Civic bodies explained
Laguna Beach government directory
Find the elected City Council, decision-making boards, advisory committees and City departments. Every guide identifies what the body does, who serves, how to contact the appropriate official and where to find meetings and public records.
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Leadership and land use
Elected policy, planning and development review.
Laguna Beach City Council
The five-member, at-large Council adopts ordinances, approves the budget, sets policy, appoints commissioners and hears certain appeals.
Typical meetings: second and fourth Tuesdays at 5 p.m.; verify the live calendar.
Council members and meetingsLaguna Beach Planning Commission
The Planning Commission reviews land-use policy and applications, including the General Plan, zoning, subdivisions, specific plans and major development proposals.
Meeting/access: Generally the first and third Wednesdays at 6 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Design Review Board
The Design Review Board evaluates applicable development proposals for design quality, neighborhood compatibility and consistency with City standards.
Meeting/access: Generally the second and fourth Thursdays at 5 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsBrowse by responsibility
Community, culture and environment
Advisory bodies focused on arts, history, sustainability, housing, health and recreation.
Laguna Beach Arts Commission
The Arts Commission advises the City Council on artistic and cultural matters and helps administer City-supported arts programs and public art.
Meeting/access: Generally the second and fourth Mondays at 5 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Environmental Sustainability Committee
The seven-member committee advises the City Council on environmental protection, climate action and sustainability.
Meeting/access: Generally the third Monday at 6 p.m. at the Community and Susi Q Center; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Heritage Committee
The Heritage Committee advises on historic preservation, historic resources, register nominations and related review matters.
Meeting/access: Generally the third Monday at 6 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach HIV Advisory Committee
The committee advises on HIV education, prevention and support. The City states that it is not appointed by the Council and that regular participants may become members.
Meeting/access: Generally the first Thursday at 4 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Housing and Human Services Committee
The committee identifies local housing opportunities and human-service needs and makes recommendations to City leadership.
Meeting/access: Generally the fourth Wednesday at 6 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Recreation Committee
The seven-member committee advises the City Council on recreation and park needs and community recreational opportunities.
Meeting/access: Generally the second Monday at 6 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsBrowse by responsibility
Safety, mobility and infrastructure
Preparedness, transportation, water, neighborhood infrastructure and view restoration.
Laguna Beach Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Committee
The committee advises the City Council on preparedness, resilience, emergency response and community recovery.
Meeting/access: Generally the first Monday at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee
The committee advises the City Council on parking, traffic, circulation, transit and traffic complaints.
Meeting/access: Generally the fourth Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Community and Susi Q Center; the City says it does not meet in August or November.
Members, contacts and recordsSouth Laguna Water and Sewer Advisory Committee
This committee provides advice on water and sewer projects, programs and issues affecting South Laguna and serves as a liaison with the City and South Coast Water District.
Meeting/access: The committee generally meets quarterly; verify the posted agenda for the current date and location.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach View Restoration Committee
The committee holds hearings on claims that vegetation significantly impairs a pre-existing view and may issue restoration and maintenance orders.
Meeting/access: Generally the second Wednesday at 5 p.m.; verify the posted calendar.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Water Quality Department
The Water Quality Department works on stormwater management, pollution prevention, environmental compliance and protection of local creeks, beaches and coastal waters.
Meeting/access: This is a City department, not a regularly scheduled public commission. Use the official page for current contacts and programs.
Members, contacts and recordsBrowse by responsibility
Financial and administrative oversight
Audit, investment and personnel accountability.
Laguna Beach Audit Committee
The Audit Committee supports independent financial oversight. The City page also retains historical Measure LL oversight records.
Meeting/access: Meeting dates are posted as needed; verify current membership and records with the City Finance Department.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Investment Advisory Committee
The committee advises on the stewardship and oversight of City investments under the City’s adopted policies.
Meeting/access: Meeting dates are posted as needed; verify the current agenda with the City.
Members, contacts and recordsLaguna Beach Personnel Board
The Personnel Board hears specified employee disciplinary appeals and certifies findings and recommendations under City personnel rules.
Meeting/access: Meetings are generally confidential and not open to the public unless the employee requests otherwise.
Members, contacts and recordsBrowse by responsibility
City services
Find the department responsible for permits, public safety, infrastructure, recreation and other services.
Laguna Beach City Departments
Use this guide to find the City office responsible for permits, streets, public safety, beaches, utilities, elections, finance, recreation and other municipal services.
Meeting/access: Department hours, service locations and emergency availability vary. Confirm details on each official City page.
Members, contacts and recordsCommon questions
Laguna Beach government FAQ
What is the difference between a Laguna Beach board, commission and committee?
The name alone does not determine authority. The City Council is elected and sets policy. The Planning Commission, Design Review Board and View Restoration Committee can exercise decision-making authority assigned by law or City code. Other committees primarily study issues and make recommendations. Each So Laguna guide labels the body’s role and links the controlling City source.
Which Laguna Beach bodies can make binding decisions?
The City Council makes legislative and policy decisions. The Planning Commission, Design Review Board and View Restoration Committee also make certain decisions within their assigned jurisdiction. Advisory committees generally recommend action rather than adopting final City policy.
Where can I find agendas, minutes and meeting videos?
Use the So Laguna Meeting Tracker to locate meetings, then open the linked City agenda, minutes or video as the controlling official record. Meeting dates and locations can change, so confirm the live City posting before attending.
How current are the names, terms and contacts?
So Laguna checks the City’s published roster and contact pages and displays a review date. When a City page contains expired or unclear terms, the guide labels that limitation instead of presenting the information as confirmed current.
Is So Laguna an official City of Laguna Beach website?
No. So Laguna is an independent civic-information publisher operated by the So Laguna Neighborhood Association. The City of Laguna Beach is the government entity described in these guides, and official City records are linked as primary sources.
Related civic resources
Continue exploring
Use these related So Laguna guides to follow the people, meetings and public records connected to this page.
Laguna Beach City Council
See the current members, terms, official contacts and participation information.
Meet the City Council →Laguna Beach Meeting Tracker
Check upcoming public meetings, agendas and available meeting records.
View public meetings →Laguna Beach Election 2026
Compare all nine City Council candidates in official ballot order.
Open the Election Hub →Independent civic reference
How these guides are maintained
So Laguna checks names, roles, terms, contact information and meeting details against the City of Laguna Beach’s published pages. Each guide links the controlling official source and distinguishes direct member contacts from City staff-liaison contacts.
Official sources last checked: August 25, 2026. So Laguna is independent of the City of Laguna Beach.