Jordan suit. And the reason it's $150 million
- 1:38:45is because he never submitted a counter number to the $150 million. Had he simply submitted court documents to say, "No, 150 million is ridiculous. It should be 12 million." The judge would have had something to choose between, but he didn't.
- 1:39:00>> What? What? The judge made a decision. >> The judge Well, the the suit ended up at 150 because there was no counter. >> The judge has not made a decision on that case >> on on the on the amount of the suit. that decision. No, the judge there
- 1:39:14there's a lawsuit. A judge has not weighed in on that question. >> That lawsuit is for 150. Am I correct? >> Yeah. But but the judge has not weighed in on that question. >> The city did not offer up a tw an is is what I'm saying here. The city did not
- 1:39:29offer a lower number. Let's say 12 to 15,000. So my question is if in fact we lose that lawsuit >> or both lawsuits uh Should uh Phil Con, would the city look to sue Phil Con or the the uh uh the firm that he represented, should they be held
- 1:39:53liable for legal malpractice for that information in the city? >> If the answer were yes, I I wouldn't be able that I mean, I don't talk about legal issues outside of close session. So, I I don't have the answer, but what I will say is um one of the big
- 1:40:08decisions that we made was to bring our city attorney's office inhouse. And um we've actually been able to save money from doing that, which is a little bit counterintuitive, but the problem with the the contract model for city attorneys is that how do city partners
- 1:40:20at law firms make money? They make money by bringing in more billable hours. How do you pay more billable hours? Lawsuits. And so our goal with having an in-house city attorney has been to mitigate risk on the front end so that we can um have less lawsuits. That's
- 1:40:34when Newport Beach is done. So it's actually been been a really effective um approach. >> I'll let everyone in on this topic. >> Yeah, I appreciate the the answers from Alex. Um I think the COO position is questionable. Um I think one of the
- 1:40:51things that we really need to do is move HR out of the under finance that that needs to be directly with the city manager um and not underneath finance. Um, also the city attorney inhouse, I think that's actually when you go back and look at it, which I did, it's
- 1:41:11actually costing us more money, not less. And um I I question how a firm um became our city attorney and then um that city attorney now is an employee, but all of the lawsuits are now being fought by that same firm. And by the
- 1:41:38way, why if we're always indemnifying, meaning the applicant always has to indemnify or property owner has to indemnify, why is the city constantly appealing these lawsuits. Um, and they keep appealing it as much as possible. I don't understand that. I'm not in their
- 1:41:59closed session. there might be something there, but as a as a resident looking at how my taxpayers dollars are being spent, I I I get confused. >> Ashley, and then I'll go to Nick and then >> um so for the position, so city hall is
- 1:42:17complicated because we've made it that way. I mean, it's we're no different than a lot of other of our coastal sister cities. And so, um that's the problem. And I've done turnaround in my professional career before opening up OD any time I went into an organization
- 1:42:31that needed to be course corrected, there was a lot of headcount because people would just throw people at the leaders would throw people at the problem, right? Instead of solving the real problem. Bringing in another salary to a very very small community is not
- 1:42:45going to solve the accountability problem. That that's what needs to be fixed and the city manager is needs to be held responsible. When I when one of the incumbents shared with me back during the summer that they were going to be hiring the COO and they said it
- 1:42:59was because someone needs to help us keep track about all the different initiatives that are happening and that's again the city manager's responsibility to be making sure everyone's staying on track projecting that and then sharing back with of city
- 1:43:11council. So I am not for and when on city council I will eliminate that position. >> Nick and then join. >> Yeah lot lot to go over there. Um, I think when it comes to the lawsuits, um, I don't know if we have any measurable
- 1:43:24KPIs on, you know, what their goals are as a as a staff, um, uh, and department. And then also, we don't even know what the line item is of all the settlements that we've had because they don't put that in the budget. So, that's another big problem.
