San Clemente residents can expect wastewater sewage rates to rise by 30 percent over the next five years after the San Clemente City Council voted 4–1 July 18 in favor of the rate hikes, with Mayor Pro Tem Steve Knoblock abstaining. Such rates will increase by 9.5 percent as soon as October. Going forward, rates…

A program to identify road improvements for traffic safety was approved by the San Clemente City Council June 6 and will qualify the city to apply for further state and federal grants to improve road infrastructure. “This is a program that a lot of cities are utilizing, and it helps us establish a baseline and…

San Clemente city councilors approved an ordinance on June 20 to change the city’s beach hours, now closing at 10 p.m. daily instead of midnight. The beaches will reopen at 4 a.m. as usual. The council also voted 4–1—with Mayor Chris Duncan opposed—to hire a private security firm to assist law enforcement in maintaining public…

After repeated complaints of high schoolers causing trouble at San Clemente’s public beaches—with an attack on three off-duty marines by a group of teenagers over Memorial Day weekend making national headlines—city officials voted unanimously on June 6 to close the city’s beaches two hours earlier than the current midnight schedule. “I think this issue from…

The San Clemente City Council voted 4–0 to approve plans to choose a replacement for Councilman Gene James—who resigned on April 28 to move to Wyoming—during their May 16 meeting. The council approved a special meeting, which will be open to the public, on May 23 at 4 p.m. to vet 23 applicants who have…

The San Clemente City Council announced this week it will begin accepting applications for a new councilor to fill the vacant seat of former councilman Gene James, who resigned last month. With his departure, officials voted to fill the seat through appointment rather than a special election, which would have cost the city $100,000 and…

San Clemente City Councilman Gene James announced his resignation from the council in an April 26 farewell letter. His last day was April 28. James, whose term was set to expire next November, said in the letter he plans to sell his home on Avenida Del Verdor in San Clemente and move to Wyoming where…

The San Clemente City Council has voiced its opposition to a California bill that would prohibit local school boards from banning curriculum, textbooks, and instructional material without state approval—and would also create new requirements for “diversity and inclusiveness” in school textbooks and other materials. The resolution to oppose the bill was introduced by Mayor Pro…

San Clemente, California, approved pay increases last week for certain hourly, part-time city employees in hopes of attracting and retaining highly qualified workers. The San Clemente City Council April 4 voted 4–0, with Councilman Mark Enmeier absent, to raise hourly wages for positions including ocean and pool lifeguards, park rangers, interns, cable TV technicians, and…

After repairs were required due to recent safety concerns, the Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) informed the California Coastal Commission Dec. 14 that its rail tracks would be running again through San Clemente in February 2023. The tracks were shut down in September. “[The transit system] was halted as a result of unstable land above…