Arts Alliance City Council candidate forum — September 26, 2026
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1FMHZ9hfk
Automatic English captions, retrieved October 7, 2026. Rolling display duplicates removed. Names and figures may be misheard; the recording is authoritative.

[00:00:32] Okay, I want to welcome [music] everyone
[00:00:32] who's here today. Um, uh, hi, I'm Jay
[00:00:36] Kramer. I'm president of the Laguna
[00:00:37] [music] Beach Arts Alliance and welcome
[00:00:41] everyone for coming to our Laguna Beach
[00:00:44] Candidates Forum. Uh we appreciate the
[00:00:48] candidates coming today and our audience
[00:00:51] uh here showing the support for the arts
[00:00:53] here in Lagona. Uh the intent of this
[00:00:57] particular forum is to have an
[00:00:59] opportunity for the candidates to get to
[00:01:01] know the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance and
[00:01:04] the Arts Alliance members to get to know
[00:01:06] our candidates. Uh the LBA is a vital
[00:01:10] heartbeat of the city of Lagona Beach.
[00:01:13] Laguna Beach is recognized worldwide as
[00:01:16] an artist community and this is
[00:01:18] validated by our arts alliance now
[00:01:21] having over 30 arts organization
[00:01:23] members. That isn't 30 art galleries.
[00:01:28] We're rich in art galleries in town, but
[00:01:31] it's 30 plus arts organizations
[00:01:33] addressing both visual arts and
[00:01:35] performing arts. These arts include live
[00:01:39] music, theater organizations, film
[00:01:42] festivals, poetry and writing
[00:01:44] organizations, world recognized summer
[00:01:47] art festivals, and a very special art
[00:01:50] museum.
[00:01:51] The LBA serves as a unified voice for
[00:01:56] the arts and we collaborate and partner
[00:01:58] with the city of Lagona Beach on
[00:02:01] strategic planning that supports the
[00:02:03] arts. Our organization celebrates and
[00:02:07] promotes the arts of all of our members
[00:02:10] and we uniquely host the annual Arts
[00:02:13] Star Awards, the Laguna version of the
[00:02:16] Academy Awards here in town celebrating
[00:02:19] the great achievements of special
[00:02:21] artists and special artistic events um
[00:02:26] throughout the year. It's a spectacular
[00:02:29] event and I hope you all will come this
[00:02:32] this coming April.
[00:02:34] Should you win the city council
[00:02:35] election, we hope you will attend our
[00:02:38] monthly LBA uh meetings where you will
[00:02:41] hear about the incredible variety and
[00:02:45] high quality of art, theater, film, and
[00:02:49] music events happening every week in
[00:02:51] Lagouna Beach. Um why does the LBA
[00:02:56] matter? You can ask that question. Um,
[00:02:59] not only do we create the unique brand
[00:03:03] of a worldclass
[00:03:05] uh destination
[00:03:07] uh for everything arts, but the arts are
[00:03:11] a key economic engine for Laguna Beach.
[00:03:14] As the most recent study shows that over
[00:03:17] $90 million of revenue is generated here
[00:03:20] in Lagona Beach based on the arts and
[00:03:23] fueling the city's financial success.
[00:03:26] That's why it's so important for our
[00:03:28] community to have city leadership that
[00:03:31] supports the planning and funding
[00:03:33] investments um here in in Lagona for the
[00:03:36] arts. As an example, the facility that
[00:03:39] we're in today, the forum theater, uh
[00:03:43] has been designated by the current uh
[00:03:46] city leadership as a high priority to
[00:03:49] invest in so that we can have an ADA
[00:03:52] compliant um and um facility and
[00:03:56] additional upgrades that are needed for
[00:03:58] this um incredible theater opportunity.
[00:04:03] So it can be a very viable performing
[00:04:05] venue here in Lagona Beach. So an
[00:04:08] example of our partnership is the
[00:04:10] exciting planning that's happening right
[00:04:12] now for the 100redyear centennial of
[00:04:15] Laguna Beach um which will be an entire
[00:04:19] year of 2027 of uh incredible events
[00:04:23] that will be happening in the arts. LBA
[00:04:26] is working very closely with Visit
[00:04:28] Lagona and the Centennial Committee on
[00:04:31] planning a full year of events to
[00:04:33] celebrate the 100redy year and
[00:04:34] anniversary of Laguna Beach. With 30
[00:04:38] plus organizations and with each
[00:04:40] organization um looking like they'll
[00:04:43] have at least three events throughout
[00:04:45] the year, we should have a hundred arts
[00:04:48] events for our hundred years, which will
[00:04:51] be very special here in Lagona. Um,
[00:04:56] I do want to mention that um, uh, all of
[00:05:00] this with kickoff at the beginning of
[00:05:04] January is going to be very special with
[00:05:06] the mayor and city council and um, um,
[00:05:10] I'm a part of the Lagona Community
[00:05:11] Concert Band. We're going to kick off
[00:05:14] um, the the year with uh, kind of like
[00:05:17] an um, heralding trumpets at this event
[00:05:20] with the city officials. Allah
[00:05:23] Disneyland or the Olympics with the flag
[00:05:25] and these heralding trumpets that will
[00:05:28] play a fanfare and open up and announce
[00:05:30] the 100redyear celebration of Laguna
[00:05:33] Beach. Uh so with with all that I want
[00:05:37] to welcome all of you for being here
[00:05:39] today and um want to also introduce to
[00:05:42] you our moderator Tom Johnson um owner
[00:05:46] publisher of Stone News. Tom, uh, for
[00:05:49] those of you that, uh, don't know, his
[00:05:52] background, has an illustrious career in
[00:05:53] journalism, and we're honored to have
[00:05:56] him, uh, here today as our moderator.
[00:05:59] Um, I ask that everyone turn off their
[00:06:01] cell phones or put it on vibrate at this
[00:06:04] time. And, um, I also want to introduce
[00:06:08] you to our, uh, timekeepers, uh,
[00:06:11] Victoria and Nancy.
[00:06:14] um uh they'll be conducting almost like
[00:06:17] a little game show here where uh as
[00:06:21] timeke keepers um they'll give you um uh
[00:06:25] a 15-second warning. Uh can you hold up
[00:06:28] the sign? There you go. There's the 15.
[00:06:30] So if it's a minute, at 45 seconds
[00:06:32] you'll kind of get that notification. Um
[00:06:35] and uh and then at the one minute point
[00:06:39] um your mic will go silent.
[00:06:43] So um [laughter]
[00:06:46] so you'll kind of know that. So please
[00:06:49] plan accordingly on your time. Um and um
[00:06:53] I'll now turn the program over to Tom
[00:06:56] who will welcome you and introduce the
[00:06:58] candidates and an overview of the forums
[00:07:00] program this morning. Um thank you Tom.
[00:07:03] Great. Come on up.
[00:07:04] >> Thank you so much [applause]
[00:07:06] >> Thank you so much [applause]
[00:07:06] all me to be here.
[00:07:09] >> Good morning everybody. I I fought to
[00:07:12] >> Good morning everybody. I I fought to
[00:07:12] try to get this earlier. So, um but uh
[00:07:16] it is what it is. So, I think we have a
[00:07:19] good fun program this morning. I want
[00:07:20] you to I want to tell you that I I'm a
[00:07:22] big believer in the arts. Um I don't
[00:07:25] know if anybody here is familiar with
[00:07:26] Witty Hall. It's a new um lecture hall
[00:07:31] uh performing place that they opened in
[00:07:33] uh Newport Beach month or two ago. And I
[00:07:36] actually went in there before it
[00:07:38] officially opened and uh with a friend
[00:07:40] of mine with permission and I um sat got
[00:07:44] up on stage and sang a song. So now for
[00:07:48] the rest of my life I can tell people
[00:07:49] that I've performed on the stage at
[00:07:52] Witty Hall. So anyway, um I think this
[00:07:55] is a uh a wonderful opportunity for our
[00:07:58] candidates. We we have nine candidates.
[00:08:02] We limited it to nine this year. Um, but
[00:08:05] uh I appreciate, you know, it's always
[00:08:08] difficult. I I think people in in our
[00:08:12] communities they, you know, sometimes
[00:08:14] they rough up the candidates or whatever
[00:08:16] with their own beliefs and things like
[00:08:18] that. Takes a lot to be a candidate and
[00:08:20] go out and put yourself out in front of
[00:08:22] everybody. um not not only just a
[00:08:24] candidate but for for an incumbent
[00:08:26] that's been there for you know four
[00:08:28] years and kind of has this record and
[00:08:30] things like that that some people can
[00:08:32] challenge and whatever but uh I commend
[00:08:34] you all for being here to make uh
[00:08:37] Lagouna Beach better. So thank you for
[00:08:39] that. Um I'm going to introduce
[00:08:41] everybody going across. It looks like
[00:08:43] everybody's in the order that they gave
[00:08:45] me the sheet on. So I'll start to my
[00:08:47] immediately immediate left is Nick
[00:08:49] Arinoff. Nick, welcome.
[00:08:51] >> Thank you. Edward Beck is next. Joy
[00:08:56] >> Thank you. Edward Beck is next. Joy
[00:08:56] Barry, Ashley Centus,
[00:09:00] um Sue Kemp,
[00:09:02] Karen Martin,
[00:09:04] our mayor, Mark Orle, that's the only
[00:09:07] time I'm going to refer to him as our
[00:09:08] mayor, but I figured I'd show him some
[00:09:10] respect at the start of
[00:09:13] uh our uh our city treasurer, Laura
[00:09:17] Perez. Same thing for Laura. And
[00:09:19] finally, at the end, Alex Runagi. So,
[00:09:21] thank you all for being here. So, here's
[00:09:23] what the program is going to be. We're
[00:09:24] going to actually have three parts to
[00:09:27] the program. We are going to have um
[00:09:30] introductory
[00:09:32] comments from each of the candidates and
[00:09:34] then we're going to go in, we have a
[00:09:35] list of nine questions. We'll rotate
[00:09:37] them through and let everybody answer
[00:09:40] the questions and then we will come back
[00:09:43] and have a closing statement. Just want
[00:09:45] to assure everybody I have an afternoon
[00:09:46] tea time and we are going to get out of
[00:09:48] here. Okay. So, welcome and let's get
[00:09:52] rolling. And again, we're going to um
[00:09:54] kind of rotate through and everything,
[00:09:56] but we're going to start off with some
[00:09:58] introductory comments. You're going to
[00:10:00] have two minutes and um and uh you
[00:10:03] again, you'll turn to the timekeeper
[00:10:05] down here and they will let you know
[00:10:06] what's going on. We'll start with Nick
[00:10:07] Arinoff. Welcome, Nicks. Nick,
[00:10:10] >> thank you. Thank you to the LBA for
[00:10:11] >> thank you. Thank you to the LBA for
[00:10:12] hosting this event. I I know we've had a
[00:10:13] lot of uh a lot of uh candidate forms,
[00:10:16] but it's important that we talk about
[00:10:17] all parts of Laguna Beach. Uh, I grew up
[00:10:20] here. I went to our local schools and my
[00:10:22] family's been a part of this community
[00:10:23] for generations and the arts have always
[00:10:25] been a part of that story. My mom and
[00:10:27] grandmother both participated in the
[00:10:29] pageant of the masters. My
[00:10:30] great-grandmother had a booth at the
[00:10:32] festival of the arts for about 25 years.
[00:10:34] And one of my first jobs was at the
[00:10:35] sawest festival. So for me, Laguna's
[00:10:38] identity as an arts community is is very
[00:10:40] important. You know, taking drama at
[00:10:42] Thirsten or ceramics class at Laguna
[00:10:44] Beach High School. You know, I've had an
[00:10:46] opportunity as well to live and work
[00:10:47] around the world, learning three
[00:10:49] languages, opening up offices, running
[00:10:51] businesses, and and seeing firsthand how
[00:10:53] communities operate uh outside of
[00:10:55] Lagona. And every year, I've come home
[00:10:57] and I've watched other communities find
[00:10:59] ways to improve while hearing more and
[00:11:01] more frustration here about how
[00:11:02] difficult it can be to live, work, and
[00:11:05] open up a business, and simply just get
[00:11:07] something done at city hall. And over
[00:11:09] the last year, I've attended the city
[00:11:10] council meetings, the town halls, and
[00:11:12] spent a lot of time listening to
[00:11:13] residents across Lagona. You know, the
[00:11:16] message is remarkably consistent. People
[00:11:18] want to feel heard. They want better
[00:11:20] communication, smarter spending, and a
[00:11:22] city that plans ahead instead of
[00:11:24] constantly reacting after the problem is
[00:11:26] already here. So, we need a fresh
[00:11:28] perspective on city council. We need
[00:11:30] when five people too often arrive at the
[00:11:32] same conclusion without enough public
[00:11:34] debate or tough questioning, we risk
[00:11:36] creating a bubble. And we all know how
[00:11:38] Laguna can be a bubble sometimes. You
[00:11:40] know, good government benefits from
[00:11:42] different perspectives and people
[00:11:43] willing to ask, "Why are we doing this?
[00:11:45] Is there a better way?
[00:11:48] It shouldn't take an election year for
[00:11:49] city hall to start listening." Residents
[00:11:52] deserve that attention every year, not
[00:11:55] just when everyone is asking for their
[00:11:56] vote. So we should also want talented
[00:11:59] people to come forward and work um to
[00:12:02] come and work in Laguna and also stay
[00:12:03] here as we know with uh artists
[00:12:05] struggling to stay in Laguna and good
[00:12:08] leadership creates an environment where
[00:12:09] employees can succeed and residents can
[00:12:11] feel respected and
[00:12:18] >> so just to let you know when the time is
[00:12:18] done we will I guess you found out we'll
[00:12:20] turn off your mic.
[00:12:21] >> I thought I wasn't speaking to the mic.
[00:12:23] >> I thought I wasn't speaking to the mic.
[00:12:23] >> I thought I wasn't speaking to the mic. [laughter]
[00:12:23] >> No no so be prepared. Next, we'll go to
[00:12:27] >> No no so be prepared. Next, we'll go to
[00:12:27] Edward Beck. Edward,
[00:12:30] >> hi. Good evening. Uh, good morning. This
[00:12:32] >> hi. Good evening. Uh, good morning. This
[00:12:32] is the first time we've had a morning uh
[00:12:35] forum, which is good. Uh, the evening
[00:12:38] ones uh are fun, too, but morning is
[00:12:41] good, too. I This is the first time I
[00:12:44] have ever run for a political office in
[00:12:48] California. uh longtime resident of
[00:12:50] Lucuna Beach, but um I just recently uh
[00:12:57] 48 hours less than 48 hours ago received
[00:13:00] my state ID from the Secretary of State.
[00:13:04] So legally I can run today. So anyway,
[00:13:08] put that aside. I I talked to them a few
[00:13:11] times. I learned that um you need to
[00:13:13] live in the city. uh you need to be a
[00:13:16] registered voter and but it's a critical
[00:13:19] that um you're uh where you're
[00:13:23] registered to vote you need to live. So
[00:13:26] if you don't live there and you're using
[00:13:28] an address that you're uh that you vote
[00:13:32] that's a violation of election law
[00:13:35] 18,100.
[00:13:36] And so I went back and forth with the
[00:13:39] secretary of state and fair practices
[00:13:41] and it was interesting uh and
[00:13:44] educational and I think most of the
[00:13:46] candidates here I believe live here.
[00:13:49] Most of them are registered here uh
[00:13:52] legally. But it was fascinating what I
[00:13:54] learned from the secretary of state and
[00:13:56] fair practice and it was interesting
[00:13:58] going back and forth between the two of
[00:13:59] them. But any event, I uh am running
[00:14:03] because um I have watched city council
[00:14:07] over the last 30 years and particularly
[00:14:09] the last 10 years and three uh uh city
[00:14:14] managers uh the last one not properly uh
[00:14:19] running the city and I believe um you
[00:14:22] know things need to change and that's
[00:14:24] why you have six new candidates who are
[00:14:27] running uh this time and all of them are
[00:14:29] qualified Thank you.
[00:14:31] >> Very good, Joey Barry.
[00:14:34] >> Very good, Joey Barry.
[00:14:34] >> Well, thank you to the LBA. Um, before
[00:14:37] >> Well, thank you to the LBA. Um, before
[00:14:37] Lagouna Beach had paved roads, high-end
[00:14:39] resorts, and restaurants, before it was
[00:14:41] a world-class destination, it simply had
[00:14:44] canvas, paint, and community of artists.
[00:14:46] I looked at these hills and ocean and
[00:14:48] decided to build something special here.
[00:14:51] This book I brought today describes the
[00:14:53] connection between art, landscape, and
[00:14:56] the ocean. It describes how Lagona Beach
[00:14:58] and the Green Belt are recognized as a
[00:15:00] historic American landscape of national
[00:15:02] significance. Our dramatic natural
[00:15:05] setting is related to this artistic
[00:15:07] tradition. This book, A Real Treasure,
[00:15:09] is also about a fight, a fight ordinary
[00:15:12] small town citizens banding together to
[00:15:15] save a historic American landscape, our
[00:15:18] hills and canyons. Its artistic
[00:15:20] illustrations reveal why this place is
[00:15:23] so special. It's an inspiration to
[00:15:26] people everywhere. And that's why I'm
[00:15:27] running for city council because I
[00:15:29] refuse to let Lagona become a museum of
[00:15:31] its past. We must protect the engine
[00:15:33] that makes us thrive. I've been
[00:15:35] disappointed with the direction of our
[00:15:37] 50 council taken towards development.
[00:15:40] Our hillsides, our landscape, our
[00:15:42] historic character and tourism dollars.
[00:15:45] The fight of a small town came from the
[00:15:47] passion of artists. They were and still
[00:15:50] are the inspiration that helps with our
[00:15:52] quality of life and still moving it
[00:15:54] forward. Thank goodness. I attended the
[00:15:56] surf museum opening and loved the
[00:15:58] connection of the curators that they did
[00:16:00] with our ocean and heritage. I like the
[00:16:02] way Jane Hanover took a bookstore in the
[00:16:05] village and made it a book gallery and
[00:16:07] place to wonder and explore the way one
[00:16:10] does with art. The company I run today
[00:16:12] restores and operates historic ends. And
[00:16:14] I know the challenges of running a
[00:16:16] business through economic cycles and how
[00:16:19] important it is to have businessfriendly
[00:16:21] leaders and to foster a culture of
[00:16:23] satisfied residents. I know just how
[00:16:25] darn hard it is to be found in this
[00:16:28] pay-to-play economy we have. I can only
[00:16:30] imagine how hard it is to be an artist
[00:16:32] to be found. Thank you to all the
[00:16:34] activists and artists who fight.
[00:16:43] Okay, next up is Ashley Centis. Take it
[00:16:43] away, Ashley.
[00:16:44] >> Good morning. I'm Ashley Cintis. I'm a
[00:16:46] >> Good morning. I'm Ashley Cintis. I'm a
[00:16:46] local business owner here in Lagona and
[00:16:48] I'm running for city council because I
[00:16:50] believe protecting our future requires
[00:16:51] more than protecting our past. We have
[00:16:54] to make sure what makes Laguna special
[00:16:55] can actually thrive into the future and
[00:16:57] the arts are a huge part of that. Um, a
[00:17:00] little bit about me. Before I opened
[00:17:01] ODO, I was um running a visual and
[00:17:05] digital arts company for North America.
[00:17:07] I oversaw 20 locations um in the US in a
[00:17:10] lot of small small towns and be markets.