- 1:43:38So, how do we know are we having less lost settlements? Are we having more settlements? Like, none of that information has really been disclosed. And, uh, when it comes to hiring a COO, I agree with Ashley. It doesn't make sense to throw more people at the
- 1:43:50problem. We need to be assessing it with the people that we have. We need to really figure out if we're making more cuts before we start hiring another, you know, cushy job at 300K with all the benefits that come along with it. >> Jordan,
- 1:44:02>> well, I run a lean small business and I believe in training people and then empowering people. And if you do that with a culture of support and and knowledge, you don't need all this middle management. We don't need all the additional management. And I think
- 1:44:19that's one of the problems we have in government. And I'd really like to push back on this whole thing about legal issues. I'd like to ask why when developers drop out of a lawsuit, the city uses our taxpayer money to go ahead and appeal. Like Karen said, why are we
- 1:44:35fighting everything and doing it at our taxpayer expense? >> And lawyers use a tactic of time time because they get paid on time. So they use statute of limitation. So then the opposing side loses. That's why the appeals are going on. But the previous
- 1:44:55city attorney, he retired because a federal judge stepped down. But be but he retired and then the city had to hire a new attorney who was an outside law firm and should have stayed that way. Shouldn't have brought it inhouse. You're bringing in liability to the city
- 1:45:12and to the residents and it should have stayed out. And Karen made a good point. It's costing the city more money and worse, there's more lawsuits that coming down on top of the 150. So that money if they lose all those cases, it gets build to the residents.
- 1:45:30>> Thank you, Eddie. Alex. >> Yes. So I think I agree with the with several colleagues here talking about the goal is to empower the city manager. And so when the city manager when you're identifying, okay, what how can we support you? One of the things that came
- 1:45:43out of that iterative discussion was was something like the COO position. So, it's not like it's just a top down things that wouldn't be appropriate for us as council members to just say, "Oh, this is the position that you need." But really, I think our goal is to empower
- 1:45:56the city manager um and give him the tools that he needs because he has a very hard job as everyone in this room can appreciate. >> Nick, >> well, it goes to where he's spending his time. Unfortunately, the city council
- 1:46:08has been kind of putting him out in front of the camera on social media doing all the things that the city council members and the mayor should be doing. And only since this election year have now that the city council members and the mayor been out on social media
- 1:46:21and out in the public. They should have been doing that the entire time. But they've been throwing the city manager out there, whether it's throwing him under the bus for the trees, throwing him out there for all the sand loss, but he should be here doing his job. and
- 1:46:32city council members and the mayor should be outside on camera talking to the community. >> Um I think one of the issues can be solved with regards to the CEO position. It's our department heads. Um where are they? I I they come to city council
- 1:46:50meetings, but if you need to solve an issue, you're told to go to the city manager's office. Um we don't have access to the department heads and the department heads are the give them the power. I agree with Joy. Let's give the department heads the power to run their
- 1:47:07departments and if we have an issue with a planning application, let the let the department head come and and answer the question. >> Lauren, >> I think Karen hit the nail on the head. I have always been in favor of a
- 1:47:23decentralized type organization. I think it's much more efficient. We have some amazing directors that I think could rise to the occasion and fill that gap. I I would rather see us spend the kind of rather than even fill a COO position, push that money down to
- 1:47:45the department heads, push that money into the staff and get more residents serving. >> Alex, should we have an elected mayor? Um I I think the the I mean I could go both ways on this. I think the I don't know that I have an issue with the
- 1:48:03current approach that we have. Um one of the challenges probably is the fact that we need more there are more regional issues than probably existed 50 years ago. So, I um I think that it's funny because people always ask me, they still think I'm some people still think I'm
- 1:48:20the mayor. Or and then when I tell them I'm not the mayor, they're like, "Did you get voted out?" And I explained, "No, it's a rotation." And so, it's it's funny that people, you know, I was talking to a high level elected official who was saying, "Are you running for
- 1:48:32reelection for for mayor?" And I was saying, "No, you don't run for re-election for mayor." So, um so I'd have to think about that. the term limits then will be interesting if that were to pass and the implications there. I just haven't really thought through
- 1:48:44that issue fully. >> Okay, Nick, >> what should what should happen is instead of the mayor uh position being used as a negotiating bargaining chip where two previous city council members in the first time in history did not
- 1:48:58become mayor. That's a problem because they weren't people aren't able to be themselves and do what's right for the community if they're worried about negotiating who's going to be the prom, who's going to be the mayor moving forward. It should just be a straight
- 1:49:11once people are elected. You set out the calendar ahead of time and people know where everything's at. So there's no backroom deals going on when it comes to who's mayor or why people don't become mayor because it's what happened to those cast members.
