in infuriated chaos . In the second session , the consultants basically said , “ Here are two plans – pick one .” This approach has resulted in wasting a quarter of a million dollars on two unacceptable plans rejected in part by the overpowering public rebuke at the council meeting . Please see those comments at the 3:15 point of the Jan . 23 meeting , which can be found on the City of Laguna Beach website .

Despite having mismanaged the process , the council majority has appointed Kempf to head a new committee to review future promenade development with direction that ’ s supposed to include residents and promenade retail business owners . Yet Kempf is already espousing her plans and denying others when the idea of the committee is to solicit all possible solutions .

For instance , in the OC Register , Kempf stated , “ We want the whole street designated for ( liquor sales ), where restaurants can serve alcohol without having to rope areas off .” Do residents truly want to turn the promenade into one big bar ?

Councilman Weiss said , “ The promenade has been in place for three years , yet we have no truly independent data on how many residents versus visitors use it , how long they stay , and what they do – much less its impact on sales .” ( So much for datadriven councilmember talk .)

There is no way this “ committee ” should exist without independent residents and promenade retailers permanently serving on it – not just pro-business councilmembers and cherry-picked city staff designees .

Contact all councilmembers at citycouncil @ lagunabeachcity . net and tell them what you think .

Silence only encourages them to ignore you . Jerome Pudwill , Laguna Beach

Take Advantage of Sally ’ s Fund Attention seniors and friends of seniors : Sally ’ s now has four vehicles

and friendly drivers to take you anywhere in South Orange County to do whatever you plan to do . When you are done , they will wait to take you home . Write down Sally ’ s booking number , 949-499-4100 , now for future reference . I go to the Susi Q on Third St . on Monday , Wednesday and Friday for bingo conversation and games at 10 a . m . and then lunch at 11:30 a . m . Remember , Susi Q has groups for everything from yoga to bridge and offers many services , including personal counseling . Call 949-715- 5462 , 72 hours before the Monday , Wednesday or Friday you plan to have lunch and bring $ 5.50 as the suggested donation . I also go shopping , to the bank , to doctor ’ s offices , and to Laguna Hills with Sally ’ s . Sally ’ s operates weekdays only and offers complimentary group lunches for all riders at restaurants in south Orange County to provide a nice meal and conversation . Trips to Target , Trader Joe ’ s , Walmart , and other stores are offered , too . A suggested donation is requested for all trips . Remember , it ’ s Sally ’ s you want when going someplace in town or south Orange County . Roger Carter , Laguna Beach

Mancuso ’ s Bipartisan Stance on Utility Tax

Judie Mancuso campaigned as the Democratic candidate for the California State Assembly , District 72 , two years ago , losing to Republican Diane Dixon . She is currently a candidate for Laguna Beach City Council for the third time .

In a column in last week ’ s Indy , she proclaimed her opposition to a new California law . She said , “ The state legislature adopted a law ” that imposes an income-based Utility Tax . But blaming “ the state legislature ” is vague and disingenuous . The Democratic Assembly members voted 60 to 0 in favor of the tax . The Republican members voted three in favor and 13 opposed ( three were absent ). The State Senate was similar :

Democrats 27 to 0 in favor of the tax , Republicans zero in favor , and 8 opposed .

California state government is completely dominated by the Democratic party , including super-majorities in both the Assembly and State Senate . The Governor , Lieutenant Governor , Attorney General , Treasurer , Controller , Insurance Commissioner , and Secretary of State are all Democrats . No Republican has been elected to any state office . Also , both Senators in Washington are Democrats .

California voters overwhelmingly prefer Democrats . Judie Mancuso , a certified Democrat as of two years ago , is running for City Council in Democrat-majority Laguna Beach but touting her “ bipartisan ” stance opposing a state law enacted by Democrats . It will be interesting to see how her latest campaign strategy plays out . Joel Harrison , Laguna Beach

Building New Pickleball Courts at Alta Laguna an Affront

I hope City Council does not consider building a new pickleball court in the open picnic area at Alta Laguna Park . I was the landscape architect who designed this park , along with Ann Christoph and Fred Lang . This open grass area between the basketball court and the children ’ s play area was intentionally part of the park design to provide balance and visual relief from all the other programmed fields and sports courts in the park . This area has an important function in the park and is not simply “ leftover space ” with no purpose . Paving this picnic area with yet another court would be an affront to the park design and to all the other park users who appreciate this space . Bob Borthwick , Laguna Beach

Cooperation Benefits Everyone

Is it too much to expect our city and school district elected officials to work together in the best interests

of the tax-paying residents ? A large share of our taxes support community and education needs . In too few cases , LBUSD and the city cooperate to leverage expenses to deliver needed services . They formally meet only once a year , and there is no specific assignment of either entity represented at the other ’ s meetings .

LBUSD recently approved spending $ 16 million to demolish the current pool facility and construct an Olympic competitive pool twice the size and without the current “ wading ” pool . There are less than 90 student aquatic athletes at the high school , and the board used unapproved city participation volumes to justify the need for a mega-sized new pool . The city council formed a subcommittee to explore options for a shared or dedicated community pool , with a report expected in March .

Rather than work in concert with the city , LBUSD redirected $ 10 million of tax-supported educational funds and launched the project to build a 50M pool . They know the city has a decision pending but appear unwilling to work in unison with the city to find a cost-effective solution that meets both groups ’ needs and minimizes resident impact .

LBUSD and the city worked out a sound aquatic solution not so many years ago that left the current pool intact and met community , and school needs so it could be done . Enrollment and city population are down , and the city now owns additional property . There are viable options to consider .

The city council has stated that the pool subcommittee will not make a recommendation but will present “ findings ” to the full council , further stating that there is “ no good answer .” There is a good answer , but it requires cooperation between the two groups , a willingness to compromise and respect for the community . We should insist they do so .

Gary Kasik , Laguna Beach