[00:17:13] Um I although I have a twin sister who
[00:17:16] got the artist Gan, I can't draw a stick
[00:17:18] figure. Um I did uh study at Strawburg
[00:17:22] um in LA and study film at UCLA. Um if I
[00:17:25] could redo life, I would do Broadway. Um
[00:17:27] I love the theater and um film and write
[00:17:30] scripts on the side. Um, but in
[00:17:32] professionally, I've spent nearly two
[00:17:33] decades building hospitality and
[00:17:35] lifestyle brands, including the Ace
[00:17:36] Hotel, where art wasn't decoration. It
[00:17:38] was part of the identity. Wherever we
[00:17:40] went, we worked with local artists,
[00:17:42] photographers, and designers. So, the
[00:17:43] businesses we built actually reflected
[00:17:45] the communities that we were in. I've
[00:17:47] carried that into ODO, where we showcase
[00:17:49] local art and support local artists. And
[00:17:51] I think Lagona has an opportunity to do
[00:17:53] much more of that. We already have
[00:17:55] incredible artists, galleries, the
[00:17:56] museum, the playhouse, our festivals,
[00:17:58] and a business community that benefits
[00:18:00] from all of it. We don't need to
[00:18:01] reinvent our arts community. We need to
[00:18:03] connect to it better. That means
[00:18:05] creating strong partnerships between
[00:18:07] artists and businesses, creating
[00:18:08] opportunities for the next generation of
[00:18:10] artists, protecting the funding we have
[00:18:12] while finding new funding resources, and
[00:18:14] making it possible for artists to
[00:18:16] continue living and working here. And
[00:18:18] then we need to measure whether it's
[00:18:19] actually working. Are artists staying
[00:18:21] here? Are people buying local art? Are
[00:18:23] our arts organizations thriving? And are
[00:18:25] we building the next generation? Lagona
[00:18:28] didn't become an arts community because
[00:18:29] someone marketed that way. Artists built
[00:18:31] this community and I want city hall to
[00:18:33] be a better partner in making sure that
[00:18:35] they can continue to do that. Thank you.
[00:18:38] >> Thank you, Sue Kemp. You're up.
[00:18:40] >> Thank you, Sue Kemp. You're up.
[00:18:40] >> Yeah. I want to thank the LBA today for
[00:18:42] >> Yeah. I want to thank the LBA today for
[00:18:42] putting this together and all the
[00:18:43] residents that turned out today on a on
[00:18:45] a Saturday morning. I'm sure you have a
[00:18:47] lot of other things you'd like to do,
[00:18:48] but I'm grateful that you came and
[00:18:49] you're interested in what we have to say
[00:18:51] here. Um, this is always my favorite um,
[00:18:55] forum because we're talking about the
[00:18:56] arts and the arts are fun and it's okay
[00:18:58] to have fun in Laguna Beach. I just want
[00:19:00] to remind people of that. Sometimes in
[00:19:01] these forums we get so intense, but we
[00:19:03] have to also remember that it's a fun
[00:19:05] place to live and it's fun mostly
[00:19:06] because of the arts. So, my mom was a
[00:19:09] watercolor artist. Um, she was quite
[00:19:11] talented, but she had three kids and she
[00:19:14] was, it was the 1960s and she couldn't
[00:19:16] really do anything with her art, but she
[00:19:18] used to draw a lot for me, you know, and
[00:19:20] I I'm not talented in arts at all. So,
[00:19:22] she used to help me with my homework in
[00:19:23] the arts in the arts classes because she
[00:19:26] she felt sorry for me, but she'd help me
[00:19:28] and it was it was really great. So, in
[00:19:30] my tenure on council, it's really been
[00:19:32] my honor to serve the arts commission
[00:19:33] for seven years. Such a good group of
[00:19:35] people and very talented bringing all
[00:19:37] the public art into town. Um it's quite
[00:19:40] impressive the work that they do and
[00:19:43] I've also served exeicio on the um FOA
[00:19:46] board twice and got to know the FOA
[00:19:47] board people very well and how they run
[00:19:50] the pageant and how they run the
[00:19:51] facilities and that was is quite
[00:19:52] educational. Um I also serve on the
[00:19:55] Irvine Bull policy committee which was
[00:19:57] kind of a a a nothing job for Alex and I
[00:20:00] until people wanted to have concerts in
[00:20:02] the bowl. So now all of a sudden we're
[00:20:03] we're busy. So that's the way that goes.
[00:20:07] And um
[00:20:09] we are doing a lot of work on the
[00:20:11] centennial as Jay referenced. Uh Mark
[00:20:13] Orgo and I are the subcommittee. We have
[00:20:15] some amazing plans for the Centennial.
[00:20:18] We highlighted those at the last council
[00:20:20] meeting, but there's not a lot of
[00:20:21] detail, but it's going to be a fantastic
[00:20:23] year for us. And for the arts, they're
[00:20:26] going to have their own calendar. And so
[00:20:27] they can you can see what what's
[00:20:29] planned, you know, every every uh month
[00:20:31] in in um our centennial year. And I
[00:20:34] think you guys will really enjoy it. I'm
[00:20:35] excited about the arts in town. I'm
[00:20:37] excited about the prominade. I'm excite
[00:20:38] excited about the surf museum at
[00:20:43] >> Okay, next up, Karen Martin.
[00:20:50] >> Good morning. I'm Karen Martin. Thank
[00:20:50] you to the Arts Alliance, the Festival
[00:20:51] of the Arts, and everyone who helps make
[00:20:53] art a part of life in Laguna Beach. Art
[00:20:57] runs through my family. My grandfather
[00:21:00] painted. I have one of his paintings. My
[00:21:03] grandmother did needle point. Two of her
[00:21:05] large pieces are hanging in my home,
[00:21:09] including one in the laundry room. Art
[00:21:11] belongs in everyday life. I think my mom
[00:21:15] and the painting salon at the Suzie Q
[00:21:18] and the fun we had and how rewarding
[00:21:21] these art shows are. I've purchased work
[00:21:25] at the art shows. I've also bought work
[00:21:27] from student artists. Uh, this is my one
[00:21:31] of my mom's
[00:21:32] [laughter]
[00:21:33] and I I brought brought it so she could
[00:21:36] be with me. Um,
[00:21:39] one of my favorite experiences was a
[00:21:42] student art show in North Lagona.
[00:21:46] Our dancers, musicians, painters,
[00:21:48] sculptors, writers, actors, and art
[00:21:51] educators along with places like the
[00:21:53] Laguna Playhouse are all part of the
[00:21:55] fabric of this community. Artists give
[00:21:57] us a portal into different dimensions.
[00:22:00] You help us see and feel things we may
[00:22:02] otherwise miss. Humanity needs that.
[00:22:07] Artists need to earn a living, find
[00:22:09] shelter, and have somewhere to create. I
[00:22:12] have a planning background and am
[00:22:14] committed to listening. I want artists
[00:22:16] involved in the policies that shape
[00:22:18] their lives, stronger connections
[00:22:20] between our arts organizations, and
[00:22:23] practical opportunities for people to
[00:22:25] experience and purchase art throughout
[00:22:28] the year. I want to help artists
[00:22:30] continue to belong here. Thank you.
[00:22:33] >> Thank you, Mark Orle.
[00:22:36] >> Thank you, Mark Orle.
[00:22:36] >> Thanks, Tom. Thanks, Laa, and everybody
[00:22:39] >> Thanks, Tom. Thanks, Laa, and everybody
[00:22:39] who came out today. So, is this going to
[00:22:41] pick up my audio? Tom, you started out
[00:22:44] by um using the word belief and why
[00:22:47] people are running and it just made me
[00:22:49] think for a minute. Um I I believe in
[00:22:52] Lagona. That's why I'm here. That's why
[00:22:55] I ran the first time and I I did
[00:22:56] recognize one of the main things when I
[00:22:58] ran the first time was civility and it
[00:23:00] was really bothersome, you know, the
[00:23:02] state of of things back then. And
[00:23:04] obviously we've come a long way and um
[00:23:07] beyond uh civility, I think that this
[00:23:10] council has made tremendous um progress
[00:23:13] and I understand a lot of the
[00:23:14] non-incumbents, you know, just um don't
[00:23:17] have the level of detail that you have
[00:23:19] and that you gain when you're on
[00:23:20] council. Um you know, we came out of a
[00:23:22] very serious inflationary cycle. I think
[00:23:24] that we've done a great job um balancing
[00:23:27] the budget and we can I believe that we
[00:23:30] can walk and chew gum at the same time
[00:23:32] and we've you know kept in investing in
[00:23:35] ourselves. I think a lot of us know that
[00:23:36] I'm heavily invested in what I call the
[00:23:39] stewardship program and the three
[00:23:41] pillars, culture, heritage, and
[00:23:43] environment. And I've made a lot of
[00:23:45] progress, put together the house, the
[00:23:47] land trust uh for the and that acquired
[00:23:50] the three artist properties, which by
[00:23:52] the way, and I I like to talk about
[00:23:54] myself in these forums, but I think this
[00:23:56] is very important. At our last forum, I
[00:23:59] learned and I was astounded that there
[00:24:01] was not support for the acquisition of
[00:24:04] those three properties which saved 75
[00:24:07] artist studios and that was a huge
[00:24:10] accomplishment. So remember that that
[00:24:13] model that we put together was done in
[00:24:15] such a way to where the city gets paid
[00:24:17] back their money. I mean what better
[00:24:19] model uh can you have than that? I was
[00:24:22] that was bothersome. I've been in
[00:24:24] involved with arts for many many years.
[00:24:26] Looks like I'm running out of time. I
[00:24:27] can talk about this forever. I encourage
[00:24:29] anybody that wants or has questions and
[00:24:32] wants some real information, please
[00:24:34] contact me. I'll be sure I'll promise
[00:24:37] I'll sit down with you and
[00:24:40] >> Thank you, Laura Pereizy.
[00:24:43] >> Thank you, Laura Pereizy.
[00:24:43] >> Thank you, Tom. I started my career as a
[00:24:45] >> Thank you, Tom. I started my career as a
[00:24:45] CPA with a big eight firm in Chicago and
[00:24:48] was the CFO in a Fortune50 company when
[00:24:50] I was 28. I left industry uh for Lagona
[00:24:54] Beach government to be a mom to my two
[00:24:57] children. I am Laura Paresi and have
[00:25:00] represented the citizens of Laguna Beach
[00:25:02] since 1999 as your city treasurer. I'm
[00:25:06] running for city council today, not
[00:25:08] because I'm tired of the treasurer job,
[00:25:10] but because the current council and
[00:25:12] management have made it increasingly
[00:25:14] difficult for me to do the job that you
[00:25:16] elected me for and the one I expect of
[00:25:18] myself.
[00:25:20] There are many financial issues that I
[00:25:21] think could have been avoided if with
[00:25:25] more financial uh focus. Bottom line is
[00:25:29] that my run for office is not just about
[00:25:31] me, but it's also about restoring the
[00:25:33] elected city treasurer position for
[00:25:35] those who come after me.
[00:25:38] I love the arts, but my talents are math
[00:25:42] and maybe legislation and organization.
[00:25:44] My family has art talents. I have an
[00:25:47] engineer father who is a photographer, a
[00:25:49] teacher mom who studied studied piano at
[00:25:52] the Helen Keller Institute in Chicago
[00:25:53] and a grandpa who studied at the Art
[00:25:56] Institute in Chicago. I am Laura Paresi,
[00:26:00] CPA and city treasurer and I urge you to
[00:26:03] vote. Thank you.
[00:26:05] >> Thank you all the way down at the end.
[00:26:08] >> Thank you all the way down at the end.
[00:26:08] Alex Runagi.
[00:26:11] >> Good morning.
[00:26:14] >> Good morning.
[00:26:14] Good morning everyone. Thank you so much
[00:26:15] for having us here today. I think as we
[00:26:18] all know as we approach our centennial,
[00:26:19] the arts are what make Laguna Beach
[00:26:21] unique. Prior to even be being formed as
[00:26:24] a city, the Laguna Beach Arts
[00:26:26] Association, not to be confused with the
[00:26:28] Lagouna Beach Arts Alliance, was formed
[00:26:30] and that later became the Arts Museum.
[00:26:33] And in 1932 during the great uh
[00:26:36] depression when the the last thing that
[00:26:37] the city could afford was was a
[00:26:39] festival. That's exactly what the city
[00:26:40] did. We came together and formed the
[00:26:42] Festival of the Arts, which later a year
[00:26:44] later was the Pageant of the Masters,
[00:26:45] something that the world had never seen
[00:26:47] and continues to be a magnificent thing
[00:26:50] today. I tried out for the Pageant of
[00:26:52] the Masters when or I didn't make it to
[00:26:53] the try out cuz my mom said I had to
[00:26:55] stand still for 30 seconds to be able to
[00:26:57] go to the the try out and I didn't do
[00:26:59] that. But but I was able to get involved
[00:27:02] as mayor by joining the board as an
[00:27:04] exeicio member. So, and I'm really proud
[00:27:06] of the work that we've done to create
[00:27:08] more live music at the Irvine Bowl,
[00:27:10] including the concert last year with
[00:27:11] Jack Johnson. I'm also proud of the work
[00:27:13] that we've done to stabilize the
[00:27:14] Playhouse. We negotiated a deal with
[00:27:16] them to uh to basically um provide
[00:27:20] financial stabilization in exchange for
[00:27:21] 10 weeks out of the year for local
[00:27:23] nonprofits. That's a gamecher for this
[00:27:25] community. And finally, you can't have
[00:27:27] an arts colony without artists living in
[00:27:29] it. And as the mayor alluded to, for for
[00:27:31] decades, people have come to this forum
[00:27:32] and talked about the idea of artist
[00:27:34] housing and artist workspaces, what this
[00:27:37] council did is delivered not through
[00:27:39] through grants with taxpayer dollars,
[00:27:41] but with the loan that'll be paid back
[00:27:42] and the private sector philanthropy
[00:27:44] coming in to um to to make that a
[00:27:48] reality. I think that's exactly the type
[00:27:50] of thing we should be doing as we think
[00:27:51] about Laguna for the next century is
[00:27:53] ensuring that the the we can have more
[00:27:56] spaces that are for artists because that
[00:27:57] allows us to know that Laguna Beach will
[00:27:59] always be an arts colony because again
[00:28:01] you can't have an arts colony without
[00:28:03] artists living here. Thank you so much
[00:28:05] for the opportunity to speak and I look
[00:28:06] forward to the questions about this
[00:28:08] these important issues.
[00:28:09] >> Thank you. Okay, this is where we take
[00:28:12] >> Thank you. Okay, this is where we take
[00:28:12] the gloves off as in my case it's going
[00:28:14] to be my jacket cuz it's hot in here and
[00:28:16] actually it's not the gloves off. We
[00:28:18] have nine questions that have been
[00:28:21] prepared by LBA member the LBA member
[00:28:24] organization. They've not been given to
[00:28:27] the candidates in advance. Um and the
[00:28:30] candidates will be given one minute to
[00:28:32] answer each question. And the first
[00:28:35] question is and we're going to start
[00:28:38] with Edward. So take a deep breath,
[00:28:40] Edward, and get ready for this question.
[00:28:41] It's a trick question. Okay.
[00:28:44] What do you know about the Lagouna Beach
[00:28:47] Art Alliance?
[00:28:55] >> Good qu good question. Uh Laguna Beach
[00:28:55] has many um art um organizations.
[00:29:01] They have many 501c3,
[00:29:04] 501c4, 501c6s.
[00:29:07] Uh I sat on the board of uh the Laguna
[00:29:12] Art Museum. Um so that has its own with
[00:29:16] I think 15 or 16 board of directors uh
[00:29:20] reporting discussing things with the
[00:29:22] president and chairman. The alliance is
[00:29:25] a strategic
[00:29:27] just like the Lagona Art Museum is a
[00:29:30] very strategic player in Laguna Beach.
[00:29:34] And uh one thing that people don't
[00:29:36] realize that I want to emphasize that uh
[00:29:39] during uh a period of time at the Laguna
[00:29:41] Art Museum, it was almost sold to UCI
[00:29:45] and it was a bit of a catastrophe and I
[00:29:48] called a vote to the board of directors
[00:29:50] and basically no
[00:29:54] art museum because of that vote. Thank
[00:29:56] you.
[00:29:56] >> Okay. Joy Barry, the
[00:30:00] >> Okay. Joy Barry, the
[00:30:00] >> Alliance is the conductor of the
[00:30:01] >> Alliance is the conductor of the
[00:30:01] orchestra because we have 30, I
[00:30:03] understand 30 maybe even more different
[00:30:06] art organizations and the alliance
[00:30:08] brings this all together to make
[00:30:10] beautiful music and so that's something
[00:30:12] really to be celebrated and um let the
[00:30:15] trumpets roar in 2027.
[00:30:19] >> Very good. Ashley Centas.
[00:30:21] >> Very good. Ashley Centas.
[00:30:21] >> Yeah. um you know with having so many
[00:30:24] >> Yeah. um you know with having so many
[00:30:24] organizations and galleries and artists
[00:30:26] it can you know everything can be in
[00:30:28] silos sometimes. So the organization and
[00:30:31] um really helps together to bring
[00:30:32] everyone together to be able to have one
[00:30:36] um unified voice be able to support and
[00:30:39] connect um the community together and
[00:30:41] city council and um just make sure
[00:30:44] everyone is you know working together
[00:30:46] and in good partnership. So it's good to
[00:30:48] have yeah good to have one uni uni
[00:30:50] unified voice for that. Great. Yeah,
[00:30:52] >> Sue Kim.
[00:30:53] >> Sue Kim.
[00:30:53] >> Yeah, I've attended a couple probably
[00:30:55] >> Yeah, I've attended a couple probably
[00:30:55] three or four LBA meetings and they're
[00:30:57] very interesting because it's a very
[00:30:59] dynamic group. There's there's 30 plus
[00:31:01] organizations in there and just to give
[00:31:03] you an idea like you'll have the Third
[00:31:04] Street writers, you'll have Laguna
[00:31:06] Dance, you have creative um identity,
[00:31:08] you also have the FOA festival, um
[00:31:11] community concert band. So, it it's a
[00:31:14] very interesting group and I think um
[00:31:15] you know going forward if some of these
[00:31:17] groups can work a little bit more um
[00:31:20] dynamically together. Um we can have
[00:31:23] even more events because there's so much
[00:31:24] talent in that room and so many people
[00:31:26] interested in promoting their art. We
[00:31:28] have more interest in the arts than we
[00:31:30] have money and we need to solve that but
[00:31:32] mostly through don donations. So I think
[00:31:34] you know events like you know forums
[00:31:35] like this to create awareness of the
[00:31:37] arts is a really good thing.
[00:31:39] >> Thank you Karen Martin.
[00:31:42] >> Thank you Karen Martin.
[00:31:42] Honestly, I didn't know much about the
[00:31:44] arts alliance. Um, so I did some
[00:31:47] homework and I realized that the arts
[00:31:50] alliance has um includes the city of
[00:31:53] Laguna Beach Arts Commission. Um, it
[00:31:56] also includes media and tourism, the
[00:31:58] radio station and visit Lagona as part
[00:32:01] of its membership. The visual arts and
[00:32:03] festivals are also a part of the arts
[00:32:06] alliance, stage and music, film and
[00:32:09] cultural venues, education and
[00:32:11] community, including the friends of the
[00:32:14] Laguna Beach Library. The Arts Alliance
[00:32:17] is our grounding
[00:32:20] uh
[00:32:23] is our grounding member organization for
[00:32:26] the entire community. Um, one of the
[00:32:30] things that I thought of is how can this
[00:32:32] arts alliance actually participate more?