- 1:49:25>> Ed, I'll come to you next time. with the question about the mayor is she elected. Um, I think having an elected mayor would probably solve a lot of problems because um, that elected mayor would be taking the place of what Dave is doing. Um, which is and and that elected mayor
- 1:49:44would would need to bring all those problems to Dave and then Dave would have the opportunity to get them solved because he'd be in his office working with the department heads. >> Mark Orle is our mayor right now. We've had all these forms and he got a 1099
- 1:50:03from the mom group. Dora, his wife, was on payroll. That's why Taste the Lagoona was cancelled because the sales tax wasn't paid. So ABC didn't have the liquor license. You can't have a liquor license if you don't pay your sales tax. The issue is the city is about to get
- 1:50:21sued for 20 $30 million, maybe even more, and they're going to lose because Mark Orle wasn't honest with uh the residents voters. He collected a a 1099 from the mom group and Dora was on payroll. They're liable. And it's like seriously, the city council members are
- 1:50:41aware of it and so they're complicit allies and joy. So, >> thank you for bringing that up. I want to make sure that when um accusations are being made that they're they're really correct and Ed, if you have the
- 1:51:00opportunity to prove that >> it's in the lawsuit, mom mom's lawsuit, >> right? Right. But but but you're you're bringing the point that Dora worked for um Continuum, but when you're when did Dora pay the taxes? Did Dora write the checks? So, I want to be careful about
- 1:51:20making those accusations about people. I want to be very careful about that. And and I appreciate you bringing those >> next week. >> Yeah. Yeah. I would love to see that. And um I appreciate you bringing it to light. I don't want to I don't want to
- 1:51:33stop you, but I do want to make sure that we're being careful about what we say. >> I'm gonna go Ashley, Laura, Joy. >> Um I think we should move off of this topic. I think the theme of the topic is conflict of interest irregardless of
- 1:51:45who's involved in it. There was city council friends and family involved in something that is a legal matter that is impacting the city. So there is a conflict of interest conversation that can happen in the park. >> I think I'm losing track of where we're
- 1:52:00at mayor >> Joy. Well, I have to agree with what Nick was saying in that there's this um consensus. Oh, we have to get go along to get along amongst our current
- 1:52:15councils. 50 vote, 50 vote, 50 vote. And if you don't agree with your colleagues, then you don't get to be mayor. That's wrong. So, it either needs to be very subjective who the mayor is or that needs to be elected. But this doing it behind the scenes is absolutely not
- 1:52:31doing a service to us, the residents. >> Alex Yeah, I mean I I think that the mayor it's an interesting thing because when you become mayor, even though the you have the same powers essentially as a council member, one of the important
- 1:52:45roles is really to be the spokesperson for the city and people really depend on the mayor, but they also like people want to see the mayor, they want to talk to the problem, they said, "Where's the mayor?" They want to um even though it's not a mayor, the city manager acts as
- 1:52:57the um runs the city. when when I was the mayor, what the palace age was like within the first month and one of I went above and beyond to really try to educate the public because everyone was super scared about what was going on. The same thing during the rancher fire
- 1:53:12where um we were able to disseminate information in a really quick isolating communications absolutely the role of um of the mayor. >> All right. Uh before I before we get into our two-minute uh closing statements, uh
- 1:53:29there's bullying that we've seen online uh that has affected many of you. Uh and it's really from just a couple people, but one one in particular, her nourishment is the bile that she spews, and none of you can control it. And I'm not trying to ask Alex to defend it
- 1:53:49because she uh is I'm not sure she's a member of the Democratic club which has endorsed you. Uh she may have improperly used her access to voter roles to harass Mr. Aronoff before he filed. Uh she's uh bullying most of you, right? Uh let's
- 1:54:10for a moment uh I'm making this plea to everyone out there to just these last 20 days. Can we possibly be civil among just it's an election. Let's just be civil about it. Nick, >> thank you for bringing that up. Ed, it's um it's really unfortunate. You know, it
- 1:54:27goes back to what you know, Alex brought up about, you know, a pool of talent that can be that wants to put themselves out there and run uh for our city council. And the thing that's concerns me the most is when it comes to the online bullying and this person in
- 1:54:40particular that you're mentioning is they're on the community land trust advisory committee which is getting that which was founded and Alex, and I apologize, Alex. I know you're the only one here tonight, so I don't mean to gang up on you, but you know, you guys
