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I retired for a brief period and subsequently was appointed President of Mirion Technologies Dosimetry division in Irvine , where I spent about five years . Now , I am permanently retired and have ample time to serve the community .
What elected positions and / or appointed roles have you served on in Laguna Beach , if any ?
I was Chair of the Emergency Disaster Preparedness Committee ( EDPC ) for three years . I served nearly five years on the Planning Commission , assisted in drafting the View Preservation Ordinance , and I am now in my 4th year as a City Councilmember and the current Mayor of Laguna Beach .
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Why do you want to serve on City Council ? Like all of us , I love our town . In particular , as I have been the Mayor this last year , I have had the pleasure of meeting many residents , speaking to various groups around town and attending various functions . I have a good sense of what is important to residents in this |
town . My business background and extensive knowledge of city government give me a unique set of skills to provide thoughtful input and make sound decisions . We have many very talented people in this town , and if I am elected , I would like to engage more residents in city government activities who have not been previously involved .
What are the three biggest challenges facing the Laguna and how would you address them ?
1 . Public safety : the number one priority of a Councilmember . My main focus is ensuring that we are doing everything to protect our community . I am looking forward to the addition of our new Park Ranger program , charged with monitoring our neighborhoods and beaches . We have new police officers joining our force in December . Note : Police staffing is challenging for ALL cities in Orange County .
2 . Housing : The State of California has mandated that Laguna plan for 394 additional units . I think we can meet the requirements by adding ADUs , re-using or re-zoning existing
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buildings for housing and adding second stories to some suitable sites . We need to expand our resident base because nearly thirty percent of our 10,000 dwellings are at least second homes . A shrinking resident base is not healthy for our town .
3 . Quality of life for residents : Keep our beaches and neighborhoods clean , work to reduce visitor impacts , continue our successful efforts to reduce homelessness ( currently down 60 percent ), provide desired community-based amenities at the St Catherine ’ s property and keep our town vital and functioning well .
What are your ideas for addressing traffic issues , parking in Laguna ? Mayor Pro Tem Whalen and I are working on a parking master plan for Laguna , including enhanced mobility . Recently , we presented data illustrating where the town is particularly impacted , where visitors are coming from and where they go once they arrive . The next step is to match solutions with the problematic areas in town . More to come on this topic .
Please give your stance on
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Measures Q , R and S . Measure Q : I oppose it . It was not properly vetted and has many flaws , oversights and omissions . It was written by a handful of people without the benefit of land use experience . So what we know : ( 1 ) government buildings were not exempt . The proposed fire station in S . Laguna will have to go to the voters for approval , along with the uses for St . Catherine ’ s . ( 2 ) Q makes it much harder to open a business here ; single proprietor businesses are the lifeblood of our commercial sector . ( 3 ) Requires more than 50 percent of the registered voters to approve a project , an almost impossible hurdle . I do not support either R or S . The City of Laguna Beach should have nothing to do with contracts or agreements between hotel management and labor .
If not elected , do you plan to stay engaged with the City ?
If I am not elected , I will likely devote my time to climate-related organizations and issues .
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completed north of $ 16 million in residential and commercial transactions .
2 . What elected positions and / or appointed roles have you served on in Laguna Beach , if any ? Appointed Design Review Board – two terms – four years – chair two years . Appointed Affordable Housing Task Force – Chair for one year . Board Member of the Chamber – one year . Little League coach !
3 . Why do you want to serve on City Council ? The need struck me for new council members who could bring fresh thinking and a deep understanding of our town ’ s challenges . I feel that I have both to offer and a reputation for integrity , approachability , and teamwork .
Also , as the father of two young boys , I ’ m aware of the importance of maintaining Laguna ’ s unique characteristics in
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the future and building an even stronger sense of community . So you could say I ’ m running because of my kids . I love Laguna Beach , and I think we need more balanced decision-making at the Council level . Protecting our environment is also crucial .
4 . What are the three biggest challenges facing the City , and how would you address them ? Fire Safety is a priority . We must underground those utility lines . Also , we must properly equip evacuation centers . For example , the Susi Q needs a generator . Police , marine and fire departments must be fully staffed .
We must focus on infrastructure Improvements ( from reliable electricity to bike paths and sidewalks and improved parks ) – I ’ ll work with utilities and relevant groups to find the best solutions . Traffic and parking issues , of course .
Addressing the affordable housing mandate is a major challenge . I have experience in that area from my time on the task force . We need plans that ensure that affordable homes fit Laguna ’ s village character .
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5 . What are your ideas for addressing traffic issues , parking in Laguna ? As a community , Laguna Beach has historically been challenged by parking issues . There is no one size fits all solution , but there are solutions if we work together . One aspect I want to focus on is the interconnectivity of sidewalks , bike paths , and alternative modes of transportation . That ’ s good for the environment too . I ’ m supportive of the continued efforts for a parking master plan .
6 . Please give your stance on Measures Q , R and S . No on Q , R & S
No on Q because it is riddled with complexities in its 17 pages of red tape – 17 pages ! The measure goes way beyond protecting against over-development and will damage our small businesses . The take-it-or-leave-it campaign approach completely disregards the public process , with only a few residents out of 22,000-plus involved in creating the measure . It ’ s simple if you do not understand it , vote No .
No on R , because Measure R would create prohibitive regulations
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for hotels and resorts simply trying to perform regular and routine maintenance to their properties , which will significantly negatively impact the beauty and visual appeal of our cherished City . No on S , because this is not an employee initiative . Laguna Beach hospitality workers would have to pay over $ 1,000 a year in dues , and their monthly pay would be less than what they make today . In addition , Laguna Beach hospitality employees already have the personal safety alarms required in the measure , and they don ’ t need more restrictions on voluntary overtime . We must vote No on Measure S for the sake of all local hospitality employees .
7 . If not elected , do you plan on staying engaged with the City ? Absolutely ! I will remain active and involved in our community because young families need to be connected to the public process and represented . I want to give parents of young kids a voice , and I want to plan ahead to ensure Laguna is the best it can be for current and future generations .
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