[00:32:36] And for me, I would explore um more
[00:32:39] coordinated promotion that connects
[00:32:41] resident.
[00:32:48] >> Stay tuned for the rest of that answer.
[00:32:48] Next up, Mark Orle.
[00:32:50] >> Yes, I've been associated with the
[00:32:53] >> Yes, I've been associated with the
[00:32:53] organizations since its inception. In
[00:32:55] fact, we actually used to be members
[00:32:56] when I had seven degrees. And they also
[00:32:59] do their um event which we've hosted as
[00:33:01] well, which brings an immense amount of
[00:33:04] uh attention to the arts in Lagona. It's
[00:33:07] a great yearly event that that they do.
[00:33:10] And um so it brings all the uh art
[00:33:12] organizations together and helps them,
[00:33:14] you know, collaborate and uh with one
[00:33:17] another.
[00:33:19] is your stop sign is pointed at me.
[00:33:22] [laughter]
[00:33:27] >> And anyway, it's a great organization. I
[00:33:27] think that there, you know, there's a
[00:33:29] lot we can do um and uh going forward
[00:33:32] and I I do look forward to working with
[00:33:34] the organizations uh as well as other
[00:33:36] groups um in the future.
[00:33:39] >> Thank you. You know what I'm going to
[00:33:40] >> Thank you. You know what I'm going to
[00:33:40] do, Mark? Next time we have lunch, I'm
[00:33:42] going to bring that stop sign when you
[00:33:44] and I so I can get get some words in.
[00:33:48] Next up, Laura Pereizy.
[00:33:50] >> Hi. Okay. Um, well, I I know that LBA is
[00:33:54] >> Hi. Okay. Um, well, I I know that LBA is
[00:33:54] a collection of arts organizations that
[00:33:57] supports um artists and their causes.
[00:34:00] Um, the thing I'm most familiar with is
[00:34:02] the Art Stars Award. Um, couple of years
[00:34:05] ago, uh, I appreciate you, um, gave the
[00:34:09] award to a bank that, um, for the city,
[00:34:13] Bank of America. Um they were we were
[00:34:16] able to put um donation to significant
[00:34:19] groups in our um RFP and Bank of America
[00:34:24] um has a foundation. They donated and I
[00:34:27] appreciate that Art Stars awarded the
[00:34:29] bank and uh encourages
[00:34:32] other financial institutions to do the
[00:34:36] same. Thank you
[00:34:38] >> Alex Runagi.
[00:34:40] >> Alex Runagi.
[00:34:40] >> Yeah. So, as as everyone else was
[00:34:43] >> Yeah. So, as as everyone else was
[00:34:43] alluding to, the goal here is how do we
[00:34:44] coordinate to achieve the goal of of
[00:34:46] being a worldclass arts colony. I
[00:34:48] believe it was founded in 2002. So,
[00:34:50] someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but
[00:34:52] one of the areas that I think I've we've
[00:34:54] been able to have really good
[00:34:55] collaboration with with the alliance is
[00:34:57] in the context of the reauthorization of
[00:34:59] the tourism marketing district that
[00:35:01] would which is investing, you know, 30
[00:35:04] um more than $15 million over the next
[00:35:07] 10 years into the arts. Without that, we
[00:35:09] would essentially be defunding the arts.
[00:35:11] And that's a very big deal, especially
[00:35:12] in the context with what we're seeing at
[00:35:14] the federal government level where there
[00:35:16] are cuts to the arts. And here, we have
[00:35:18] to continue doubling down investing in
[00:35:19] the arts because it defines our
[00:35:21] community. And I look forward to continu
[00:35:24] continuing working with the LBA and and
[00:35:27] the various member organizations on how
[00:35:29] we can do that most effectively.
[00:35:31] >> Thank you, Nick Arnoff.
[00:35:33] >> Thank you, Nick Arnoff.
[00:35:34] >> Uh, yeah. Uh so what I learned about it
[00:35:36] >> Uh, yeah. Uh so what I learned about it
[00:35:36] is that the LBA is like the umbrella
[00:35:38] organization like some have said and
[00:35:40] it's great to hear that there's over 30
[00:35:42] different organizations and like you
[00:35:44] know everybody hears about the festival
[00:35:46] of the arts and the soda. So, it's great
[00:35:48] to have an organization that can help
[00:35:49] ride uh raise all the boats in Laguna
[00:35:52] Beach with whether it's music, theater,
[00:35:54] writing, and um I think it's important
[00:35:56] to bring everybody together, have the
[00:35:57] relationship with the city to make sure
[00:35:59] that everybody can coordinate to find
[00:36:01] out which groups are struggling um make
[00:36:03] sure all the artists get represented
[00:36:05] because as studios are closing around
[00:36:07] town and people uh aren't able to stay
[00:36:09] in Laguna Beach or have to have their
[00:36:11] own in-home studios that uh awareness is
[00:36:14] really important and so it's great that
[00:36:16] Laguna Beach has invested sted in this
[00:36:17] organization. It's come together with
[00:36:19] private money and public money.
[00:36:21] >> Thank you. Okay, Jo Joy, we're going to
[00:36:24] >> Thank you. Okay, Jo Joy, we're going to
[00:36:24] be coming to you. Question two is this.
[00:36:27] What Lagouna Beach arts organization are
[00:36:30] you active in and or otherwise support?
[00:36:35] And what is the most recent art event
[00:36:37] you attended?
[00:36:40] >> Had to Oh, there we go. I had to make a
[00:36:42] >> Had to Oh, there we go. I had to make a
[00:36:42] living by traveling a lot. I've been in
[00:36:45] the hotel business my entire career. So
[00:36:47] the first year I moved here, I bought a
[00:36:49] bunch of tickets and then I couldn't use
[00:36:51] any of them. So I'm a lastm minute kind
[00:36:53] of person. Some of the type of person
[00:36:55] that can't always attend. But I was just
[00:36:58] at the Sawdust Festival. I was at the
[00:37:00] surf museum. And so I I try to go every
[00:37:03] year to several things, but because of
[00:37:06] my travel life, I'm a gypsy. It's been
[00:37:09] very difficult.
[00:37:10] >> Okay. Ashley sent us. Um, the last event
[00:37:15] >> Okay. Ashley sent us. Um, the last event
[00:37:15] I went to was Pageant this summer. Um,
[00:37:18] similar to Joy, sometimes when you
[00:37:20] travel quite a bit, owning a hospitality
[00:37:21] company makes a little difficult. Um,
[00:37:23] but I went to Pageant. Loved it. Um, and
[00:37:26] I I'm fortunate. I live in North
[00:37:28] Lagoona, so um, Gallery Row. I walk my
[00:37:31] dog every day and get to go in and see
[00:37:33] all the artwork all the time. Um, but
[00:37:35] yeah, I'm I'm involved in the sense that
[00:37:37] I support it throughout my restaurant
[00:37:39] and throughout. Um, I have local artists
[00:37:41] showcasing their art there. Um, we're
[00:37:43] working on making that on an annual
[00:37:44] basis to be able to change that out um
[00:37:46] and promote that with the other
[00:37:48] restaurants um and hotels that you know
[00:37:50] I talk to and in uh friends with about
[00:37:52] doing that more often. So, how I'm
[00:37:54] involved
[00:37:56] >> samping
[00:38:08] and very trippy um del Toro, it's called
[00:38:08] Tipping Point. I saw it a few days ago
[00:38:10] and you should go see it. I mean, they
[00:38:12] have the doors closed. When you walk up,
[00:38:13] you can't see it very well, but when you
[00:38:14] open the doors, it's astounding. There's
[00:38:16] 600 art pieces in there. You should I'm
[00:38:18] not going to say anything else, but I
[00:38:19] don't want to spoil it for anybody, but
[00:38:20] I've been to the pageant, the sawdust. I
[00:38:22] love the fine arts at the FOA. Um, I
[00:38:26] love jazz. I love going to the
[00:38:27] Playhouse. I think I'm seeing that 39
[00:38:29] feet or whatever it's called in
[00:38:30] November. But, um, yeah, I'm a I'm a
[00:38:33] frequent patron of the arts and it's one
[00:38:35] of the my favorite things about the
[00:38:36] town.
[00:38:37] >> Thank you, Karen Martin. Um, I'm not a
[00:38:40] >> Thank you, Karen Martin. Um, I'm not a
[00:38:40] direct member of any of the art
[00:38:42] organizations, but I would say that
[00:38:45] there's a ripple effect. Um, and
[00:38:49] that ripple effect is not just by
[00:38:51] attending the shows, but by supporting
[00:38:54] the local artists, not just by buying
[00:38:57] their art, but by being there and
[00:38:59] helping them work through certain
[00:39:01] problems that they may have. Um,
[00:39:04] designing the booth at the Sawis
[00:39:06] Festival. um helping with the
[00:39:08] electrical, helping haul stuff. Um
[00:39:14] uh I my latest attendance to
[00:39:18] the events I went to the fashion show
[00:39:21] right here. Um I went to the pageant
[00:39:24] this year and I've also gone to the
[00:39:26] Laguna Playhouse a few times. Thank you,
[00:39:30] >> Mark Orle.
[00:39:32] >> Mark Orle.
[00:39:32] Well, I attended the opening of the
[00:39:35] prominade last night with 131
[00:39:37] performing. I've I've seen the recent
[00:39:40] show at the uh the Playhouse. I've
[00:39:43] recently spoke to LBA. I did attend all
[00:39:46] three festivals over the summer. I've
[00:39:48] attended uh the KFXM uh few of their
[00:39:52] events, also their art talk event that
[00:39:54] we had recently at the Rivian. I
[00:39:56] attended the um all three days with the
[00:39:59] opening of the surf museum and um
[00:40:03] what else was there? I it could just go
[00:40:05] on. I I rarely miss any any of the
[00:40:08] events. So,
[00:40:09] >> okay. Thank you.
[00:40:10] >> okay. Thank you.
[00:40:10] >> I think you got the picture.
[00:40:12] >> I think you got the picture.
[00:40:12] >> Maybe it would have been better if I
[00:40:13] >> Maybe it would have been better if I
[00:40:13] just said what haven't you been to? Is
[00:40:15] that what you're saying?
[00:40:17] >> Okay. Next up, Laura Perezy.
[00:40:19] >> Okay. Next up, Laura Perezy.
[00:40:19] >> Thank you. Um, well, I'm a member of a
[00:40:21] >> Thank you. Um, well, I'm a member of a
[00:40:21] number of the arts organizations, but
[00:40:23] I'm probably most active in No Square
[00:40:25] Theater. I went to the opening night of
[00:40:27] Lagunatics, which was last night. It's
[00:40:29] terrific. I recommend it highly. I was
[00:40:32] in Lagunatics for about 10 years as an
[00:40:35] actress, though I have no talent. I'm
[00:40:38] much better at math than being the
[00:40:40] treasure of Laguna Beach. Thank you,
[00:40:44] >> Alex Runagi. Yeah, like uh like Laura, I
[00:40:47] >> Alex Runagi. Yeah, like uh like Laura, I
[00:40:47] I the last time I think I was on the
[00:40:49] stage was when I was in Laguna Tix. So,
[00:40:51] um and that was a fun experience. Very
[00:40:53] nerve-wracking. Um I also am a so I'm a
[00:40:56] member of the Laguna Art Museum as well
[00:40:58] as the Festival of the Arts. I really
[00:40:59] enjoyed attending the Pageant of the
[00:41:01] Masters this summer as well as the
[00:41:03] Sawdust Festival. And this was now
[00:41:05] almost a year ago, but one of the most
[00:41:07] iconic days that I've had over the past
[00:41:09] four years on council was the Jack
[00:41:11] Johnson concert right here on at the
[00:41:13] Irvine Bowl, which I think was a magical
[00:41:15] day when the community came together,
[00:41:17] celebrated great live music, and we
[00:41:18] needed to more have more of that in this
[00:41:20] town.
[00:41:21] >> Thank you. All the way back down to
[00:41:23] >> Thank you. All the way back down to
[00:41:23] here, Nick Arinoff.
[00:41:25] >> Yeah. Uh earlier this summer going to
[00:41:27] >> Yeah. Uh earlier this summer going to
[00:41:27] support the Festival of the Arts and
[00:41:29] Pageant the Masters and the Sodus
[00:41:30] Festival. Uh, you know, every year it's
[00:41:32] great to always see uh the Last Supper.
[00:41:36] Um, you know, it even though it's what
[00:41:38] you think is the same every year, it's
[00:41:40] always great to see it. Uh, I've seen it
[00:41:42] in person, been lucky enough to see it
[00:41:43] in Milan and then also obviously see it
[00:41:45] every year here in Laguna Beach. Um,
[00:41:48] supporting the Sada 60 years um, uh,
[00:41:51] anniversary this year. And it's really
[00:41:52] cool to see uh you know friends that I
[00:41:55] went to high school with and elementary
[00:41:56] school with now have their own booths
[00:41:58] whether it's glass blowing ceramics or
[00:42:01] jewelry. It's it's always great to to be
[00:42:04] reconnected with everybody around town
[00:42:05] and and support our local artists.
[00:42:08] >> Okay. Thank you Edward Beck.
[00:42:11] >> Okay. Thank you Edward Beck.
[00:42:11] >> Well the best part about living in
[00:42:13] >> Well the best part about living in
[00:42:13] Lagouna Beach we live in the best place
[00:42:16] to enjoy all these different art events.
[00:42:19] There's not one probably
[00:42:22] uh artwalk
[00:42:25] event that I do not go to. I always
[00:42:28] spend that time walking around visiting
[00:42:30] the galleries. Uh fortunate I was a
[00:42:33] board member on the Laguna Art Museum
[00:42:36] for a very long time. Um and big
[00:42:39] supporter of them. Enjoyed work. I I
[00:42:42] worked with amazing board of directors,
[00:42:45] very talented, passionate people who had
[00:42:48] at a critical point in time I spoke
[00:42:50] earlier uh there came an event that the
[00:42:54] board of directors did not know that the
[00:42:57] president and uh Malcolm the executive
[00:43:00] director uh were in still in
[00:43:02] negotiations with uh UCI trying to buy
[00:43:06] the museum and we had eight meetings.
[00:43:08] because I realized no one was going to
[00:43:10] call the vote and so I called it
[00:43:12] >> asked them to uh so Malcolm and
[00:43:16] >> asked them to uh so Malcolm and
[00:43:16] >> Okay, president stepped down.
[00:43:18] >> Okay, president stepped down.
[00:43:18] >> Okay, we're going to move along and
[00:43:21] >> Okay, we're going to move along and
[00:43:21] Ashley, we're going to come to you with
[00:43:22] this question.
[00:43:24] In general, additional parking is needed
[00:43:27] in Lagona.
[00:43:29] Specifically, do you support a new
[00:43:32] parking structure in or near the arts
[00:43:35] district? If so, where?
[00:43:39] Um,
[00:43:40] >> lucky you.
[00:43:41] >> lucky you.
[00:43:41] >> lucky you. >> Yeah.
[00:43:42] >> Yeah.
[00:43:42] >> Um, I
[00:43:45] >> Um, I
[00:43:45] I support adding more parking. Um, but I
[00:43:49] first would like to look at the parking
[00:43:51] that we already have and how we can
[00:43:53] utilize that better. Um, we already have
[00:43:55] a lot of we have peripheral parking, we
[00:43:58] have the trolleys. I think we could do a
[00:44:00] better job of not making downtown Lagona
[00:44:04] so bottlenecked and utilizing the
[00:44:06] outside parking and utilizing again the
[00:44:08] trolleys and and other avenues to um to
[00:44:12] just maximize the parking that we have
[00:44:14] before tearing anything down and
[00:44:15] building new. So I can't really answer
[00:44:17] to where that would be. Um but yeah,
[00:44:19] that's my answer. I think we need to
[00:44:20] utilize what we have.
[00:44:22] >> Thank you, Sukam.
[00:44:23] >> Thank you, Sukam.
[00:44:23] >> Somehow every topic in this town comes
[00:44:25] >> Somehow every topic in this town comes
[00:44:25] down to parking somehow. Anyway, um so I
[00:44:28] think we do okay in the summer in
[00:44:30] general because we have a lot of use of
[00:44:32] act five and the trolleys. It's the off
[00:44:34] in the offseason. Of course, we don't
[00:44:36] have that. You know, we have we're kind
[00:44:38] of space constrained here because you
[00:44:40] when we're we're studying our facilities
[00:44:42] and we're going to have to probably
[00:44:43] build a new fire station one at some
[00:44:45] point. So, where would we put that? So,
[00:44:46] we have to figure out um from our um you
[00:44:49] know, kind of master study of the town,
[00:44:52] you know, what what is best to go where.
[00:44:54] And so, that's that's one of the
[00:44:55] problems. in in a in a town where you're
[00:44:56] very land constrained, you kind of have
[00:44:58] to think about very strategically what
[00:45:00] you want to do for what purpose. So, I
[00:45:02] think we just need to spend some more
[00:45:03] time on it. I don't really know what the
[00:45:05] answer is. I'm very curious about what's
[00:45:07] going to happen with mobility. So, you
[00:45:08] know, they have a lot of people coming
[00:45:09] in via Uber now and I think that's going
[00:45:11] to happen more and more, you know, as
[00:45:13] time goes by. So, we'll we'll have to
[00:45:14] see, but it's it's definitely a it's on
[00:45:16] the mind of the current council and and
[00:45:17] I think we have to think very
[00:45:18] strategically about it.
[00:45:20] >> Thank you, Karen Martin.
[00:45:22] >> Thank you, Karen Martin.
[00:45:22] >> Thank you. Um,
[00:45:25] >> Thank you. Um,
[00:45:25] with regards to a new lot, I I would
[00:45:28] start with the existing public lots
[00:45:30] serving the art district and the
[00:45:33] opportunities for shared parking nearby.
[00:45:36] Artists also need practical loading and
[00:45:38] unloading access and the buyers need a
[00:45:41] way to collect their artwork. Those
[00:45:44] needs deserve attention alongside with
[00:45:46] visitor parking. Before selecting a new
[00:45:49] structure, I would compare year round
[00:45:52] demand, construction, and operating
[00:45:54] costs, traffic effects, and
[00:45:56] alternatives.
[00:45:57] I would walk the area with the artist,
[00:46:00] the venue operators, res residents and
[00:46:04] accessibility advocates to understand
[00:46:07] where access breaks down. Then we could
[00:46:10] identify a specific involvement, test
[00:46:13] it, and decide whether a larger
[00:46:15] investment is justified.
[00:46:19] Thank you, Mark Orle.
[00:46:22] >> Thanks, Tom. Uh, this is I'm going to
[00:46:24] >> Thanks, Tom. Uh, this is I'm going to
[00:46:24] try to boil this down to where it's not
[00:46:26] too complicated. So, I actually am
[00:46:27] meeting again with my fourth meeting
[00:46:29] with Daryl Johnson, the head of Orange
[00:46:31] County Transportation Authority. This is
[00:46:33] a part of a bigger plan that is um part
[00:46:36] of the stewardship plan. Uh, is your
[00:46:39] direct question, are we going to um
[00:46:41] consider parking somewhere in Lagona?
[00:46:44] answer to that is yes, it is being uh
[00:46:47] looked at. We have already done a study
[00:46:49] as far as the trolleys and and other
[00:46:52] forms of moving people around. We we
[00:46:53] have all of that data. Now, it's really
[00:46:56] taking a look at it, assemble, putting
[00:46:58] it all together. As you know, I'm
[00:46:59] working with coastal staff um to there.