- 1:54:57nominated and voted for that board, which then that board then decided who's on that community land trust. And this person, when you're in an entity, whether connected to the city or very closely connected to the city, like funded by our tax dollars for that first
- 1:55:13loan, you have a different standard that you have to live up to, whether it's personal political views or not. You can't be harassing people online the way that this person is and still be part of organizations that are connected to the city. That's this that's the part that's
- 1:55:28just wrong. >> Alex, and again, sorry that you it's >> No, I mean I uh Nick and I had a several conversations about this and I I spoke to to the individual long phone calls because I I kind of go by the golden
- 1:55:43rule. you treat other people as you would want to be treated and um there certainly have been you know I I don't like when people are attack me um and just like that same logic applies to in the alternative um and so I I think that especially when it comes to information
- 1:56:01related to family information related to addresses that um I I don't think it's appropriate and um I convey that I think there was a difference of of point of view but that's what I and and run a positive campaign. But I totally um I agree with Nick's point that when you
- 1:56:20have a really toxic political environment, which is what we have at the national level, it really makes it where good people don't want to run for for office. And so um so it's really unfortunate and um and I hope that and yeah so
- 1:56:36>> Alex, do you think that person should be involved in organizations that are connected with the city >> that um that are connected with the city? I think that I think it's a complicated legal issue from my understanding with so I I don't
- 1:56:52have a good answer for you but I I don't think that that rhetoric has placed anywhere. I just can't weigh in on that. without putting um yeah and I apologize for putting you on the spot. You did call and yeah do your best and you know the other two that aren't here tonight.
- 1:57:08You know they're kind of enabling behavior pretending like they don't know what's going on taking photos with them over the weekend. You know some are close friends. So I do commend you for you know what you've done and it's disappointing that we don't you know
- 1:57:21have people stepping up uh to be good leaders for the city uh to put that stuff to bed. >> Yeah. And just to clarify, there's there's like there's first amendment issues and stuff that are involved that where if I as a city council member
- 1:57:33answer that question in a way that I can put the city at legal risk. So again, I don't I'm not going to do that. But as I what I can do is control what I convey and I I really convey that that um personal attacks especially involving family and especially um just have no
- 1:57:51place. >> We're going to go to Joy, Laura, and Ashley. As a leader, you need to own it. Whether it's somebody you knew about, but if they're on your campaign and they're helping you and it's vile and it's
- 1:58:04bullying, as a leader, I want you to own it. Dismiss it. Shut it down and not allow any of those bullies to be part of our government any way, shape, or form. Zero zero times. We've got to be better than this. >> Thank you. I I was just going to add
- 1:58:22that it's it's an embarrassment to the when when people act like that and I don't think that council members should condone by allowing folks to represent themselves or the city in any way if if they're maybe making them part of the uh civil or subject to the civility or the
- 1:58:46same ordinance that >> I'm going to go to Ashley and then >> um I I want to um add it's not just bullying. It's defamation. It's liable. It's slander. It's intimidation. It's illegal. Um what this person has been doing. It is incredibly disheartening
- 1:59:05that we've allowed this behavior for years in the most beautiful city in America. Um and the two people not here have allowed it. And I that that we all know that, right? We we know that that it's not some secret. And um to Joyy's point, a leader should
- 1:59:24speak out against it. And I while Alex, I admire that you called the person, I would expect every single person on city council who goes by a civility code and likes to say it as much as possible um stands up and is outspoken and can use their social media channels or speak on
- 1:59:42behalf that any type of defamation, slander, liel, or intimidation in our local politics is not welcome. And that's not them calling out the person individually, but it is taking a stance. And so when you guys aren't doing that, you're propelling behavior, right? It's
- 1:59:59like it's like trying to say you're civil, but then behind closed doors, we're not. Um, and that's an integrity issue. And so I would really love all of us to come together as a community and really stop this cancer from happening because if we continue to allow it, it
