The Laguna Beach City Council is considering providing artists with affordable housing in an effort to keep them living and working in the city, after voting unanimously last week to begin exploring the idea. Artists are a part of the “infrastructure” of Laguna Beach, Councilman Alex Rounaghi said in an April 4 city council meeting,…

The Laguna Beach City Council voted unanimously Feb. 21 to finalize a ban on balloons in public, whether inflated or not. Beginning in 2024, balloons cannot be sold or bought in the city, nor used on public property,  but they can still be used by residents in private. Penalties would be a $100 fine for…

Laguna Beach voters will decide if large developments and hotel renovations should be subject for a public vote for approval and to raise the minimum wage for the city’s hotel workers in the Nov. 8 election. Measure Q The measure would put large development proposals along the Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road to a…

Laguna Beach city officials started discussing during its Oct. 18 meeting a proposal to make the city’s water district an independent agency and move its water quality department under the agency’s authority in the name of efficiency. The city council currently acts as the Board of Directors for the Laguna Beach Water District—which supplies water,…

The Laguna Beach City Council unanimously approved a proposal to remedy police workforce shortages by increasing overtime pay and offering hiring incentives last week. “Police agencies across Orange County and the nation are struggling to attract and retain officers due to the changing business and political environment,” Police Chief Jeff Calvert said during the Aug….

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.—The City of Laguna Beach is considering using some of the city’s tax revenue from short-term rental operations to create more affordable housing. City councilors unanimously agreed at the April 26 council meeting to continue exploring the idea of reallocating 12 percent of the city’s Transient Occupancy Tax collected from short-term rental units…

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.—In an attempt to preserve the local environment, a grassroots political action committee created an initiative measure that would require voter approval for large-scale developments. “The ‘don’t mess with Laguna’ attitude is a pretty common theme amongst a lot of people here,” David Raber, principal officer for Laguna Residents First (LRF), told The…

The City of Laguna Beach, Calif. is launching a new pilot program for an on-demand residential transit service in certain neighborhoods that will bring residents to downtown areas. The shuttle will transport those living in the neighborhoods of Arch Beach Heights, Bluebird Canyon, and Top of the World downtown. Those wishing a ride can schedule one on a…

Elected officials in Laguna Beach appointed the city’s next top bureaucrat following a three-month, nationwide search to replace the outgoing city manager. Shohreh Dupuis will assume the city manager’s role June 12 following the retirement of John Pietig. Council unanimously approved the hire during an April 27 vote. “I’m incredibly honored and overwhelmed with gratitude…

Laguna Beach city council has unanimously approved funding for increased security systems to be installed at city hall, its police department, and the city’s administrative building. The contract was awarded April 6 to Am-Tech Security and Network Solutions Inc. at a total cost of about $185,000. The plan includes the installation of 23 cameras to…