[00:47:02] They have now partnered with us on the
[00:47:04] stewardship effort. Um Karen just
[00:47:07] mentioned, you know, making sure that we
[00:47:08] can get the the festival serviced well.
[00:47:11] That will definitely be a priority. Um,
[00:47:14] so there's a lot of pieces to this
[00:47:16] puzzle, but I I'm working on it and I
[00:47:18] look forward to uh seeing it coming to
[00:47:21] fruition.
[00:47:22] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy.
[00:47:24] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy.
[00:47:24] >> Thank you. Um, I definitely agree that
[00:47:28] >> Thank you. Um, I definitely agree that
[00:47:28] we need more parking. Spoiler alert,
[00:47:31] that was one of the Laguna Tix numbers
[00:47:33] almost every year.
[00:47:35] But I don't think that this is a good
[00:47:37] time for the city to be spending money
[00:47:39] on a parking structure. I think we need
[00:47:41] to look at creative ways to provide that
[00:47:43] parking. Uh making sure that we're doing
[00:47:45] the most with what we have and um
[00:47:49] creative ways to move people around
[00:47:50] without impacting the city budget. Thank
[00:47:53] you.
[00:47:53] >> Okay, Alex Renagi.
[00:47:56] >> Okay, Alex Renagi.
[00:47:56] >> I I agree with my colleagues about you
[00:47:58] >> I I agree with my colleagues about you
[00:47:58] know about peripheral parking as an
[00:48:00] ideal solution. We operate the summer
[00:48:02] breeze program and I looked at the data
[00:48:04] recently and we have doubled the number
[00:48:06] of ridership from that Irvine lot down
[00:48:09] to down to the downtown. I think that's
[00:48:11] a big deal because that those are cars
[00:48:13] that are not coming into Lagona and that
[00:48:15] that program is largely funded through
[00:48:16] the county OCTA. As it relates to the
[00:48:18] parking structure, I think we studied
[00:48:20] this issue long enough. I'm I'm for a
[00:48:22] parking structure at the village
[00:48:23] entrance. I'm not for the taxpayers
[00:48:25] paying for it. I think it it can be paid
[00:48:27] for by the parking revenues. And I also
[00:48:29] think a creative solution is to look at
[00:48:31] with more usage potentially at the
[00:48:33] Irvine Bull having a five or$10 dollar
[00:48:35] fee associated with each ticket and that
[00:48:37] would help provide the funding um to
[00:48:39] make it a reality because the taxpayers
[00:48:41] shouldn't fund it but really the
[00:48:42] downtown and the arts need to have um a
[00:48:45] parking structure. It's been discussed
[00:48:46] and studied to death and so I think it
[00:48:49] it makes a lot of sense as we think
[00:48:50] about the future.
[00:48:53] >> Okay, Nick Arinoff. Uh yes. Um we
[00:48:57] >> Okay, Nick Arinoff. Uh yes. Um we
[00:48:57] absolutely need a parking structure. You
[00:48:58] know, at first I was sort of against it
[00:49:01] and then after listening to the
[00:49:02] community, listening to people in the
[00:49:04] arts community and also the business
[00:49:05] owners downtown, you know, right now
[00:49:07] next to city hall it's all staff parking
[00:49:09] and we need to either move the staff
[00:49:12] parking to act 5. We have all the
[00:49:13] infrastructure to shuttle people back
[00:49:15] into town. We have all the Laguna local
[00:49:17] and all the trolleys and an act five
[00:49:19] structure makes sense. It can be uh we
[00:49:21] can make it very Laguna. I went to
[00:49:23] school in Texas at SMU where they had
[00:49:26] very beautiful parking garages and I
[00:49:28] know it can be done here in Laguna Beach
[00:49:29] as well and protected with the trees so
[00:49:31] it's not imposing. If it means also at
[00:49:34] um at the digtor we something there but
[00:49:37] something needs to be done. We don't
[00:49:39] have we have to remove all the staff
[00:49:41] parking outside of the city and allow
[00:49:44] that to be for people who come here to
[00:49:46] spend money. For example, uh Whole Foods
[00:49:49] has like 15 20 staff. They all park on
[00:49:52] Cliff Drive. So that that's just taking
[00:49:54] up all the supply from people being able
[00:49:56] to spend time in town.
[00:49:59] >> Thank you, Edward Beck. There are
[00:50:01] >> Thank you, Edward Beck. There are
[00:50:01] strategic locations throughout the city
[00:50:04] where you could put a parking structure
[00:50:06] not at the resident's expense, i.e.
[00:50:10] example behind the theater, you could
[00:50:13] build a parking structure. You can't see
[00:50:15] it. Great location for a parking
[00:50:17] structure. give it to a investor who
[00:50:21] runs parking structures. There wouldn't
[00:50:23] be any revenue for the city, but at
[00:50:25] least creates parking for downtown
[00:50:27] businesses because the downtown
[00:50:29] businesses are complaining that there's
[00:50:31] not enough parking. And we just added, I
[00:50:34] believe, one or two more restaurants on
[00:50:36] Forest Avenue, which went from one
[00:50:38] employee now to seven employees, which
[00:50:40] and then you have customers. So, there
[00:50:43] are solutions. Another solution was a
[00:50:47] building I owned for 20 years. I met
[00:50:49] with Sue Camp Whan and Shereé in June 9,
[00:50:52] 2022, joining potentially the SWA
[00:50:56] building 570 to the Legion laundromat to
[00:50:58] making that into a parking structure to
[00:51:02] neighborhood parking. Thank you.
[00:51:05] >> Next up, Joy Barry.
[00:51:07] >> Next up, Joy Barry.
[00:51:07] >> I'm not a fan of putting a parking
[00:51:09] >> I'm not a fan of putting a parking
[00:51:09] garage downtown. I fear it's going to
[00:51:11] just bring in more day visitors and um
[00:51:15] I'm not sure it'll all be going to the
[00:51:17] artists. I actually prefer what Mark
[00:51:19] Orle was just saying about working with
[00:51:20] Orange County Transportation Authority
[00:51:23] and that you know most of the the the
[00:51:25] transportation comes from the canyon and
[00:51:27] why can't we work with Irvine to create
[00:51:29] a big parking garage? They have a flat
[00:51:32] land. It's inexpensive to build and work
[00:51:34] on more mass transit to get people in
[00:51:37] and out of the canyon through our
[00:51:38] trolley system and other vehicles. I
[00:51:41] think that's a better solution for the
[00:51:43] community.
[00:51:44] >> Okay, thank you. Okay, Sue, we're coming
[00:51:47] >> Okay, thank you. Okay, Sue, we're coming
[00:51:47] to you. Start this one off. How would
[00:51:50] you describe the importance of the arts
[00:51:53] to Lagona?
[00:51:55] Yeah. So, in 2023, there was a very
[00:51:57] comprehensive study called Arts in
[00:51:59] America, and it studied the um economic
[00:52:01] impact to Laguna Beach. And what they
[00:52:03] found was that in our local economy
[00:52:06] here, the arts account for about $90
[00:52:08] million in direct and indirect spending.
[00:52:10] And what that means is the direct is
[00:52:13] putting on events and stuff through the
[00:52:14] various arts organizations throughout
[00:52:15] the town. And the indirect means the
[00:52:17] people that come in and stay at our
[00:52:19] hotels, eat at our restaurants and and
[00:52:23] shop at our shop in our um retail
[00:52:25] locations. And that is extremely
[00:52:27] extremely important. And you can see it
[00:52:29] like during the summer for in particular
[00:52:32] when we have the festival going and the
[00:52:34] pageant going and the sawdust going that
[00:52:37] the town is very much alive. And I'm not
[00:52:39] talking about the day trippers. I'm just
[00:52:40] talking about the people that are coming
[00:52:41] in uh as patrons to the arts. So when I
[00:52:45] look at our budget, the fact that we
[00:52:46] have the arts or our arts organizations
[00:52:48] very active in town contributes a lot to
[00:52:50] our economic vitality and it's also, you
[00:52:53] know, as we know, part of our our
[00:52:54] culture and heritage.
[00:52:56] >> Karen Martin,
[00:52:58] >> Karen Martin,
[00:52:58] >> um, can you repeat the question?
[00:53:00] >> um, can you repeat the question?
[00:53:00] >> I sure can. How would you describe the
[00:53:02] >> I sure can. How would you describe the
[00:53:02] importance of arts to Lagona?
[00:53:13] >> For me, art is the soul of Lagona. It is
[00:53:13] >> For me, art is the soul of Lagona. It is what
[00:53:15] breathes the magic. We have this amazing
[00:53:18] backdrop of natural environment, but art
[00:53:22] is the soul of our community. It weaves
[00:53:25] us together. It allows
[00:53:29] each other to um communicate about
[00:53:33] something different than parking and
[00:53:35] politics. It
[00:53:38] it is um one of the reasons why I can be
[00:53:43] here. It's
[00:53:46] gives me a portal to being somewhere
[00:53:49] else in this busy world. Thank you
[00:53:52] artist. I appreciate your efforts.
[00:53:55] >> Thank you Mark Orle.
[00:53:58] >> Thank you Mark Orle.
[00:53:58] >> We obviously have a wonderful
[00:54:00] >> We obviously have a wonderful
[00:54:00] environment and a beautiful landscape in
[00:54:02] Laguna Beach, but art is the people. art
[00:54:04] is why a lot of us are here and there's
[00:54:07] a lot of layers to it to make sure that
[00:54:08] it's nut nurtured and taken care of and
[00:54:11] um I think you know that's what I work
[00:54:14] on. I spend a lot of time uh working on
[00:54:16] the arts and all of the nuances to keep
[00:54:19] the the art art scene viable and
[00:54:23] healthy.
[00:54:24] >> Okay, next is Laura Pereizy.
[00:54:28] >> Okay, next is Laura Pereizy.
[00:54:28] >> The importance of arts to Lagona. Well,
[00:54:31] >> The importance of arts to Lagona. Well,
[00:54:31] I I think it's um very much a part of
[00:54:34] the identity of Lagouna Beach. It's a
[00:54:36] huge economic driver, not only in terms
[00:54:40] of funding for the city, but uh in our
[00:54:42] houses and whatnot. Um just extremely
[00:54:46] important. Um and finally, it's also a
[00:54:51] tremendous source of recreation to the
[00:54:54] residents. Gives us a sense of culture.
[00:54:58] um something more than the average city
[00:55:01] would have. Thank you,
[00:55:04] >> Alex Runagi.
[00:55:05] >> Alex Runagi.
[00:55:05] >> Laguna Beach is a special place because
[00:55:08] >> Laguna Beach is a special place because
[00:55:08] we are an arts colony and I think that
[00:55:10] we've applied that approach to every
[00:55:12] challenge that we've taken where instead
[00:55:14] of just doing the conventional thing
[00:55:15] that everyone else is doing around us,
[00:55:17] we approach problems in really
[00:55:19] unconventional and creative ways that's
[00:55:21] rooted in our artistic identity. My
[00:55:23] grandfather came to Laguna Beach because
[00:55:25] it was an arts colony and so I didn't I
[00:55:27] don't have his talents but that that
[00:55:29] same culture is is critical to the
[00:55:31] community. And then from an op city
[00:55:33] operation standpoint because our goals
[00:55:34] are public safety infrastructure and of
[00:55:36] the efficient delivery of government
[00:55:37] services. 60% of our revenue comes from
[00:55:39] property taxes. And so the question is
[00:55:41] always how do we maximize the toot and
[00:55:44] sales tax and the whole idea behind the
[00:55:47] tourism marketing district was to fill
[00:55:49] hotel rooms during the off season. That
[00:55:51] is a win for the community. When tours
[00:55:53] can pay, when we have more people coming
[00:55:55] for art shows and uh performances
[00:55:57] including live music during the off
[00:55:59] season, that is a of that creates
[00:56:02] financial uh resources for the city, but
[00:56:04] it also creates a cultural place where
[00:56:05] people want to live.
[00:56:08] >> Nick Arinoff.
[00:56:09] >> Nick Arinoff.
[00:56:10] >> Yeah, I believe uh the arts are the core
[00:56:12] >> Yeah, I believe uh the arts are the core
[00:56:12] to the community. It's our soul. It's,
[00:56:14] you know, the attitude, the quirkiness.
[00:56:17] We're, you know, we're different than
[00:56:18] other areas of Orange County. And it's
[00:56:21] it's part of everyday life, whether
[00:56:23] you're at with whether you're a student
[00:56:24] at school and you get to take classes
[00:56:26] that no other school district can offer
[00:56:29] or if you're walking through the park
[00:56:30] and you see plane air artists painting
[00:56:32] as you're having coffee or doing your
[00:56:33] morning uh routine. Um it's something
[00:56:36] that we have to make sure we continue to
[00:56:38] take care of and we invest in because we
[00:56:40] can't get complacent. We need to make
[00:56:41] sure that the world knows Laguna Beach
[00:56:44] for the arts. Um yeah.
[00:56:47] >> Okay. Thank you, Edward B.
[00:56:50] >> Okay. Thank you, Edward B.
[00:56:50] >> For a hundred years, we've been an art
[00:56:52] >> For a hundred years, we've been an art
[00:56:52] colony and people don't realize that
[00:56:55] things are created out west and they
[00:56:58] roll back east. And so what we have done
[00:57:01] here in Laguna Beach has helped the rest
[00:57:03] of the United States. And you look at
[00:57:05] defunct cities like Detroit and other
[00:57:07] places, we have taught them art drives
[00:57:12] businesses, drives culture, drives
[00:57:14] people to get together just like m
[00:57:17] music. So Laguna Beach has helped the
[00:57:20] rest of the United States and defunct
[00:57:23] cities. So we have shown the world and
[00:57:26] the rest of the United States what to
[00:57:28] do. And I'm very proud to be a resident
[00:57:30] of Laguna Beach.
[00:57:32] >> All right. Thank you, Joy Barry.
[00:57:34] >> All right. Thank you, Joy Barry.
[00:57:34] >> How important. Well, all of the
[00:57:36] >> How important. Well, all of the
[00:57:36] California coast, all those coastal
[00:57:38] towns, they all have a beach, but only
[00:57:41] Lagona has a 100red-year art colony.
[00:57:44] Hallelujah. And I it is an economic
[00:57:47] engine. What did I hear earlier today?
[00:57:49] 95 million. I mean, it's what makes us
[00:57:51] special. I've been in the tourist
[00:57:53] tourism industry my entire career and
[00:57:56] tourism brings people here to Lagona,
[00:57:59] but it's the art that makes them fall in
[00:58:01] love.
[00:58:02] >> Thank you, Ashley Centus.
[00:58:06] >> Thank you, Ashley Centus.
[00:58:06] >> Um, so yeah, I mean it's the identity of
[00:58:08] >> Um, so yeah, I mean it's the identity of
[00:58:08] Laguna. We all we all know that it's
[00:58:10] important to our economy. Um, I think
[00:58:12] what's really really two things are
[00:58:14] really special about it is that one,
[00:58:16] there's no other city in America that
[00:58:18] has as much art when it comes to a
[00:58:21] design school, a playhouse, galleries,
[00:58:24] etc. Um, in the density that we have it,
[00:58:26] and that's really special for us. Um,
[00:58:29] most importantly, what I love is that
[00:58:32] there's so many people here that come to
[00:58:34] Lagona that their profession might not
[00:58:37] be an artist, but it's a hobby and
[00:58:38] they're able to fall in love with it and
[00:58:40] do it so often here because it's so
[00:58:42] welcoming in this community. Um, you
[00:58:44] know, one of the artists that we feature
[00:58:45] in Oda um in Odo is Yavon Schroeder and
[00:58:48] she's a lawyer by day and then an artist
[00:58:51] um as you know, on the weekend. I think
[00:58:52] that's really beautiful to have a
[00:58:54] community that allows people whose
[00:58:57] passions can come out um and that we
[00:58:59] support that so much. I think that's how
[00:59:00] it's just really awesome and beautiful
[00:59:02] that we have that. Thank you.
[00:59:04] >> Okay, as I look around this beautiful
[00:59:06] >> Okay, as I look around this beautiful
[00:59:06] little theater um something has captured
[00:59:10] my attention out there to kind of liven
[00:59:13] everybody up. This is a bonus point
[00:59:15] question. Okay, it does nothing for you.
[00:59:18] There's no order. There's no first.
[00:59:19] There's no second. Whatever. Who's that
[00:59:21] person in that back frame?
[00:59:28] >> Anybody tell me?
[00:59:28] Okay. I just thought it was interesting
[00:59:30] and kind of break up the mood a little.
[00:59:32] And uh
[00:59:33] >> it's Sarah.
[00:59:36] >> it's Sarah.
[00:59:36] >> I don't know who it is.
[00:59:37] >> I don't know who it is.
[00:59:37] >> I'm just [laughter]
[00:59:42] >> Sarah Schmidt.
[00:59:42] >> Okay. Carol.
[00:59:43] >> Okay. Carol.
[00:59:43] >> And how do we know her?
[00:59:44] >> And how do we know her?
[00:59:44] >> Um photographed by festival exhibitor
[00:59:47] >> Um photographed by festival exhibitor
[00:59:47] photographer Robert Gage.
[00:59:50] >> Wow. Thank you very much. Okay.
[00:59:52] >> Wow. Thank you very much. Okay.
[00:59:52] >> Anyway, we'll [laughter] get back to
[00:59:53] >> Anyway, we'll [laughter] get back to
[00:59:53] this program. I just, you know, as I'm
[00:59:55] sitting up here looking out at everybody
[00:59:57] and everything,
[00:59:58] >> she's staring back at me and I thought
[01:00:00] >> she's staring back at me and I thought
[01:00:00] it was interesting and wanted to find
[01:00:01] out more. Okay, next question.
[01:00:04] >> She's married.
[01:00:06] >> She's married.
[01:00:06] >> She's married. [laughter]
[01:00:07] >> So am I. No, I'm not.
[01:00:10] >> So am I. No, I'm not.
[01:00:10] Anyway, uh we're going to start with
[01:00:11] Karen, and this question is, "Visitors
[01:00:15] are vital to Lagona's economy and the
[01:00:18] sustainability of arts organizations.
[01:00:22] How would you balance the needs of
[01:00:24] residents and visitors?"
[01:00:27] >> The age-old question.
[01:00:31] >> The age-old question.
[01:00:31] >> Um, thank you for that question. I love
[01:00:33] >> Um, thank you for that question. I love
[01:00:33] that question. Um, I think balance will
[01:00:36] come with a capacity study. And I know
[01:00:40] everybody's tired of me talking about
[01:00:42] the general plan, but the general plan
[01:00:44] and I think um the incumbents are right.
[01:00:47] There are a lot of pieces and parts that
[01:00:49] have already been done. They need to be
[01:00:51] weaved together and I think we need to
[01:00:54] update um some of the data which is the
[01:00:58] capacity study. Um, I know several years
[01:01:01] ago there was a a parking management
[01:01:04] study. Um,
[01:01:07] Lagouna Beach can only
[01:01:10] hold so many people comfortably
[01:01:14] and if we don't know what that number
[01:01:18] is, we may make a mistake. So, I would
[01:01:22] argue for a capacity study. Thank you.
[01:01:25] >> Thank you, Mark.
[01:01:27] >> Thank you, Mark.
[01:01:27] A lot of it has to do with how we
[01:01:28] position oursel and this is actually
[01:01:30] being worked on currently. Um you know
[01:01:32] if we focus on f uh positioning oursel
[01:01:36] as a culturally right we have we know we
[01:01:38] have the day trippers and we do have the
[01:01:40] folks that come for our culture and
[01:01:42] heritage but that it needs more work.