- 2:00:12it's just only going to get worse. >> And 30 seconds. I've experienced bullying and I've also been in court where I've talked to a 30-year judge who resigned and nine opposing lawyers. I recently was in federal court again visit the forum because I had to speak
- 2:00:29to a federal judge with three federal judge waiting for his decision. The issue is we need to respect one another. We need to show grace. We need to our our society. We don't respect one another anymore. And Alex, Ashley's right. You all should speak to
- 2:00:49that person. Nick is right. That person should not be on that board. I I'm a very unconventional person. I am probably the most kindhearted, respectful person. I didn't know it for eight years. I worked with eight FBI agents and a bunch of Air Force
- 2:01:06generals. And I had a code name for eight years and they told it to me at the end. But my point to you, the code, said Zen because they realized when Edward went off, he said, "Oh my god, something's wrong." Because I'm so low key. Guess
- 2:01:22what, Alex? It gets me in trouble because that's why I had to talk to that federal judge and he resigned and he called my lawyers. That's you can't do that. But my point to you is we need to be kind to one another and make his right somewhat. you should that person
- 2:01:38should not be on that land trust board. >> Thank you. Right, it's now time for our closing statements. Uh candidates, I can't thank you enough for this conversation. I think it's important. I think you all shine tonight. Let's start with uh Nick.
- 2:01:55>> Thank you. I thank you for everything that you did this evening. I know it's a lot to prepare for and glad we got this on the schedule. I enjoy all these debates. I think every section of Laguna, every business or every entity that cares about the community should
- 2:02:08have their their moment to to talk to the people that want to run for office. But um you know it shouldn't take a year or an election year for residents to feel heard um or for council members to show up and to listen. You know I respect the incumbent service but
- 2:02:23experience comes with the responsibility for the results whether it's after four years or eight years. And you know, too often we've seen reactive leadership, you know, shifting positions, defensiveness when residents ask reasonable questions. Oh, it's
- 2:02:37complicated. Oh, you don't understand. Um, you know, residents deserve explanations, not dismissers. And, um, you know, we've heard a lot about civility tonight, and I agree. But, you know, civility means, you know, speaking up when uh, your own support is
- 2:02:52making personal. And, uh, that standard should apply even when uh, staying silent benefits you politically. So, you know, what would I bring to council? I would bring a fresh perspective, new ideas for long-standing problems. You know, a different approach, involve the
- 2:03:06residents earlier so they're not surprised when things happen. You have to get the whole cavalry down to city hall on a Tuesday night to stop something. Um, you know, explain the spending clearly, you know, and examine the
- 2:03:17long-term costs before making these long-term decisions. I would support the small businesses while preserving Laguna's charm, hold Visit Laguna accountable for the tourism impacts on our neighborhoods and prioritize the infrastructure, the beaches and the open
- 2:03:30space. You know, I bring a different atmosphere to council as well. You know, no bullying, no intimidation, you know, no treating disagreement as disloyalty. Um, you know, residents should feel welcome asking questions, staff should
- 2:03:44feel supported giving honest advice, and council members should disagree without making it personal. I'll listen, explain my reasoning, and take responsibility for my vote. Whether you agree with me or not, my door will always be open. You know, I grew up here. I care deeply
- 2:03:59about this community, and I'm ready to get to work. So, I'm going to care enough, I'd be honored to earn your vote. Thank you. >> Well, that was good. So, I've been told that I read too much for my notes. Um, so I'm going to go
- 2:04:18back to the bull and um I think when the voters go to the ballot box and to cast their vote, I really hope that they understand that change is necessary in order to bring Laguna back to what Laguna needs to be. Um, and what Laguna was because
- 2:04:42the culture has come from the top and we need in order for our um our wonderful lifestyle to come back to that because people that visit here, they they pick up on that energy. They pick up on the nastiness and and so do the the folks that work here. If we can change that
- 2:05:05by changing our council, we will have done I will have done what I set out to do when I put my name in the ring to run for city council. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Karen. Alex. >> Well, thank you for the the time this
