6 lagunabeachindy . com AUGUST 9 , 2024

LETTERS CAN BE MAILED TO : EDITOR @ LBINDY . COM

CRANTZ ’ S COLUMN GIVES FOOD FOR THOUGHT I read Mark Crantz ’ s recent Indy column , “ Waking Up ,” with more than a passing amount of interest . At 75 , I agree with Crantz when he says , “ Waking up is not to be taken for granted by old people .” Neither is starting one ’ s day alone . This is why I recently invited several friends here in town to join me in sending a simple “ Good morning ” text message to each other every day . Having done this for the past two weeks , my friends tell me texting these two words has made a difference in their lives . No , it doesn ’ t heal my “ text mate ’ s ” sore knees , hips or shoulders , but it does temporarily soften their aches and pains . So here ’ s to you , Mark Crantz . Thanks for detailing your various wake-up rituals . I hope you ’ ll consider adding “ Good morning ” texts to your friends as part of your daily routine .

Denny Freidenrich , Laguna Beach

SEEK OTHER OPTIONS BEFORE RAISING TAXES Thank you to Mayor Sue Kempf and Mayor Pro Tem Alex Rounaghi for not supporting the proposition to place a tax increase on the next ballot . Increasing the tax burden on our citizens to support the cost of city programs and services is short-sighted and will not solve our problems . Instead , we need sustainable , long-term solutions that address the underlying issues causing costs to exceed revenue , which is projected to gradually increase by 2-5 % annually , as city staff shared in their presentation on the proposed tax increase . Relying on tax increases merely postpones the inevitable need for comprehensive fiscal management and innovative approaches to economic growth and efficiency .

The city has recently purchased several properties throughout Laguna Beach , which involve substantial additional costs beyond the initial purchase price . These ongoing costs significantly impact our city ’ s budget and resources . Rather than acquiring additional properties like Saint Catherine ’ s for expanded office space or assuming responsibility for Aliso Beach , we

LAST WEEK ’ S QUESTION

Would you support an increase in parking citation fees to boost city revenue ? - Yes : 73.33 % ( 33 votes ) - No : 26.67 % ( 12 votes ) TOTAL VOTES : 45

should explore opportunities to lease underutilized city-owned properties to generate revenues to alleviate the increased cost pressures that the new taxes seek to solve .

Given that the projected revenue shortfall is relatively modest at $ 1.7 million , leasing existing city properties could potentially generate a similar or even higher income without impacting current residents . This approach would also alleviate the need for additional staffing , equipment ( like boats ), and services associated with property acquisition and management . At the very least , I suggest exploring all options to maximize current assets to generate revenue first before looking to our taxpayers to support ongoing costs that will

LETTERS , PAGE 20

THIS WEEK ’ S QUESTION

Has there been a noticeable decrease in loud vehicle exhaust this summer ? - Yes - No

TO VOTE , VISIT THE POLL TAB AT LAGUNABEACHINDY . COM . SUBMIT POLL QUESTIONS TO CLARA @ FIREBRANDMEDIAINC . COM .

The LagunaBeachIndy . com poll is conducted using Crowd Signal polling software . To minimize fraudulent entries and votes , the software is set to block duplicate votes by cookie and IP address . While we cannot control users who change locations and use separate devices on different networks , this measure is the most stringent way to deter participants from voting multiple times . No polling software available online can block all attempts at fraudulent voting , as there are ways around most blocking methods . For this reason , we can ’ t fully verify the accuracy of this poll . Language from Crowd Signal ’ s software settings : Voting in a poll is rate limited by IP , even when no blocking is enabled . This means that a large number of votes coming from a single Internet address will trigger a cooldown block to help prevent cheating . Sometimes this is tripped by many people at one location ( for example in schools and offices ) voting in a short period of time .

PUBLISHER Steve Strickbine

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Nadine Johnson

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR Clara Beard clara @ firebrandmediainc . com

DESIGN

DESIGN DIRECTOR Tracy Powell

SALES

ADVERTISING SALES TEAM Carol Josepher Adrienne Kruse Mara Hertel

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Tina Leydecker tina @ firebrandmediainc . com

ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION : Tel : 949 715-4100 ; Fax : 949 715-4106

MAILING ADDRESS :

CITY HALL MEETINGS :

Aug . 13 - Laguna Beach City Council Meeting at 5 p . m . Aug . 19 - Heritage Committee at 6 p . m .

HOW TO CONTACT THE CITY COUNCIL

900 Glenneyre St ., Suite B Laguna Beach , CA 92651 Tel : 949-715-4100 ; Fax : 949 715-4106 www . lbindy . com