[01:01:45] It's it's in the process right now of
[01:01:47] being worked on and uh I think that
[01:01:50] there's other things that we can do to
[01:01:52] accommodate them when when they get
[01:01:53] here. For instance, designated parking
[01:01:55] during the festivals, whether it's
[01:01:57] through a parking structure or not. If
[01:01:59] there's a couple of lots that are set
[01:02:00] aside where that are designated strictly
[01:02:04] for festival goers and it was mentioned
[01:02:06] earlier, you know, that way if they do
[01:02:08] uh purchase art, is there a pull-up area
[01:02:10] that people could come to, drop off
[01:02:12] their art, and then, you know, drive
[01:02:15] home. So, anyway, there's a variety of
[01:02:17] things. A lot of them are being worked
[01:02:18] on right now and u and I look forward to
[01:02:21] seeing the results of some of the um
[01:02:23] policies that we put into place.
[01:02:26] >> Thank you Laura Perezy.
[01:02:29] >> Thank you Laura Perezy.
[01:02:29] >> Okay. Thank you for the question. Um
[01:02:32] >> Okay. Thank you for the question. Um
[01:02:32] what I would do is um focus on
[01:02:34] maximizing what we have. Look for
[01:02:37] opportunities to um enhance
[01:02:41] existing resources. Um insist on
[01:02:45] following the rules. you know, some
[01:02:47] simple in a crowd control type things,
[01:02:50] better signage that uh lower cost things
[01:02:55] and um also I I really like that, you
[01:02:58] know, as you as things change and as the
[01:03:00] town changes, study the alternatives um
[01:03:03] and have the studies follow the changes
[01:03:06] as opposed to redoing the same studies
[01:03:09] uh over and over. Thank you.
[01:03:11] >> Okay, Alex Renagi.
[01:03:13] >> Okay, Alex Renagi.
[01:03:13] >> Yes. So, I look at the question of
[01:03:15] >> Yes. So, I look at the question of
[01:03:15] visitors in a nuanced way because that's
[01:03:17] really the the reality of how how we
[01:03:19] should look at this at this um as it
[01:03:21] relates to day trippers, people going to
[01:03:22] the beach. We are limited in what we can
[01:03:24] do based on the coastal commission.
[01:03:26] We're doing looking at capacity studies
[01:03:27] and we'll see how that plays out. But
[01:03:29] what we can do is enforce the rules. And
[01:03:31] I'm really proud. I looked at the data
[01:03:33] recently. We have a 79% year-over-year
[01:03:35] increase in summer citations from 2024
[01:03:38] to 2025. We'll see what the data is for
[01:03:40] 2026. So, that's that's important. But
[01:03:43] then the question is as our as council
[01:03:45] members our job is to represent
[01:03:46] residents and as I said before the
[01:03:49] remaining the 40% that's not funded
[01:03:52] through property taxes we want to
[01:03:53] maximize that. We want people staying in
[01:03:55] hotel rooms during the offseason uses.
[01:03:57] That's where the arts come into play. We
[01:03:59] want c people who are visitors that
[01:04:01] embrace the culture of our town. And
[01:04:03] what's great about having culture that
[01:04:04] attracts visitors is that makes it a
[01:04:06] really great town for residents to live
[01:04:08] in. So that's why we have to keep
[01:04:09] doubling down in terms of investing in
[01:04:11] the arts. Thank you, Nick Areronoff.
[01:04:15] >> Yeah, it's about a balance. We have the
[01:04:16] >> Yeah, it's about a balance. We have the
[01:04:16] two different types of visitors. We have
[01:04:18] the day trippers and we have the
[01:04:19] visitors that come and spend money and
[01:04:21] invest in our community. And we need to
[01:04:22] make sure that tax dollars are going
[01:04:24] towards supporting the residents, make
[01:04:26] sure all the services are available to
[01:04:28] them and making sure that we have a
[01:04:29] thriving business community so that
[01:04:31] residents can enjoy going downtown and
[01:04:34] enjoy shopping in our uh uh in all of
[01:04:37] our local businesses. And if businesses
[01:04:39] are struggling or if shops are empty, we
[01:04:41] need to be investing in new ideas and
[01:04:43] having fresh perspectives on how we can
[01:04:44] generate more attention to the arts.
[01:04:46] Whether it's popups in different uh
[01:04:48] empty storefronts or if it's utilizing
[01:04:51] the prominade to have more events as an
[01:04:53] event space and less uh for um
[01:04:58] um for like the private businesses. It
[01:05:00] needs to be for for everybody around
[01:05:01] town to make sure that we can cultivate
[01:05:04] um the right environment for the visitor
[01:05:06] for visitors that spend money and not
[01:05:08] for visitors that are just enjoying the
[01:05:09] beaches.
[01:05:10] >> Okay. Edward Beck,
[01:05:12] >> Okay. Edward Beck,
[01:05:12] >> we are here as city council members,
[01:05:16] >> we are here as city council members,
[01:05:16] whoever gets elected to protect the
[01:05:19] residents rights as well as business
[01:05:22] owners. So ultimate goal, property
[01:05:25] owners, people who live here and
[01:05:27] business owners. So, we need to drive
[01:05:30] the day trippers to where they pay for
[01:05:32] parking. And in order to do that, you
[01:05:36] have to meter your streets, give place
[01:05:39] cards to people who live here so they
[01:05:42] can give the place cards to their
[01:05:44] visitors and they can park for free on
[01:05:46] the streets. What's happening is
[01:05:48] everyone's parking in the neighborhood
[01:05:50] and the people who live here are being
[01:05:53] struggled with this. And we're really
[01:05:55] good at doing studies, but we never do
[01:05:58] anything about it. So there are
[01:06:00] solutions. So the solutions are many.
[01:06:04] One, building strategic parking
[01:06:06] structures, driving the visitors to
[01:06:09] where they pay because our revenue is
[01:06:12] what cleans up the beaches. Thank you.
[01:06:16] >> Okay, Joy Barry.
[01:06:17] >> Okay, Joy Barry.
[01:06:17] >> Balance between Oh, a balance between
[01:06:20] >> Balance between Oh, a balance between
[01:06:20] residents and visitors. Okay, I am a
[01:06:22] techno idiot, but I do know enough that
[01:06:25] these tech industries know everything
[01:06:28] about us. And I think the key to this is
[01:06:30] marketing and doing targeted marketing
[01:06:33] to the people who really do appreciate
[01:06:35] art, to those who are coming for the
[01:06:37] galleries, who are coming to the
[01:06:38] festivals. They are coming to the
[01:06:41] specific art events and I think the
[01:06:43] solution is through targeted marketing.
[01:06:46] >> Okay, Ashley sent us. So it goes
[01:06:49] >> Okay, Ashley sent us. So it goes
[01:06:49] definitely handinhand with the um our
[01:06:52] arts culture. So 50% of um the financing
[01:06:56] for um for our arts and for our
[01:06:59] programming is generated by tourism um
[01:07:02] tourism and toot and them spending money
[01:07:05] here. So it's a pretty big significance.
[01:07:07] So we need to make sure that it's a
[01:07:08] healthy balance. Um I think it's not
[01:07:11] about bringing in more tourists. It's
[01:07:12] the quality of tourists that we bring
[01:07:14] in. And as I mentioned earlier in my
[01:07:16] opening is that I um oversaw North
[01:07:19] America for um a visual arts location-
[01:07:22] based entertainment company. And in
[01:07:24] order to bring in more revenue in
[01:07:27] outside of summer where it's already
[01:07:28] super congested is you have to work on
[01:07:30] the shoulder seasons, right? And so that
[01:07:33] in order to be able to do that, we need
[01:07:34] to study the data more and so we can
[01:07:37] make it where how do we bring in more
[01:07:38] quality visitors, have them stay
[01:07:40] overnight, where they're going to our
[01:07:42] galleries, where they're visiting um our
[01:07:44] programming that we have either at the
[01:07:45] Playhouse or the festival. Um and how do
[01:07:49] we make it where the parking is easier
[01:07:51] and everything more's [laughter]
[01:07:54] better for them to be able to come.
[01:07:55] >> You can keep going as long as you want.
[01:07:57] >> You can keep going as long as you want.
[01:07:57] Nobody will hear you, but you can keep
[01:07:58] going.
[01:07:59] >> Sue Kim,
[01:07:59] >> Sue Kim,
[01:07:59] >> I'll go for it. [laughter] She can't
[01:08:01] >> I'll go for it. [laughter] She can't
[01:08:02] some of her time.
[01:08:03] >> Yeah. Yeah. She I'll pass. [laughter]
[01:08:05] >> Yeah. Yeah. She I'll pass. [laughter]
[01:08:05] >> Yeah. Yeah. She I'll pass. [laughter] >> Yeah.
[01:08:07] >> Yeah.
[01:08:07] >> Yeah. So, this is just a meaty topic.
[01:08:08] >> Yeah. So, this is just a meaty topic.
[01:08:08] So, I just want to differentiate between
[01:08:10] like the day the day trippers where we
[01:08:12] have the surge plan. We've done as Alex
[01:08:14] referenced, you know, so much better. We
[01:08:16] want to get incrementally better each
[01:08:17] year on kind of managing the shenanigans
[01:08:19] and bad behavior. But, you know, a lot
[01:08:21] of visitors that come to town like the
[01:08:22] same thing that residents like,
[01:08:24] particularly with the arts and you know,
[01:08:25] like Coast Film Festival, they're going
[01:08:27] to have concerts in the bowl and for two
[01:08:29] days if you can if you're a resident,
[01:08:31] you put in our zip code and you get
[01:08:32] first choice. So, that kind of stuff is
[01:08:34] cool and I hope we can continue doing
[01:08:35] that. We know where the visitors come
[01:08:37] from. We know it from cell phone data.
[01:08:39] We have very sophisticated cell phone
[01:08:40] data. We know, you know, what cities
[01:08:42] they come from and so we can and I think
[01:08:45] the festival is really good at
[01:08:46] marketing. Uh, they know this and
[01:08:47] they're very good at marketing. Um, I
[01:08:51] think too that um with parking, we
[01:08:54] should do it like the Santa Barbara
[01:08:56] Bowl. They have off-site parking. They
[01:08:57] have an off-site Uber space and that I
[01:08:59] went up there a couple times and it was
[01:09:01] fantastic. You walked two blocks.
[01:09:04] Thank you. Now, it's funny. I I get a
[01:09:08] list of all the participants. Somebody
[01:09:11] else makes the lineup of where they sit
[01:09:13] and everything. I get prepared questions
[01:09:16] in a specific order and it turns out
[01:09:20] that the next question starts with Mark
[01:09:22] Orle and the question is do you support
[01:09:26] artists live work housing? If yes,
[01:09:30] where?
[01:09:36] I put all of my effort into eliminating
[01:09:36] artists in town. So the answer would be
[01:09:40] so how do I address this? Yes, I spent a
[01:09:42] lot of time on it. created the land
[01:09:44] trust with my fellow council member Bob
[01:09:46] Whan and I'm proud to say that we have
[01:09:49] now completed the close of escrow on the
[01:09:52] third property saving a total of 75
[01:09:54] units. A handful of them are live space.
[01:09:57] This is just the beginning. I would, you
[01:09:59] know, say that this is probably one of
[01:10:01] the most successful nonprofit uh
[01:10:04] formations in the history of Laguna
[01:10:06] Beach with the number of uh how much
[01:10:10] money it's raised and also how many
[01:10:12] units it's uh now to date. I mean, I
[01:10:15] think that the organization is nine 10
[01:10:18] months old and what it's already
[01:10:19] achieved. So, that's my where I stand. I
[01:10:22] don't just talk about it. I I do it.
[01:10:24] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy.
[01:10:26] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy.
[01:10:26] >> Thank you for the
[01:10:28] >> Thank you for the
[01:10:28] Laura Perezy,
[01:10:29] >> I'm Oh, there we go.
[01:10:31] >> I'm Oh, there we go.
[01:10:31] >> Yes, I do. Um I support artists live
[01:10:34] >> Yes, I do. Um I support artists live
[01:10:34] work housing, but uh what is uh
[01:10:36] currently in place? I I um am not in
[01:10:40] favor of the city spending more money on
[01:10:43] um housing, artist live work housing. Um
[01:10:47] and I I would encourage
[01:10:50] uh artist live work housing throughout
[01:10:52] the city. I I don't think it should be
[01:10:55] located in a specific area. I think it
[01:10:56] should be um throughout the city.
[01:11:00] >> Just to let you know, I did give Mark a
[01:11:02] >> Just to let you know, I did give Mark a
[01:11:02] permission slip to leave just for a
[01:11:04] minute. Okay. So, we're all good there.
[01:11:06] Um Alex Reinagi.
[01:11:10] >> Yeah, I was I was very proud to support
[01:11:12] >> Yeah, I was I was very proud to support
[01:11:12] the city loan to make the the land trust
[01:11:15] a reality. When we think about what
[01:11:17] would have happened, it wouldn't be that
[01:11:19] those the artists that were at that at
[01:11:21] the um the property that went on the
[01:11:24] market, they would they likely would not
[01:11:26] still be here today were it not for the
[01:11:29] city coming in and playing a role in
[01:11:30] filling the capital gap because
[01:11:32] ultimately the city resources have to be
[01:11:34] involved. I think it's good when you can
[01:11:35] use city resources alone rather than a
[01:11:37] grant and that's exactly what we did.
[01:11:39] And so when we think about the fact that
[01:11:42] this has been an issue where there have
[01:11:43] probably been at least five different
[01:11:45] studies or reports on how do we keep
[01:11:47] artists in town instead of talking about
[01:11:48] it and studying studying the issue. I'm
[01:11:51] really proud that you know four years
[01:11:52] ago when when we were asked this
[01:11:54] question there was support for it and
[01:11:56] it's really exciting that we have
[01:11:58] actually made it a reality because
[01:11:59] there's never it's it's hard to make
[01:12:01] things happen in this town and um so I'm
[01:12:02] proud of the work that was h that we
[01:12:04] know that there are going to be 75
[01:12:06] artist spaces in perpetuity in the city
[01:12:08] of Laguna Beach and I think we can
[01:12:09] continue to make that more.
[01:12:11] >> Thank you Nick Arinoff.
[01:12:13] >> Thank you Nick Arinoff.
[01:12:13] >> Uh I support the community land trust. I
[01:12:15] >> Uh I support the community land trust. I
[01:12:15] think it's very important to keep
[01:12:17] artists uh living and working in Lagouna
[01:12:19] Beach. I think the the issue that a lot
[01:12:22] of the uh the challengers on stage have
[01:12:24] and people in the community is what are
[01:12:26] the details of the of the documents of
[01:12:28] the of the loans and where the money's
[01:12:30] been going around. Um you know, we
[01:12:32] shouldn't be using tax dollars in this
[01:12:34] way where we're moving it around from
[01:12:36] different buckets. We need to be more
[01:12:37] fiscally responsible so we don't get
[01:12:39] into this situation. And the bigger
[01:12:41] question is who qualifies for these
[01:12:43] properties? Is there a list? What is
[01:12:45] that? That needs to all be very uh
[01:12:47] transparent because we not only need to
[01:12:49] be keeping those in town, but there's a
[01:12:51] lot of artists that have already had to
[01:12:53] leave Laguna Beach and we need to find
[01:12:55] ways to bring them back in. And so I'm
[01:12:57] hoping that with this community land
[01:12:59] trust, we get more transparency on those
[01:13:02] details of making sure that it's not
[01:13:04] just supporting those at those existing
[01:13:06] properties already that we're able to
[01:13:08] bring people back or help make sure that
[01:13:11] certain uh um artists are pushed out.
[01:13:16] >> Just to go on record, [clears throat] I
[01:13:19] >> Just to go on record, [clears throat] I
[01:13:19] support journalist uh land trust. So
[01:13:22] anyway, uh Edward, you're up next. Uh
[01:13:25] yes, I do support live work artist
[01:13:28] spaces. I also support housing for first
[01:13:31] responders and critical employees that
[01:13:35] operate our city which is very
[01:13:38] strategic. As you know, we have
[01:13:40] experienced high turnover at down at the
[01:13:42] city. Having proper housing provided to
[01:13:47] employees will lower the turnover and we
[01:13:50] will not have to pay uh such huge
[01:13:53] salaries to keep them. So I do support
[01:13:55] live work. Uh you we can get money from
[01:14:00] the state California housing finance
[01:14:03] agency could provide financing for these
[01:14:07] uh live work artist sloths as well as uh
[01:14:10] housing for our first responders out of
[01:14:14] no taxpayers money in Laguna Beach. So
[01:14:17] there is money available from the state
[01:14:19] of California and we do a very bad job
[01:14:22] asking for the money. Thank you. Okay,
[01:14:25] Joy Barry,
[01:14:27] >> I do support live work living here in
[01:14:30] >> I do support live work living here in
[01:14:30] Laguna, but this is where I think
[01:14:31] Sacramento's got it wrong. In fact,
[01:14:34] Sacramento will only give the money if
[01:14:36] it's a new build. And the economics are
[01:14:39] far superior for the land trust of what
[01:14:42] um the city did in the canyon where it
[01:14:44] was about a 230,000 per unit um way to
[01:14:48] have work live artists versus the NCC
[01:14:51] which is about a million3 per unit. And
[01:14:53] but unfortunately the state laws don't
[01:14:56] recognize retrofitting. And I think the
[01:14:59] best way to bring in more um affordable
[01:15:02] living here would be to retrofit some of
[01:15:04] the existing uh facilities that we have
[01:15:08] and do a deed restriction, which is what
[01:15:10] the California our land trust did,
[01:15:13] saying that the occupancy has to be for
[01:15:16] people living and working in Lagona,
[01:15:18] which is far better than open up to
[01:15:21] anybody to live and work in our
[01:15:23] affordable housing.
[01:15:24] >> Okay, Ashley sent us. So, I mean, we're
[01:15:27] >> Okay, Ashley sent us. So, I mean, we're
[01:15:27] all for um live work housing for
[01:15:30] artists. And I do want to clarify to an
[01:15:32] earlier point that was made. None of us
[01:15:35] um candidates are against that. The
[01:15:37] question the what we posed in the last
[01:15:39] forum was that there was no plan when we
[01:15:42] did the community land trust and how the
[01:15:44] money was going to be paid back, what
[01:15:46] are their qualifications for the people
[01:15:47] that are coming here. And so, in order
[01:15:49] to be able to do more live work um and
[01:15:52] affordable housing for artists is that
[01:15:53] there has to be a plan behind it. And so
[01:15:56] where is there existing land before
[01:15:58] going wanting to purchase new or do new
[01:16:00] development that we can be able to work
[01:16:03] with the zoning and the permitting to be
[01:16:05] able to create more housing. Um and is
[01:16:08] there partnerships that we can do with
[01:16:10] private or elcad? Um and I would much
[01:16:13] rather look down look in that route
[01:16:15] versus just buying new land or creating
[01:16:17] more development for no reason with no
[01:16:19] plan in place.
[01:16:20] >> Sue Kemp.
[01:16:21] >> Sue Kemp.