- 2:05:20evening and for all the candidates. I guess it's number 10. >> This is 11. Well, the president only has three debates. We should do one more, but >> we save the best for last. >> So, I really feel like Laguna Beach is a
- 2:05:36special place. And as we think about the fact that next year is going to be our centennial, it really demands reflection about why we are so unique. And to me, It goes back really to the duck hunters in uh 1924 because at the time the city did not have a um we didn't really have
- 2:05:52access to reliable water. So what they did they pretended to be duck hunters. They bought 120 acres of land and um because of their visionary leadership that's how we were able to become a city. Fast forward 100 years later, now we're back to to the groundwater basin
- 2:06:06and we're we're securing local water reliability for the next 100 years in addition to working on the desalination project. When you think about the visionary leadership of creative the festival of the arts in the midst of the great depression when the last thing
- 2:06:20that people could really think about was was arts at that time but it turned into one of the most magical things in the world festival of the arts pageant of the masters. And when we think about, you know, that that night with Jack Johnson and what the Irvine Bull can do,
- 2:06:33I feel feel like that is the tuna at its best. Public safety always has to be our number one priority. Question is not it, but when the next wildfire happens, that's what we saw with the Rancho fire and we were able to deal with that in an effective way because we had prepared
- 2:06:46and because our firefighters um were um had done that. So, the hospital is my number one issue. I'm really excited about the progress that we've made on that with this um working closed with the attorney general's office and having a um identifying a condition of approval
- 2:07:04that will potentially take the hospital till 2034. Um I think there's a lot of complicated issues over the next four years. I really feel like it'll affect the next century. I'm someone who um understands what makes the city unique, someone who works hard, listens to and
- 2:07:19I'd be honored honored to have you. >> Thank you, Alex. >> Um I first want to say thank you, Alexum, for being of to come. Um because the only one because um that's what these forums are for, right? It's democracy. It's um to be
- 2:07:35able to speak about track record. We're all running because, you know, we we want to put polls in it because we think there are polls. And so, um thank you for still coming to this. And I hope for residents, the two that did not come speaks volumes, um about, you know, what
- 2:07:49they what they find themselves as the priority versus the residents being heard. So, um, to my closing statement, um, good leadership isn't measured by how many things we improve. It's measured by what we actually accomplish. I'm not running for city council because
- 2:08:03I need a job. But I I also see a city facing serious challenges. Financial pressures, vacant storefronts, an uncertain future for emergency room, aging infrastructure, and projects that continue to impact the businesses that support our local economy. And what
- 2:08:17concerns me most is that these problems are connected, but we're not consistently making decisions as though they are. We cannot keep measuring progress by what we've improved, what we've studied, or what we're working on. We need to measure what we're actually
- 2:08:28accomplishing. I've spent my career making difficult decisions, managing budgets, solving problems, and being accountable for results. And now, as a business owner in Laguna Beach, people's livelihoods depend on the decisions I make every day. I had a choice. I could
- 2:08:42sit back, complain about the direction of our city, and hope someone else would do something about it. Or I could stand up and put my experience to work. And I chose to stand up. I don't need another title. I want to serve this community because I believe in what Lagouna Beach
- 2:08:55can be and I believe we have the ability to do better. For me, public service isn't about holding a position. It's about taking responsibility, making the difficult decisions, and delivering results for the people who put their trust in you. Laguna Beach doesn't just
- 2:09:08need more plans for its future. It needs leadership that can turn those plans into results. And I'd be honored to earn your vote. Thank you. >> Thank you, Laura. >> Thank you,
- 2:09:19>> Laura. Let me yellow card then. >> Yellow card. There we go. >> It wasn't mom, >> Laura. >> All right. You know, I I started this process because of an accounting issue and finally got the the answer to my
- 2:09:36issue or got the information that that led to the answers a week and a half ago. I needed the information mid July. That that should speak volumes. And you shouldn't need a a 40-year CPA to analyze something as
- 2:09:55simple as the assessment district bond accounts. By running, it's my intent to restore the elected treasurer position to represent the voters of uh Beach the way that they intended the position to be and to um advocate for Professional
- 2:10:18audit committee. Without good solid information, good decisions are impossible. Garbage and garbage out. At a time when we have declining reserves and expenses outpacing revenues for the foreseeable future, I would like
- 2:10:38to bring transparency to the city's financial accounting and reporting. It's only with that solid trustworthy information the city will be able to uh make the the coming really difficult financial decisions that will be required to keep us sustainable.
- 2:10:59Thank you. >> Thank you, Laura Joy. >> Thank you, Ed, for doing this and thank you, Alex, for showing up. It's important to show up if you're a leader. Um, as a business owner, I know that budgeting and planning are key to
- 2:11:11long-term success. I know how important it is to have leaders who help businesses not just survive but thrive. We also need leaders who believe in the rule of law. Um, one set of rules that applies to everyone, no matter who you know or how much money you have. This is
- 2:11:27one of the reasons I'm running for council to get Lagona back to rules-based governance. Our environmental group sued the city because the council approved a project on a steep hillside where the general plan specifically prohibited. It was a
- 2:11:41precedent setting mood that exposes all of our iconic hills sites to development. Once our canyons, hill sites, beaches, and other natural resources are gone, they're gone forever. Our city's planning environmental rules were meant to
- 2:11:54protect them. We need a council that enforces those rules and refuses to bend to developments to developers to make them happy. Incumbents discussed the word stewardship yet failed to expand our rain protected area to the disappointment of Laguna's ocean lovers.
- 2:12:11They the incumbents signed a 10-year multi-million dollar contract to encourage more tourism. I think they're the only ones up here who believe it's good stewardship for Lagona to spend millions to tell more people to come to our town. These incumbents drastically
- 2:12:26changed our downtown character without a formal vote of residents and against the wishes of many businesses. They took away our only financial incentive for historic preservation. These incumbents say they're for public safety, but the poor kids in South Lagoon don't even
- 2:12:41have a state swing to swing on. Um, we should be steering our tax dollars toward critical needs that truly benefit residents such as the hospital. And it's not normal. It's just not normal to have a council vote so many times 50. It shows that there are more focus on
- 2:12:58reaching consensus with each other than residents and businesses. We need independent voices who have the courage to ask tough questions and not go along with decisions that are good for the city. This lockstep mentality has damaged many aspects of our town. I have
- 2:13:13a business background experience to get back on path. I love Lanna and I would be honored to serve you. I'd be deeply honored and help this community. It would be my honor and I I'm doing this like Ashley said, I don't need the job title. I don't need a builder. I need to
- 2:13:32help this town. >> Thank you, John Edward. >> Thank you, Ed, for organizing this. And and and Alex, thank you for coming. Sorry you got beat up so much, but you are a smart guy, so you did well. Um, I am running
- 2:13:49because and I win or lose, I will still send you emails, Alex. I will recommend >> still respond. >> Thank you. I will recommend um uh back office investigations so that they can uh not get all these lawsuits. Some of these lawsuits are happening because
- 2:14:10things are happening at the city and it's it's got to stop. So I I'm running for transparency. I want transparency, fiscal responsibility. I want an audit committee. Lori, she understands the accounting part of it. Why a CPA person should be
- 2:14:30sitting with you, Alex, and Sue. Uh infrastructure is important for a city and infrastructure is critical. We've had too many sewage dumps into our ocean and the business people downtown feel like they're neglected by city council. I've spoke to way too many. Um we need
- 2:14:52to help our business people and and so Alex, you know, I I'm running because we need a change. And so win or lose, I'm still going to send my recommendations to city council. Thank you. Thank you, Ed. I had mentioned a little earlier, we saved the best for last. And
- 2:15:12I just wanted to send a shout out to the previous 10 forums and their moderators and those that presented the forums because they did a great job and helped us learn about these great people here that are willing to do public service for us. I want to thank my partners at
- 2:15:28the Board of Realtors and the Chamber of Commerce helping us put this together. Uh, so right now I think it' be a good time for a big hand for these amazing people. Thank you all for coming in and being so respectful and such a cool community to
- 2:15:48live in. I could not imagine living in a nicer community. Thank you all.