[01:16:21] >> Yeah. So there's actually four four
[01:16:23] >> Yeah. So there's actually four four
[01:16:23] parcels. two have been underwritten by
[01:16:25] the very generous Patrick Quilter who's
[01:16:27] basically paying for everything in this
[01:16:29] town right now. And then we have the two
[01:16:31] other parcels um that we have we get we
[01:16:34] get a 4% return just as if we had the
[01:16:36] money invested. So that's $320,000 we
[01:16:39] get from the land trust. But as Alex
[01:16:41] mentioned you and we we that are serving
[01:16:44] on the council know this very well. We
[01:16:45] could we would have had developers
[01:16:46] coming in and taking those properties
[01:16:48] and the artists would have been out. And
[01:16:49] I see some artists here in the audience
[01:16:51] that are have studios there and have had
[01:16:53] studios there for years. And so I don't
[01:16:56] there's no fiscal irresponsibility.
[01:16:58] There's no lack of transparency. You can
[01:17:00] Google the terms of the land trust and
[01:17:03] we've had you know meetings on that the
[01:17:04] council but it it's a very very good
[01:17:06] move for our community because we don't
[01:17:07] have artists. We're just another
[01:17:08] nondescript beach town.
[01:17:11] >> Karen Martin.
[01:17:12] >> Karen Martin.
[01:17:12] >> Thank you. Um, I support helping artists
[01:17:16] >> Thank you. Um, I support helping artists
[01:17:16] remain here and I would start with pres
[01:17:18] preserving existing spaces and exploring
[01:17:20] suitable buildings for reuse. But we
[01:17:23] need to distinguish legal housing from
[01:17:25] studios. Both are important and the
[01:17:28] numbers should be accurate. Locations
[01:17:30] should be evaluated for safety, access,
[01:17:33] compatibility, and feasibility with
[01:17:35] artists involved from the beginning. My
[01:17:38] current priority would be public private
[01:17:40] partnerships, mixed income approaches,
[01:17:43] and appropriate state and federal
[01:17:45] assistance that requires new cont no new
[01:17:48] contribution from Laguna Beach's own
[01:17:50] funds.
[01:17:52] Any proposal must make sense
[01:17:54] financially.
[01:17:56] I would ask people to take a look at
[01:17:59] Wave WAV. Um, it's working artist
[01:18:03] Ventura. It's a perfect example of mixed
[01:18:06] income housing. Thank you.
[01:18:08] >> Okay, this one we're going to come to
[01:18:11] >> Okay, this one we're going to come to
[01:18:11] Laura Parizi to start. The question is
[01:18:14] this. A community survey indicated that
[01:18:18] Lagona residents favor increased use of
[01:18:22] the Festival of Arts grounds. What
[01:18:25] activities would you recommend for
[01:18:28] increased use of the grounds?
[01:18:32] Hm. Um, it's interesting the survey
[01:18:35] didn't ask residents that question. I I
[01:18:38] would I would check with residents and
[01:18:39] see what types of activities they would
[01:18:41] like to see in the festival grounds.
[01:18:44] Certainly, the um the recent concert was
[01:18:47] um well received by the attendees. I
[01:18:49] hope the homeowners who lived around
[01:18:51] there were okay with um the noise and
[01:18:55] whatnot. Um so I I would ask the
[01:18:58] residents.
[01:19:00] Alex Reagi.
[01:19:02] >> Yes. So, I think that the resident
[01:19:03] >> Yes. So, I think that the resident
[01:19:03] survey was that 90% of the residents
[01:19:05] want more use of the Festival of the
[01:19:07] Arts grounds and I'm really proud of the
[01:19:09] work that we've done to deliver that
[01:19:11] with respect to the concerts that we had
[01:19:12] last year with Jack Johnson. As I said
[01:19:15] before, it was one of the most magical
[01:19:16] nights from a cultural standpoint, but
[01:19:18] also when I drove to to the downtown in
[01:19:20] route to that concert, I've never seen
[01:19:22] the downtown more alive. All the
[01:19:24] businesses were full. um the restaurants
[01:19:26] were were you know doing well and that
[01:19:29] and it it was just a win for the
[01:19:31] community because it brought people
[01:19:32] together and we need more of that. I
[01:19:34] think that also when we're thinking
[01:19:35] about the idea of how do we maximize the
[01:19:38] amount of people who are coming and
[01:19:40] staying at our hotels during the off
[01:19:42] season there's no better use of it than
[01:19:44] having more concerts and other cultural
[01:19:46] activities. I believe that the the
[01:19:48] hotels were full during that weekend of
[01:19:50] the Jack Johnson concert and I'm looking
[01:19:52] forward to more of that. I I look
[01:19:54] forward to continue collaborating with
[01:19:55] um you know I work with uh former mayor
[01:19:58] Baglin on the Urban Policy Committee and
[01:20:01] uh Sue Kemp and and I
[01:20:04] >> we'll never know. Um Nick Areronoff.
[01:20:08] >> we'll never know. Um Nick Areronoff.
[01:20:08] >> Yeah. Uh I'm not familiar with that
[01:20:10] >> Yeah. Uh I'm not familiar with that
[01:20:10] specific uh poll, but I I believe that
[01:20:13] we should have more concerts and more
[01:20:15] use of the um Festival of the Arts
[01:20:18] grounds um in the shoulder seasons. Uh
[01:20:20] when it's if the if residents are asking
[01:20:23] for it, we need to be listening to them
[01:20:24] and find other ways to help make sure
[01:20:26] that our economy is moving forward and
[01:20:28] and um we're getting people investing in
[01:20:31] the town outside of this the uh the
[01:20:33] summer season. I think it's important
[01:20:35] though if we do this, we need to be
[01:20:36] making sure that we're looking at
[01:20:37] everything that happens when we have
[01:20:39] those events like parking or like
[01:20:41] traffic controls and making sure we have
[01:20:43] people out there directing traffic and
[01:20:45] it's it's not just let's just have a
[01:20:47] concert but not be thinking about the
[01:20:48] other impacts on the residents.
[01:20:51] >> Great. Edward Beck,
[01:20:53] >> Great. Edward Beck,
[01:20:53] >> I'm a little bit of an unconventional
[01:20:55] >> I'm a little bit of an unconventional
[01:20:55] thinker. So, here's my thoughts. I go to
[01:20:59] ArtWalk all the time. I go to the
[01:21:02] pageant way too many times. I by I
[01:21:05] invite friends from LA, San Diego. I
[01:21:08] believe we should extend or open early
[01:21:12] the pageant of the masters and the
[01:21:15] exhibitors and run it longer so that
[01:21:19] this the the people who come here on
[01:21:22] buses go to dinner downtown and then
[01:21:25] they go back to the buses and leave. But
[01:21:27] I think we should extend it so that
[01:21:30] people can enjoy it more. I feel it's
[01:21:34] too short. Maybe I'm selfish. I live
[01:21:36] here, but I get to go a lot. I get to
[01:21:39] walk in the back gate. Thank you.
[01:21:42] >> I hope you noticed that Edward's biggest
[01:21:45] >> I hope you noticed that Edward's biggest
[01:21:45] accent was on leave, right? No. Joy
[01:21:49] Barry, [laughter]
[01:21:56] >> I got to regroup after that. Okay. um
[01:21:56] increased use of the festival grounds. I
[01:21:58] agree we should do it. And I think a a
[01:22:00] great way would be to give more ability
[01:22:02] for the Sawdust Festival people to
[01:22:04] display their arts, but a big thing is a
[01:22:06] popups. Popups for residentials, like a
[01:22:09] vintage um fair for antiques, uh
[01:22:12] clothing fairs. We could even have yappy
[01:22:14] hours. I think people and their pets
[01:22:16] come together and they they get to know
[01:22:18] one another neighbor and they're nicer
[01:22:20] to one another. um reconnect our
[01:22:22] community because I think there's a lot
[01:22:24] of anger and discourse and I would love
[01:22:26] to see the festivals be a place of joy
[01:22:28] and and reunion.
[01:22:30] >> Great. Ashley sent us.
[01:22:33] >> Great. Ashley sent us.
[01:22:33] >> Um I yeah, I definitely think from like
[01:22:35] >> Um I yeah, I definitely think from like
[01:22:35] a local community aspect it can be used
[01:22:37] more whether it's we expand um uh the
[01:22:41] farmers market and put it in here. But I
[01:22:44] I am a big nerd. I would love to see
[01:22:46] from like a bigger national draw um like
[01:22:49] TEDex. I think TEDex and anything
[01:22:51] educational will be really great here.
[01:22:53] Um, artist series would be great here.
[01:22:56] Um, also being having my career in
[01:22:58] hospitality. Um, conventions are a huge
[01:23:00] driver for a lot of the B markets that I
[01:23:03] was in or smaller towns. And not saying
[01:23:05] we need a massive ComicCon convention
[01:23:07] here, but I think that there's a lot of
[01:23:09] opportunity to have smaller scale um,
[01:23:12] uh, conventions that bring in a more
[01:23:15] state or national draw of people wanting
[01:23:16] to come here and definitely more on the
[01:23:18] educational base.
[01:23:19] >> Great. Thank you. Uh Sue Camp.
[01:23:21] >> Great. Thank you. Uh Sue Camp.
[01:23:22] >> Yeah, thank you. So, we did poll the
[01:23:24] >> Yeah, thank you. So, we did poll the
[01:23:24] community and then the three highest
[01:23:25] three highest um priorities from the
[01:23:27] community when we pulled them was use of
[01:23:29] the Irvine Bull 90%. That was like the
[01:23:31] number one. Number two was the hospital.
[01:23:33] Number three was the prominant. So,
[01:23:34] we're working on all three of those
[01:23:35] things. So, I think we're being
[01:23:36] responsive to the residents in terms of
[01:23:38] their interest in town. Um, when we had
[01:23:41] the Jack Johnson concert, it really lit
[01:23:43] the pilot light for concerts in the bowl
[01:23:44] and those those people who were there
[01:23:46] that night and it's really unfortunate
[01:23:48] that they weren't there, they didn't
[01:23:50] perform more than two nights because
[01:23:51] it'd be great if more residents got to
[01:23:52] see that. But but it was it was
[01:23:54] fantastic. So, I've been working a lot
[01:23:56] on sound mitigation for the bowl because
[01:23:58] the neighbors back behind the bowl, you
[01:24:00] know, of course, they don't want to be,
[01:24:01] you know, they don't want to have a bad
[01:24:03] quality of life when we're having
[01:24:04] concerts. So, we've been working on
[01:24:05] different mitigation strategies and we
[01:24:07] will be testing some of those at the
[01:24:09] upcoming um Coast Film Festival at the
[01:24:13] end of October and we'll have a more
[01:24:14] definitive plan there for sound. But it
[01:24:16] there's a lot of interest in town and
[01:24:18] there's a lot of interest in making this
[01:24:20] bowl a good uh venue and uh lots of
[01:24:23] concert.
[01:24:24] >> Thank you. Um Karen Martin,
[01:24:27] >> Thank you. Um Karen Martin,
[01:24:27] >> hi. Um so with the bull um I think one
[01:24:31] >> hi. Um so with the bull um I think one
[01:24:31] of the things that we need to do is not
[01:24:33] be so reactionary but we need to look at
[01:24:35] forward planning. Um, I think the
[01:24:38] festival grounds has a lot of um,
[01:24:41] opportunities, not just for concerts,
[01:24:44] but with the concerts, I'd ask that the
[01:24:46] current council uh, look at the noise
[01:24:49] element of the general plan because it
[01:24:50] actually calls out the festival grounds
[01:24:53] and says what can and cannot be done
[01:24:55] there based on the noise levels. Um,
[01:24:59] that being said, I agree with Ashley. I
[01:25:01] think the festival grounds could be used
[01:25:03] for something like an Aspen in institute
[01:25:05] for local government. I think our um
[01:25:09] politics here is unique to us but not
[01:25:13] new unique to the rest of the world. Um
[01:25:17] so that would be my suggestion. Thank
[01:25:19] you
[01:25:20] >> Mark Oral.
[01:25:22] >> Mark Oral.
[01:25:22] >> Uh yeah, thanks for the question again.
[01:25:23] >> Uh yeah, thanks for the question again.
[01:25:24] So I would like to see the uh venue
[01:25:26] being uh used for some interesting uh
[01:25:28] musical events. Definitely. I also think
[01:25:31] that there's an opportunity for some
[01:25:33] creative exploration. You know, I know
[01:25:35] KFXFM uh recently had brought the idea
[01:25:39] of a roots festival which really
[01:25:41] appealed to me and it uh was kind of an
[01:25:43] immersive experience and I think they
[01:25:45] were going to use the bowl and the
[01:25:46] grounds where they explored uh all the
[01:25:49] three pillars culture um environment and
[01:25:52] heritage. So, I think that there's a lot
[01:25:54] that we could uh do, you know, a lot of
[01:25:56] exper experiential opportunities, a lot
[01:25:59] of uh room for our local artists to come
[01:26:02] and uh participate, experiment, and just
[01:26:04] try try some new things. So, um and I do
[01:26:07] think that ultimately we're going to
[01:26:09] work things out with the neighbors and
[01:26:11] come to a a model that is win-win.
[01:26:15] >> Thank you, Alex. We're going to come
[01:26:17] >> Thank you, Alex. We're going to come
[01:26:17] down to you and and Mark, you kind of
[01:26:19] set up this next question. it is. Do you
[01:26:23] have any new ideas or initiatives
[01:26:26] related to the arts that you would like
[01:26:28] to see explored?
[01:26:32] One of the things that I've learned on
[01:26:33] city council is that when you try to do
[01:26:36] everything you end up doing, it's hard
[01:26:37] to to do anything. And so I'm really
[01:26:40] focused on delivering as it relates to
[01:26:42] working with the Festival of the Arts on
[01:26:44] how we can bring more live music here. I
[01:26:46] think it creates an opportunity in in
[01:26:48] several ways, both for the cultural
[01:26:49] vitality of the town, but then also if
[01:26:52] we have a 5 or $10 fee on the tickets
[01:26:54] that could be used to to better fund the
[01:26:57] arts and potentially to um to have a
[01:27:00] multiplier effect in terms of doubling
[01:27:02] down with our investment. I also like
[01:27:04] the idea of an artist in residence
[01:27:07] program where you could potentially have
[01:27:08] world-class artists come here, come for
[01:27:10] a year, do exhibits. I think that's a
[01:27:13] really interesting idea that would add
[01:27:14] to the cultural vitality of the town. I
[01:27:16] also really like the ideas presented up
[01:27:18] here about more um idea conventions and
[01:27:21] things like that. Um so I think there's
[01:27:23] a lot of opportunity and I'm excited to
[01:27:25] work on um how we can over the next four
[01:27:28] years shape the arts for the next
[01:27:30] century at Laguna Beach.
[01:27:31] >> Thank you, Nick Erinoff.
[01:27:33] >> Thank you, Nick Erinoff.
[01:27:33] >> Yeah, I believe uh we need more exposure
[01:27:35] >> Yeah, I believe uh we need more exposure
[01:27:35] for all of the artists. I previously
[01:27:37] mentioned about pop-ups. We have a lot
[01:27:39] of empty storefronts in town because
[01:27:40] it's very difficult to open up a
[01:27:42] business in Laguna Beach. So, we should
[01:27:44] be curating different ex exhibitions in
[01:27:46] different parts of town at these empty
[01:27:48] storefronts and working with the
[01:27:49] property owners even if it's just for
[01:27:51] one month or a couple months. Obviously,
[01:27:53] utilizing the prominade for for the same
[01:27:56] uh types of events. We could have like
[01:27:58] we have the artwalk like Ed's mentioned.
[01:27:59] We could have more evenings on the
[01:28:01] prominade that are more art focused for
[01:28:03] the residents and for people from out of
[01:28:05] town that want to spend money on our
[01:28:06] art. We could also look at more
[01:28:08] opportunities for residents to have u
[01:28:11] whether it's uh um you know ways to to
[01:28:14] learn about painting and learning about
[01:28:16] ceramics and having more free
[01:28:18] opportunities for residents and students
[01:28:19] to to get more involved in the arts.
[01:28:23] >> Edward Beck
[01:28:24] >> Edward Beck
[01:28:24] >> I I think uh having popups now that the
[01:28:28] >> I I think uh having popups now that the
[01:28:28] Forest Avenue has done uh allow new
[01:28:32] artists exposure. So allowing them them
[01:28:35] to do popups downtown. Also possibly
[01:28:39] doing popups for new artists to expose
[01:28:42] themselves here after the pageant closes
[01:28:48] and let them come in and do their popup.
[01:28:51] So, we extend the use of uh the facility
[01:28:56] here and and it's quiet, so you're not
[01:28:58] going to bother the neighbors in the
[01:29:00] back, but you're going to drive
[01:29:02] outsiders here to buy art, to look at
[01:29:05] new art, new artists downtown as well as
[01:29:08] here, and they'll go to our restaurants
[01:29:11] and eat at uh Ashley's restaurant, and
[01:29:14] you'll drive people here. Thank you.
[01:29:17] Okay, Joy Barry.
[01:29:20] >> This society is such a paytoplay and we
[01:29:24] >> This society is such a paytoplay and we
[01:29:24] need to figure out a way to help our
[01:29:26] artists be found and I think that's
[01:29:29] through marketing, through displays,
[01:29:31] looking at all the vacant space as I
[01:29:34] think Nick you said, but we've got to
[01:29:36] help our artists be found through their
[01:29:38] artwork and tell their story. And so,
[01:29:40] you know, can we with the newspapers do
[01:29:44] a weekly story about each artist? Can we
[01:29:47] at the city council hearings talk about
[01:29:49] a local artist? Can we start celebrating
[01:29:53] and telling the story through social
[01:29:54] media because it's so hard to be found
[01:29:57] if you're not paytoplay? And we need to
[01:30:00] really elevate that for our artists.
[01:30:03] Ashley sent us. Um, I would love to see
[01:30:06] Lagona, um, the city as a whole be more
[01:30:09] of like a living gallery and there's,
[01:30:11] you know, we have a ton of restaurants,
[01:30:12] obviously I own one. Um, retail, um,
[01:30:16] hotels, etc. that we could be showcasing
[01:30:18] a lot more of the artwork. You know, all
[01:30:19] the artists, they need audience, they
[01:30:21] need buyers, um, and theno hotels,
[01:30:25] restaurants, retails, we need art. Um,
[01:30:27] we need graphic designers, we need
[01:30:28] murals, we need installations. And so I
[01:30:30] think um we can do a much better job of
[01:30:33] bringing both of those together um and
[01:30:35] really be able to showcase our local
[01:30:36] artists a lot more.
[01:30:38] >> Okay, Sue Kemp.
[01:30:39] >> Okay, Sue Kemp.
[01:30:40] >> Yeah, I think um you know would be good,
[01:30:42] >> Yeah, I think um you know would be good,
[01:30:42] you know, aside from you the typical
[01:30:44] arts I'd like to see like I love that
[01:30:45] Bill Witty does this artist lecture
[01:30:47] series or not artist lecture series in
[01:30:49] Newport. They do it at the library. That
[01:30:52] is very cool. I mean we wouldn't do it
[01:30:53] in a big you know venue like you know
[01:30:55] the festival. We might do it in here um
[01:30:57] or we might do it at one of the other
[01:30:58] venues in town. be really great and it
[01:31:00] it really does draw. Um I like what
[01:31:02] Laguna Dance does by bringing dancers in
[01:31:04] from all over the all over the world and
[01:31:06] all over the country and it brings a
[01:31:08] really unique flare. We need to do more
[01:31:10] for kids. So with the centennial
[01:31:12] planning, we're having the kids do the
[01:31:13] banners and the uh for the centennial.
[01:31:15] The high school kids are going to be and
[01:31:16] junior high school kids are going to be
[01:31:17] doing the banners and we'll be putting
[01:31:18] those up on the prominade. Um they're
[01:31:21] also um they also do the the children's
[01:31:23] pallets at the holiday and the holiday
[01:31:25] time and the arts commission handles
[01:31:27] that. Um, I also think ELCAT artists
[01:31:29] should be able to sell more of their art
[01:31:32] um in town more frequently so that they
[01:31:34] can get a head start while they're in
[01:31:35] school and they can get a flavor for
[01:31:36] what it's like to sell art.
[01:31:39] >> Okay. Thank you, Karen Martin.
[01:31:41] >> Okay. Thank you, Karen Martin.
[01:31:41] >> I I think we have an a huge opportunity.
[01:31:44] >> I I think we have an a huge opportunity.
[01:31:44] I wasn't a supporter of the prominade um
[01:31:47] as it sits today, but we have it and I
[01:31:50] think the prominade could actually act
[01:31:52] as um we've all seen people strolling in
[01:31:56] France looking at all the different art
[01:31:58] and we could have not just a food court,
[01:32:01] but we could combine that with some of
[01:32:03] our local artists. Um I brought this
[01:32:06] little statue that was from Italy um
[01:32:10] from many generations ago. It's a little
[01:32:12] marble statue. So I think we need to
[01:32:14] have different media on the provenade.
[01:32:17] Um and I I like the idea of bringing
[01:32:20] student art as um as part of the
[01:32:23] prominade. I also think we can look at
[01:32:26] St. Catherine's school for venues and we
[01:32:29] don't need we we really do need to also
[01:32:32] accentuate the culinary arts partnering
[01:32:35] with hotels and restaurants to do
[01:32:38] classes as well as display. Thank you.
[01:32:41] Okay, Mark Orle.
[01:32:44] >> Uh, the good news, we've already
[01:32:46] >> Uh, the good news, we've already
[01:32:46] started, we uh redid title 18, which is
[01:32:49] the use of public space in in the
[01:32:51] community that really allows a lot more
[01:32:54] flexibility for creative exploration and
[01:32:56] uses such as the art and nature and some
[01:32:59] other events. And you know when we
[01:33:01] started the um the centennial committee,
[01:33:05] council member Kemp and myself, we
[01:33:07] decided when we started it, let's use
[01:33:09] this as a template going forward how we
[01:33:11] could uh provide opportunities and a
[01:33:14] platform for the different um creative
[01:33:18] uh uses in in town and the art
[01:33:20] organizations. And there's a few people
[01:33:22] in the audience, my wife over there
[01:33:25] being one of them, who have and Debb
[01:33:27] right there, who have actually already
[01:33:29] working on some wonderful opportunities
[01:33:31] and some new ways of looking at art and
[01:33:34] some of the uh things that we can do in
[01:33:36] town. So, I'm the future looks very
[01:33:38] bright in my eyes. So, I'm looking
[01:33:40] forward to uh next year the the start of
[01:33:43] it.
[01:33:44] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy.
[01:33:46] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy.
[01:33:46] >> Thank you. Um, well, I like the idea of
[01:33:49] >> Thank you. Um, well, I like the idea of
[01:33:49] um expanding the venues that we can use
[01:33:52] to showcase artists, the restaurants,
[01:33:54] the hotels kind of encompass that in a
[01:33:58] in a a single uh uh project. So, you're
[01:34:03] you're hitting all three. Um, I love the
[01:34:06] idea of expanding music,
[01:34:08] um, con more more concerts, uh, culinary
[01:34:12] arts, and I also like the idea of
[01:34:14] increased popups, um, including
[01:34:18] conventions that are, um, diverse and,
[01:34:22] uh, thoughtful and idea
[01:34:27] gathering or idea um,
[01:34:32] stimulating. Thank you. Okay. Young man
[01:34:36] in the front row reading the book. How
[01:34:37] old and what's his name?
[01:34:41] How old and what's your name?
[01:34:49] Okay. Liam. Okay. 8-year-old Liam in the
[01:34:49] front patiently reading a book. I have
[01:34:52] something to tell you right now. This is
[01:34:56] the last question.
[01:34:59] Okay.
[01:35:01] Okay. Okay, we're going to come back to
[01:35:03] um Nick down here
[01:35:06] and all of you kind of set this up as we
[01:35:09] were going through the last question,
[01:35:10] but I'm going to give people an
[01:35:11] opportunity to expand on it.
[01:35:20] >> Yeah, you running this or me?
[01:35:20] I've got a little check system. I
[01:35:22] >> can skip last.
[01:35:23] >> can skip last.
[01:35:23] >> Yeah, we've had experience where
[01:35:25] >> Yeah, we've had experience where
[01:35:25] >> Yeah, we've had experience where >> Okay.
[01:35:27] >> Okay.
[01:35:27] >> Okay. Well, FA's going to critique me
[01:35:30] >> Okay. Well, FA's going to critique me
[01:35:30] afterwards and she's agreed not to pay
[01:35:32] me if I Oh, we didn't talk about it. No.
[01:35:36] Anyway,
[01:35:38] Nick, your question.
[01:35:41] How can the Forest Avenue prominade be
[01:35:43] used to support the arts?
[01:35:51] >> I uh I've said it a few times earlier. I
[01:35:51] think uh having more pop-ups, more art
[01:35:54] displayed from local artists u whether
[01:35:57] it's uh down the middle of the prominade
[01:35:59] or you know art installations. I think
[01:36:02] one thing that's been the the elephant
[01:36:03] in the room that we haven't talked about
[01:36:05] yet is how an uh an $85,000 uh fountain
[01:36:10] or I guess it's because it's not
[01:36:11] technically an art installation and so
[01:36:13] that was determined um got on our
[01:36:15] prominade our main street Forest Avenue
[01:36:18] after something that was so contentious
[01:36:20] with the community. It was a huge
[01:36:21] oversight and you know I've talked with
[01:36:23] people on the arts commission uh
[01:36:25] currently and formerly that you know or
[01:36:27] we've heard them talk that the protocols
[01:36:30] were in place. Well, clearly something
[01:36:31] happened. And I think when we have this
[01:36:34] sort of group think or the in crowd and
[01:36:36] everybody's afraid to sort of speak up
[01:36:38] and voice their opinion, you get
[01:36:40] problems like that. So the way that we
[01:36:42] can move forward with it is we can make
[01:36:44] sure that we put a focus on local
[01:36:46] artists. It is our main not our main
[01:36:49] town and that's
[01:36:52] >> okay Edward.
[01:36:54] >> okay Edward.
[01:36:54] >> I believe it's there now. It's a public
[01:36:57] >> I believe it's there now. It's a public
[01:36:57] space. the residents should suggest
[01:37:01] things to do there. One is popup. One is
[01:37:05] other businesses use the outdoor space,
[01:37:08] not just the restaurants. And when they
[01:37:10] do the popups, so for unknown uh local
[01:37:14] artists to promote themselves that let
[01:37:17] the restaurants pull inside, give those
[01:37:20] tables to the artists who are promoting
[01:37:22] themselves. So that en that we're
[01:37:27] encouraging artists who are not known
[01:37:29] have no public uh displays so they can
[01:37:33] display themselves and the restaurants
[01:37:35] can pull they can use their tables and
[01:37:38] those nights that that's happening the
[01:37:40] restaurants have less tables so it's
[01:37:43] shared it's shared we we all built it
[01:37:47] your taxpayer dollars built it so we
[01:37:50] should promote the artists here. Thank
[01:37:52] you, Joy Barry.
[01:37:55] >> Well, like we said earlier, there's
[01:37:57] >> Well, like we said earlier, there's
[01:37:57] different forms of art. There's dance,
[01:37:59] there's canvas, there's uh music, and I
[01:38:02] think because of the way it's designed
[01:38:04] and built, um it is subject to the rain
[01:38:08] and the weather and the the decomposed
[01:38:10] granite is tough for dance. So, I think
[01:38:12] the best use for artists would be
[01:38:15] through musicians and to allow for some
[01:38:19] individual local musicians to play
[01:38:22] in in the prominade for either people
[01:38:24] strolling by or having dinner and it's
[01:38:28] probably the most conducive for the
[01:38:29] music portion of art.
[01:38:31] >> Okay, Ashley.
[01:38:34] >> Okay, Ashley.
[01:38:34] >> Um, yeah, I think it's it's easy for
[01:38:37] >> Um, yeah, I think it's it's easy for
[01:38:37] council to say that they care about
[01:38:38] local artists when then they use outside
[01:38:41] artists to do the prominade or that only
[01:38:43] 70% of the art here in Lagona is from
[01:38:46] local artists. So, I think it should
[01:38:48] fall under the alliance to be able to
[01:38:50] curate it. Um, I think you guys do a
[01:38:53] great job of curating our current spaces
[01:38:54] and that you guys would do a great job
[01:38:56] carrying the prominade and it should not
[01:38:57] fall under the city council or city
[01:38:59] hall.
[01:39:00] >> Okay,
[01:39:01] >> Okay,
[01:39:01] >> Sue Kim.
[01:39:02] >> Sue Kim.
[01:39:02] >> Yeah, I think you know there's a lot of
[01:39:03] >> Yeah, I think you know there's a lot of
[01:39:03] interest in programming on the prominade
[01:39:05] now. We hear it all the time and I think
[01:39:06] you know simple things like planer
[01:39:08] artists could display their art down
[01:39:09] there. Um, you know when the museum does
[01:39:11] their art in nature every year we could
[01:39:12] use the prominade. We've been talking to
[01:39:14] them about that and some good ideas. I
[01:39:16] think it's going to evolve organically
[01:39:18] really to be honest with you and like if
[01:39:19] you were at the opening last night it
[01:39:21] was packed. It was a lot of excitement.
[01:39:22] People were really enjoying themselves
[01:39:24] and it's going to it's going to trigger
[01:39:25] a lot of ideas and interest you know on
[01:39:28] public art 70% of our public art
[01:39:30] collection is local artists and 30% is
[01:39:32] outside. And if you want to really
[01:39:34] evolve your arts community you need to
[01:39:35] do a mix of both because if you want to
[01:39:37] be thought of a worldclass arts arts uh
[01:39:39] colony then you need to have art from
[01:39:42] around the world too. and we value our
[01:39:44] our um our resident artists. We also
[01:39:48] have we also have a commission out for a
[01:39:50] centennial art piece that's going to go
[01:39:52] on the prominade that the application
[01:39:53] closes like in a couple weeks and so
[01:39:56] we'll get something really nice down
[01:39:57] there and we already have uh some other
[01:39:59] nice art pieces from our art collection
[01:40:01] there installed now. So if you walk
[01:40:02] around you'll see those.
[01:40:04] >> Great. Karen Martin.
[01:40:07] >> Great. Karen Martin.
[01:40:07] >> Um, I think the prominade offers an
[01:40:10] >> Um, I think the prominade offers an
[01:40:10] opportunity for idea generation like
[01:40:13] we're talking about with proposed
[01:40:14] easels, demonstrations, direct sales of
[01:40:17] small original works. Um, but I also
[01:40:20] think that that could happen all over
[01:40:21] town. We're missing an opportunity that
[01:40:24] can support our local artists as well as
[01:40:26] artists that might want to come and be
[01:40:28] in residency for 6 months to a year. Not
[01:40:33] only that, I think businesses that are
[01:40:35] not on the prominade need equal
[01:40:37] opportunity on the prominade. So for
[01:40:40] instance, culinary arts um many of the
[01:40:43] restaurants that are not on the
[01:40:44] provenade, maybe they could do um
[01:40:48] something that will bring people into
[01:40:50] their restaurants that are not directly
[01:40:51] there.
[01:40:52] >> Thank you.
[01:40:53] >> Thank you.
[01:40:53] >> Every time you say culinary art, I see
[01:40:55] >> Every time you say culinary art, I see
[01:40:55] Ashley's eyes light up. So [laughter]
[01:40:57] Mark Orle. Yeah, I look forward to
[01:41:00] having the creative community come
[01:41:02] forward and presenting their ideas. I'm
[01:41:04] not going to get specific on what they
[01:41:06] might be a I like to leave that up to
[01:41:08] the to the creative community. However,
[01:41:10] I would like to talk about a couple of
[01:41:12] things. You know, whenever you're moving
[01:41:14] things forward and you're getting things
[01:41:15] done, you become a target. And uh
[01:41:18] regarding the sculpture on the um
[01:41:21] prominade, yeah, could could we have
[01:41:24] done better? But you know what? I'm not
[01:41:25] afraid to admit what I can do better as
[01:41:26] long as I'm moving forward and I'm
[01:41:28] getting things done and and I have got a
[01:41:30] lot done especially for our c creative
[01:41:33] community and I'm not ashamed of that
[01:41:35] and um I'm proud of it very very proud.
[01:41:38] So um I think that that's the takeaway
[01:41:40] here. How are we going to keep moving
[01:41:42] forward um as a creative community and
[01:41:46] embrace uh all of the aspects that that
[01:41:49] make us that?
[01:41:50] >> Okay, Laura Perezy. Um, well, the way
[01:41:54] >> Okay, Laura Perezy. Um, well, the way
[01:41:54] that Forest Avenue Prominade could be
[01:41:57] used to highlight the arts is to to be
[01:41:59] the venue, be the venue for for
[01:42:00] additional music, craft fair, popups.
[01:42:04] Um,
[01:42:06] you know, I would put it back. We have
[01:42:08] wonderful arts communities. Um, and I
[01:42:10] would ask them what they think would
[01:42:14] assist in highlighting new and different
[01:42:17] forms of um, displaying the different
[01:42:21] arts in the city. Thank you.
[01:42:23] >> Okay, Alex Reagi.
[01:42:26] >> Okay, Alex Reagi.
[01:42:26] >> I think that our artistic roots are part
[01:42:29] >> I think that our artistic roots are part
[01:42:29] of the entrepreneurial spirit that's
[01:42:31] really shaped this town where we've
[01:42:33] always been willing to try things in
[01:42:35] different ways and that's what the
[01:42:36] prominade is all about. taking a space
[01:42:38] that used to be occupied by cars that is
[01:42:40] now occupied by the community and we saw
[01:42:42] that last night with with the opening
[01:42:44] with where we had live music. I am very
[01:42:46] excited about the opportunities for
[01:42:47] programming of the prominade. I I tend
[01:42:49] to think that it would be we should look
[01:42:51] into the idea of having some sort of a
[01:42:53] downtown business district that could be
[01:42:55] involved in manage managing that with
[01:42:57] some city oversight as opposed to city
[01:42:59] bureaucracy managing it. that I think
[01:43:01] could unleash more creative solutions as
[01:43:03] it relates to the pro uh prominade
[01:43:05] because I really think the sky is the
[01:43:06] limit in terms of all the artistic and
[01:43:09] cultural potential that we can have um
[01:43:11] that can really bring our downtown um
[01:43:14] make it a place for the community to to
[01:43:16] want to be.
[01:43:17] >> Okay. Thank you. So the next portion the
[01:43:21] >> Okay. Thank you. So the next portion the
[01:43:21] final portion of our program today is a
[01:43:25] uh two-minute closing statement from
[01:43:27] each candidate. Now Liam's having the
[01:43:30] time of his life down there. So I'm
[01:43:31] going to I'm going to take it from two
[01:43:33] minutes each candidate. I'm going to
[01:43:34] give them each 30 minutes
[01:43:37] so we can draw it into the middle of the
[01:43:40] afternoon. Um no, actually we're going
[01:43:42] to go two minutes with each candidate on
[01:43:44] closing statements. Edward, you are up
[01:43:49] number one. Well, you all know I love
[01:43:52] Laguna Beach. I moved here from
[01:43:55] Connecticut. I worked for General
[01:43:57] Electric Company and when they when
[01:43:59] Schneider Electric moved me here, they
[01:44:01] put me up in a fancy hotel and I
[01:44:03] extended the stay there. But I said,
[01:44:05] "Can I live in Laguna Beach?" They said,
[01:44:06] "No, Edward, you have to live in Los
[01:44:08] Angeles. You're going to be working too
[01:44:10] much." But four years later, they
[01:44:13] allowed me and I moved to Orange County
[01:44:15] and they started flying in and out of
[01:44:18] Orange County Airport, LAX, San Diego,
[01:44:20] and I had about seven states, eight
[01:44:22] states. and had to come home to Lagouna
[01:44:24] Beach that I love. And I'm running for
[01:44:27] city council because I love Laguna
[01:44:29] Beach. I care about Laguna Beach. I care
[01:44:32] about the state of California. I care
[01:44:34] about the residents and their property
[01:44:37] rights. And I have thoughts about uh all
[01:44:40] residents in Laguna Beach and property
[01:44:43] rights. And as I mentioned earlier in my
[01:44:46] speech, uh, creative thoughts and
[01:44:50] actions happen and they they flow
[01:44:53] eastwards. They happen here, but they
[01:44:55] flow eastward. So, I'm running for the
[01:44:59] city council because I think I believe I
[01:45:02] can make a change. Uh, I think fiscal
[01:45:05] responsibility needs to happen. I think
[01:45:08] the city manager needs to do a better
[01:45:10] job whether himself or from directive
[01:45:13] from city council. I believe uh
[01:45:16] transparency, accountability. I believe
[01:45:19] recordkeeping should come back. Not two
[01:45:22] years. It should be all years, 10 years,
[01:45:25] 20 years. You learn from history. That's
[01:45:28] how you not make mistakes. And we keep
[01:45:30] making mistakes. And we need to protect
[01:45:33] the residents, the property owners, and
[01:45:35] the business owners. Let's not forget
[01:45:37] about the business owners and then
[01:45:39] obviously fire prevention, emergency
[01:45:42] preparedness and practical solutions to
[01:45:45] traffic problems and parking in
[01:45:48] downtown. Obviously I suggested
[01:45:51] >> earlier I thank you very much
[01:45:54] >> earlier I thank you very much
[01:45:54] >> Edward took to heart the 30 minutes.
[01:45:58] >> Edward took to heart the 30 minutes.
[01:45:58] >> I could [clears throat] get [laughter]
[01:46:00] >> I could [clears throat] get [laughter]
[01:46:00] >> Joy Barry. Well, as this book describes,
[01:46:03] >> Joy Barry. Well, as this book describes,
[01:46:03] the artistic influence and the character
[01:46:05] of landscape shaped a unique community.
[01:46:07] I love this book and thank you artists
[01:46:09] for all the illustrations. The symbiotic
[01:46:12] connection between Lagona's hillsides,
[01:46:14] canyons, oceans, and artists is a gift
[01:46:17] that should never be taken for granted.
[01:46:19] I do not and never will take it for
[01:46:21] granted. It is one of the reasons I sued
[01:46:23] this city for violating our hillside
[01:46:25] protections for more development into
[01:46:27] our hills and canyons. I will keep
[01:46:29] fighting to protect this iconic historic
[01:46:32] American landscape so that the next
[01:46:35] generation of artists can continue to
[01:46:37] capture its beauty. I'm running for
[01:46:39] council because I believe our current
[01:46:40] council has lost sight of its primary
[01:46:42] role, that of a protector. A protector
[01:46:45] of environment, historic resources and
[01:46:47] character, our finances, and most
[01:46:49] importantly, our quality of life. We
[01:46:51] need to protect and expand creative
[01:46:53] spaces and live work housing. We need to
[01:46:55] protect local art funding. We need to
[01:46:57] keep artists front and center in our
[01:46:59] business. I respect the time the current
[01:47:02] council members have committed to
[01:47:04] Lagona, but believe they've become deaf
[01:47:06] to many residents. And Sue said earlier
[01:47:09] this week, she never goes home angry
[01:47:11] from the council hearings. That's not
[01:47:13] surprising because typically she gets
[01:47:14] her way. But I can tell you the
[01:47:16] residents go home angry and that
[01:47:19] includes many artists. And that's why
[01:47:21] I'm running for council and won't turn a
[01:47:23] deaf ears to the residents. and I'll
[01:47:25] look forward to hearing all those
[01:47:26] trumpets and I would be very deeply
[01:47:29] honored to serve this community.