Location and directions
Council Chambers
505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651Open the location in Google Maps for current directions and place information.
Candidate directory
Candidates in this forum race
Open a profile for sourced background, priorities, campaign links and public records. All qualified candidates are shown; this directory does not confirm attendance at this event.
City Council candidates
Forum record
Completed October 15. Watch the 2:15:58 recording, explore 16 discussion topics and 80 indexed responses, and search the captions. Seven candidates participated; Sue Kempf and Mark Orgill were absent due to reported illness. The moderator read Orgill’s submitted statement.
The City listed this independently hosted forum after the organizer affirmed that candidates were offered equal time and opportunity to appear. The listing was not City sponsorship or endorsement.
Organizer and voter guide
About Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce
The October 15 forum was sponsored by the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce and Laguna Board of Realtors. The Chamber describes its mission as connecting Laguna Beach businesses to drive economic prosperity through collaboration and advocacy.
Why review it?
The forum gives voters and local businesses a chance to compare City Council candidates on the decisions that affect Laguna Beach’s economy, services and community.
What subjects were covered?
- Laguna Beach City Council candidates
- Business and economic issues
- City services and community priorities
- Detailed forum questions not yet published by the organizer
How were questions gathered?
The Chamber lists info@lagunabeachchamber.org and 949-494-1018. The October 15 event has concluded and the published recording is embedded above. Voice of Laguna was credited as moderator, as credited on the official flyer and confirmed by the editor October 8. A public question-submission process has not been verified.
Contact the organizer →Funding and endorsements
The Chamber’s public event listing does not establish candidate endorsements or publish a forum-specific fundraising total. So Laguna does not infer either from hosting.
Sources
Official organizer graphic
Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce forum flyer
The Chamber’s flyer lists all nine Council candidates, limited in-person seating, Zoom access and a Cox channel 852 broadcast. It credits the Chamber and Laguna Board of Realtors as sponsors and Voice of Laguna as moderator.
Quick answers
LBUSD School Board forum FAQ
Where can I watch the Chamber forum recording?
The published 2:15:58 YouTube recording is embedded on this page. NimbleGov PAC published the recording; the Chamber and Laguna Board of Realtors sponsored the event.
When and where was the forum held?
October 15, 2026, at City Council Chambers, 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach. The scheduled event time was 6 to 9 p.m.
Are Chamber answers included in the candidate quiz?
Yes. Clear Chamber positions supplement the Council quiz with source-linked evidence. Qualified answers and candidates who did not answer remain unscored for that question.
Who attended and moderated the forum?
Ed Steinfeld of Voice of Laguna moderated seven participating candidates. Sue Kempf and Mark Orgill were absent; Steinfeld said both had reported illness and read Orgill’s submitted statement. The Chamber and Laguna Board of Realtors sponsored the event.