[01:47:32] >> Thank you, Ashley Centus.
[01:47:35] >> Thank you, Ashley Centus.
[01:47:35] >> So, Lagona has spent more than a century
[01:47:36] >> So, Lagona has spent more than a century
[01:47:36] building something very few communities
[01:47:38] have, a genuine identity built around
[01:47:40] creativity and protecting that identity
[01:47:43] doesn't mean freezing Lagona in time. It
[01:47:45] means making sure an artist can still
[01:47:47] build a career here, that connecting
[01:47:48] ELCAD students with opportunities here.
[01:47:50] It means making our festivals and
[01:47:52] institutions accessible and financially
[01:47:54] sustainable. It means helping our
[01:47:56] businesses showcase local artists. And
[01:47:57] it means protecting the visitor economy
[01:47:59] that helps support so much of our
[01:48:00] cultural infrastructure without allowing
[01:48:03] tourism to overwhelm the community we're
[01:48:05] trying to protect. I spent my career
[01:48:07] building businesses where art,
[01:48:08] hospitality, design, and community
[01:48:10] weren't separate things. They worked
[01:48:12] together. That's the perspective I would
[01:48:14] bring to city council. Lagona doesn't
[01:48:16] need someone to reinvent its arts
[01:48:18] community. the talent and institutions
[01:48:20] are already here. I don't think the
[01:48:22] answer is necessarily another city
[01:48:23] program for everything or apologizing
[01:48:26] for a poor decision with our tax dollars
[01:48:28] after the fact that you've heard
[01:48:29] tonight. Sometimes the city's or today
[01:48:32] sometimes the city's role is simply
[01:48:33] bringing the right people together and
[01:48:34] removing barriers. I think city hall
[01:48:37] needs to become a better partner.
[01:48:39] bringing people together, removing
[01:48:40] barriers, finding outside resources, and
[01:48:42] then measuring whether we're actually
[01:48:44] getting the results we intended. Because
[01:48:46] protecting our future requires more than
[01:48:48] protecting our past. It means making
[01:48:50] sure the next generation has the
[01:48:51] opportunity to create its own chapter of
[01:48:53] Lagona's extraordinary artistic story.
[01:48:55] I'm Ashley Cintis and I would be honored
[01:48:57] to earn your vote for Laguna Beach City
[01:48:58] Council. Thank you.
[01:49:00] >> Thank you, Sue Kim.
[01:49:02] >> Thank you, Sue Kim.
[01:49:02] >> Thank you. you know, when you're a
[01:49:03] >> Thank you. you know, when you're a
[01:49:03] challenger, um, and, uh, when you're a
[01:49:06] challenger, one of your your tactics can
[01:49:08] be be to be highly critical or one you
[01:49:10] can also take the opposite tact where
[01:49:12] you just talk about your ideas for the
[01:49:14] town. You know, I I grew up in Fort
[01:49:16] Wayne, Indiana, and I moved out here
[01:49:17] when I was 19. I never went back to Fort
[01:49:19] Wayne, Indiana for obvious reasons. But,
[01:49:22] you know, I so love the town and I have
[01:49:24] a very positive outlook just in general
[01:49:26] as a human being about our town. I do we
[01:49:29] have some problems that we need to work
[01:49:30] on? Yeah. Every town does, but are we a
[01:49:32] well-run town? Yep. Do we talk to So,
[01:49:35] one thing I think people don't realize
[01:49:37] because you're not serving is, you know,
[01:49:39] we talk to a lot of residents. We have
[01:49:41] council meetings and that's what people
[01:49:42] see. But we talk to tons of residents
[01:49:45] every day about all kinds of things. And
[01:49:47] I think that's kind of a gap of
[01:49:48] understanding when you say you're not
[01:49:49] listening to the residents. Well,
[01:49:51] there's a lot of residents in town that
[01:49:52] talk to us. And also, there's a very
[01:49:54] large silent majority of people who
[01:49:56] don't really don't really engage but are
[01:49:58] very interested in the town. Um I um you
[01:50:02] know also appreciate about how people
[01:50:04] you know just really attached to the
[01:50:06] town more than anything and I've lived
[01:50:07] in a number of towns where you know I
[01:50:09] thought it was a good place to live and
[01:50:10] relatively small like like I lived in
[01:50:12] the Bay Area in Arinda which was a small
[01:50:14] town people sort of attached but nothing
[01:50:16] like Laguna Beach nothing and one of the
[01:50:18] best things about it is you know you
[01:50:19] walk through town and you see people
[01:50:20] that you know all the time and that's
[01:50:22] one of the beauties of living in a small
[01:50:23] town like this you know I I like to pick
[01:50:25] up trash it's one of my hobbies that I
[01:50:27] do when I getting exercise and stuff and
[01:50:28] I talk to so many people when I'm doing
[01:50:30] that and just being out there and being
[01:50:33] seen is very very helpful as a council
[01:50:36] member because people see that you are
[01:50:37] approachable and they can talk to you
[01:50:39] about anything and that happens all the
[01:50:41] time and what I what I say about this
[01:50:43] council that I'm serving with now is we
[01:50:45] can work well together as a body that
[01:50:47] doesn't mean we agree and I don't agree
[01:50:49] with this 50 you know assertion at all I
[01:50:52] just think that we're smart we work
[01:50:54] together and that's what I think
[01:50:56] communities want to see they don't want
[01:50:57] to see a lot of infighting and people
[01:50:59] are sick and tired of that in government
[01:51:01] and I don't want that to happen here.
[01:51:03] >> Thank you, Karen Martin.
[01:51:06] >> Thank you, Karen Martin.
[01:51:06] >> Thank you. I'm going to put it one more
[01:51:08] >> Thank you. I'm going to put it one more
[01:51:08] picture because um I get to [laughter]
[01:51:13] uh thank you for uh Laguna Beach Arts
[01:51:16] Alliance. Thank you for this
[01:51:18] conversation and for everything you
[01:51:19] create, teach and share with Lagona. My
[01:51:22] concern is simple. Can people who make
[01:51:24] this an arts community continue to build
[01:51:26] a life here? That means earning enough
[01:51:28] to meet everyday needs and finding
[01:51:30] afford affordable places to live and
[01:51:32] create. We have decades of
[01:51:34] accomplishment to build on. I would like
[01:51:36] us to make the connections stronger
[01:51:38] between students and established
[01:51:40] artists, between art organizations,
[01:51:43] between residents and the people
[01:51:44] creating the work around them. Imagine
[01:51:46] visiting our art venues, including the
[01:51:49] prominade, outside the summer season,
[01:51:51] and finding a changing ex exhibition, an
[01:51:55] artist demonstrating a technique, a
[01:51:57] short performance, or a class you can
[01:51:59] join. You might discover work you can
[01:52:01] bring home. Artists would be paid for
[01:52:03] their participation, and we would learn
[01:52:05] what people value enough to support. My
[01:52:08] planning experience tells me that good
[01:52:10] intentions need clear policies and
[01:52:12] follow-through. Artists should help
[01:52:14] shape these decisions about housing,
[01:52:16] workspaces, loading access, and cultural
[01:52:19] venues. I would pursue public, private,
[01:52:21] nonprofit partnerships, and appropriate
[01:52:24] state and federal housing assistance
[01:52:26] that require no new contribution from
[01:52:28] Laguna Beach's own funds. Each proposal
[01:52:31] must make sense for our community and
[01:52:33] protect lasting affordability. I will
[01:52:36] listen to working artists, ask careful
[01:52:38] questions about public spending, and
[01:52:40] explain my decisions. The people who
[01:52:42] work whose work gives Lagona its
[01:52:45] character deserve that attention. I'm
[01:52:48] Karen Martin. I hope you'll vote for me.
[01:52:50] Thank you,
[01:52:52] >> Mark Orle. Thanks, Tom. When I
[01:52:55] >> Mark Orle. Thanks, Tom. When I
[01:52:55] originally ran four years ago, I ran on
[01:52:57] civility and I um started early setting
[01:53:00] the example and the tone. And in many of
[01:53:02] the uh forums that we had at the time, I
[01:53:06] I talked you I'm talking to Sue's point,
[01:53:08] and I think she made a very good point.
[01:53:10] I talked about what I thought I could do
[01:53:12] to make the the community a better
[01:53:14] place. And I understand that, you know,
[01:53:16] different people have different opinions
[01:53:17] and the council at that time I believe
[01:53:20] was probably doing most part their best
[01:53:23] uh most of the council members. So I
[01:53:26] again I focused on on what I thought I
[01:53:28] could do and um I'm a little
[01:53:31] disappointed on the tone this time
[01:53:33] around with some of the non-incumbents
[01:53:35] to be honest with you. And um you know
[01:53:37] until you really roll up your sleeves
[01:53:38] and do your homework, it's really
[01:53:40] difficult to weigh in and address some
[01:53:43] of these complex issues. We're a very
[01:53:44] complicated town. We're civically
[01:53:46] engaged town. We have a lot of
[01:53:48] committees and commissions. And when you
[01:53:50] have that many pe voices weighing in on
[01:53:53] these different items, not everybody's
[01:53:55] going to be happy and you're going to
[01:53:57] make a mistake from time to time. You
[01:53:59] might end up with a piece of art in the
[01:54:01] prominade. But you know what? You moved
[01:54:03] forward. You got some things done. You
[01:54:05] you've accommodated some space for
[01:54:07] artists. You've made the art scene
[01:54:08] better. You've you know helped the surf
[01:54:11] museum open up. You've created a
[01:54:14] wonderful stewardship plan that was
[01:54:16] Coastal Commission was so excited about.
[01:54:18] They offered to partner with Laguna
[01:54:20] Beach on the future looks bright. I'm
[01:54:22] proud of this community. I love this
[01:54:24] community. I work very hard at this job
[01:54:26] and I do hope that um I've earned your
[01:54:29] vote over the last four years. Thank you
[01:54:30] very much.
[01:54:32] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy. Thank you. I
[01:54:35] >> Thank you, Laura Perezy. Thank you. I
[01:54:35] mentioned in my opening statement that
[01:54:37] it has been my sincere honor to serve as
[01:54:41] your elected city treasurer. I won't
[01:54:43] repeat the particulars of how I came to
[01:54:46] the decision to run for council, but
[01:54:48] suffice to say that it has been the
[01:54:51] continual interference with my ability
[01:54:53] to represent you in the manner we both
[01:54:56] expect. So, one of my primary objectives
[01:54:59] on the council will be to restore the
[01:55:01] working relationship between the city's
[01:55:03] elected treasurer and the city staff and
[01:55:06] city council. We all have the same
[01:55:09] goals, report to the same residents, so
[01:55:12] we should be able to find a common
[01:55:14] ground to work together to benefit the
[01:55:17] city. My promises to you are I will
[01:55:20] continue to listen to artists concerns
[01:55:24] and pledge to include your views into
[01:55:27] the council decision-making process. I
[01:55:31] will bring my vast financial expertise
[01:55:33] and experience to issues surrounding
[01:55:36] surrounding the city's financial
[01:55:38] challenges.
[01:55:40] I will support development projects that
[01:55:43] follow city rules and minimize
[01:55:45] exceptions that leave the city
[01:55:48] vulnerable to legal action.
[01:55:51] I value your support and have worked
[01:55:53] very hard as your treasurer. If elected,
[01:55:56] I will bring the same dedication and
[01:55:59] hard work to the city council. Together,
[01:56:01] we can make Laguna Beach even better.
[01:56:04] Thank you.
[01:56:05] >> Thank you, Alex Runagi. Simply put,
[01:56:09] >> Thank you, Alex Runagi. Simply put,
[01:56:09] there's no place like Laguna Beach. I
[01:56:11] feel very lucky to have been born and
[01:56:13] raised here. And when you reflect on the
[01:56:14] past 99 years of our history, you
[01:56:17] understand that Laguna Beach is not an a
[01:56:19] accident. It it's a result of visionary
[01:56:22] thinkers who were willing to look not
[01:56:24] just in the next one year, 5 years or 10
[01:56:26] years, but the next century. And that is
[01:56:28] the product that we are all enjoying
[01:56:30] today. My pre my focus has been the core
[01:56:33] competencies of local government, public
[01:56:35] safety, infrastructure, and the
[01:56:36] efficient delivery of government
[01:56:37] services. If we have a wildfire, all the
[01:56:40] arts and everything goes away. That has
[01:56:41] to continue to be our priority. But with
[01:56:44] that being said, we can still we can
[01:56:46] continue to support the arts and ma and
[01:56:48] really invest in the arts. And that's
[01:56:49] what I'm really proud of the record that
[01:56:50] we've done over the past four years
[01:56:52] where instead of just talking about the
[01:56:54] idea of artists live work because
[01:56:56] there's no candidate for city council
[01:56:57] who's going to be against the concept of
[01:56:58] that. We've actually done it and we've
[01:57:01] done it in a way where it it is not
[01:57:02] undermining our core competencies and
[01:57:04] putting us in a position where we can
[01:57:06] leverage the amazing community that we
[01:57:07] have here. One of the great things about
[01:57:09] campaigning is you go door to door and
[01:57:11] you talk to residents who are not
[01:57:13] involved in city government, but many of
[01:57:14] them want to be because they care about
[01:57:16] this town and they are sophisticated and
[01:57:20] read the fine print and look go into the
[01:57:21] details. My goal over the next four
[01:57:23] years is how can we continue to get more
[01:57:25] and more people involved because that
[01:57:27] has a multiplier effect. I see the
[01:57:28] people in this room and and our town
[01:57:30] would be different if some of the people
[01:57:31] in this room were not in it. And that is
[01:57:34] what we need is to continue to invest in
[01:57:36] our people. make this a place that is a
[01:57:40] cultural hub for all of the United
[01:57:42] States. I really believe that in Laguna
[01:57:44] Beach, the sky is the limit and I'd be
[01:57:45] honored to to get your vote for the next
[01:57:47] four years of serving. Thank you.
[01:57:50] >> Thank you, Nick Erinoff.
[01:57:53] >> Thank you, Nick Erinoff.
[01:57:53] >> Uh so many so many different directions
[01:57:54] >> Uh so many so many different directions
[01:57:54] I can go here. Well, um you know, I've
[01:57:57] had the opportunity to live and work
[01:57:58] around the world growing up here in
[01:58:00] Laguna Beach. Lagouna Beach is home.
[01:58:01] It's been amazing to be able to come
[01:58:03] back here and be continue to be part of
[01:58:05] the community. Um, you know, we've heard
[01:58:08] a lot from the incumbents today and it
[01:58:10] sounds like everything's going great.
[01:58:11] You know, we're in a good direction, but
[01:58:13] I've been attending the city council
[01:58:15] meetings and almost every town hall over
[01:58:17] the past year and listening to the
[01:58:19] residents who've been speaking their
[01:58:20] minds at these meetings and the
[01:58:23] residents want to feel heard and they
[01:58:24] don't feel heard right now. And I know
[01:58:26] some of the incumbents are saying that
[01:58:28] they're listening to residents. It's
[01:58:29] they're listening to their bubble and to
[01:58:31] the people that they agree that agree
[01:58:33] with them. And you know, if elected,
[01:58:36] whether you agree with me on every
[01:58:37] issue, a few issues, or none at all, you
[01:58:41] should always feel comfortable coming to
[01:58:43] myself or any other city council member
[01:58:45] and criticizing the a decision and
[01:58:48] offering different ideas without the
[01:58:50] fear of repercussions.
[01:58:53] And
[01:58:55] um you know we can still protect the
[01:58:57] arts, we can protect the local
[01:58:58] businesses, our neighborhoods and the
[01:59:00] environment and make Laguna Beach an
[01:59:02] extraordinary place to live. And again
[01:59:04] my approach is going to be to listen,
[01:59:06] ask the tough questions and welcome
[01:59:09] different perspectives and focus on
[01:59:11] practical results that the city needs.
[01:59:14] Thank you.
[01:59:15] >> Thank you. Thank you all. How about a
[01:59:17] >> Thank you. Thank you all. How about a
[01:59:17] nice hand for everybody that
[01:59:19] participated?
[01:59:20] Um, [applause] and I and and I
[01:59:23] personally thank LBAAA for um inviting
[01:59:27] me to do this. Um, and uh, you know, I
[01:59:30] kept looking down because I think we got
[01:59:32] done a little earlier than expected and
[01:59:35] I thought, what have what have I done
[01:59:36] wrong? But um, I I thank the candidates
[01:59:39] for your u prompt and accurate answers
[01:59:42] and I hope everybody enjoyed it. I'm
[01:59:44] going to turn it back over to Jay
[01:59:45] Kramer, the uh, chair of LBAA. Thank
[01:59:49] you, Jay.
[01:59:50] Thank you, Tom. Round of applause for
[01:59:52] Tom, our moderator. Thank you so much. I
[01:59:55] want to thank the FOA staff who made
[01:59:58] this this possible. Uh Morgan Matthews,
[02:00:01] uh who was uh out front helping us, uh
[02:00:04] on the the coffee and donuts and and
[02:00:07] manages showcases here at the FOA. Uh CW
[02:00:11] Keller uh who lighting sound in the
[02:00:14] back. Thank you so much. um Ed Hanky who
[02:00:18] um has been involved in the leadership
[02:00:20] of the F um Festival of Arts for so many
[02:00:23] years and is managing the grounds. Uh
[02:00:25] Christine Gorgganis uh so much for the
[02:00:28] uh directing all exhibits uh and um
[02:00:31] events here at the festival grounds. I
[02:00:33] want to just quickly thank our u our
[02:00:35] board members of the f um Laguna Beach
[02:00:38] Arts Alliance uh who worked on making
[02:00:40] this possible. Fay Baglin, Wayne Baglin,
[02:00:43] thank you so much. Uh Nancy Valeri uh uh
[02:00:47] Christy Miller uh thank you so much for
[02:00:49] all your support and uh there's this is
[02:00:52] being videoed uh so uh encourage
[02:00:56] everyone to go to our website uh Laguna
[02:00:59] Beach Artartsalliance.org
[02:01:01] our social media of Instagram and
[02:01:03] Facebook and we will be posting that
[02:01:05] there to encourage it's a vehicle for
[02:01:08] your message to get out to the residents
[02:01:11] of Lagouna Beach. Um, thank you all for
[02:01:14] um your love of Laguna Beach and being
[02:01:18] here today. Um, we do have a little a
[02:01:21] few more minutes. So, if you'll allow
[02:01:23] the candidates a few minutes to get some
[02:01:25] fresh air, go outside in our courtyard
[02:01:28] and it's an opportunity one-on-one for
[02:01:30] you to have with them. Thank you all for
[02:01:32] coming today. Another round of applause
[02:01:34] for our candidates. [applause]
[02:02:55] >> That happened.
[02:02:55] >> That happened. Why
[02:02:57] >> [music]
[02:03:06] >> are you driving?
[02:03:06] >> are you driving? [music]
[02:03:25] >> [music]
[02:03:25] >> Heat. Heat.
[02:03:39] Heat. Heat.
[02:03:39] [music]
[02:05:07] >> still
[02:05:07] >> still [music]