From the Mayor’s Desk: A Letter to the Community

By Mayor Sue Kempf

One of the significant projects we’re working on is the ongoing Laguna Canyon Road: Protect & Connect Project. Yesterday, the city hosted its second open house from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Susi Q on 380 3rd Street.

To provide some historical context, discussions around improving Laguna Canyon Road began in 2014 when councilmember Bob Whalen and then-councilmember Toni Iseman advocated for a Laguna Canyon Road Task Force. Since then, we have been working with agencies like the Orange County Transportation Authority and Southern California Edison to address safety concerns, including the high fire risks posed by above-ground power lines.

In 2019, the city sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a letter asking for legislative support to prioritize the undergrounding of utilities in high-fire hazard areas like Laguna Canyon Road, also a critical evacuation route for our community. While we didn’t get the legislation passed then, we have continued to progress. In 2021, a community survey indicated approximately 80% of respondents showed strong support for making Laguna Canyon Road safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and improving transit, and 86% of respondents expressed strong support for the undergrounding of utilities on Laguna Canyon Road. This overwhelming support speaks volumes about our community’s desire to mitigate fire risks and enhance safety.

Based on the public input received so far and additional analysis, the Protect & Connect project team has developed more detailed improvement concepts for Laguna Canyon Road.

It’s important to note that no decisions have been made at this time, nor will they be made in the near future regarding the city taking over Laguna Canyon Road from Caltrans. This process will involve years of planning and much more community involvement and input. Our open house meetings allow us to gather your input and understand the community’s priorities. If you were unable to attend Thursday’s Open House, the materials shared at the meeting will be posted to the project webpage.

Like any transition, the change from Waste Management to CR&R has come with some challenges. Some residents received incorrect bin sizes due to bad data provided to CR&R, and there has been some confusion regarding the new billing system. Our staff is working diligently with CR&R to address these issues quickly, and we appreciate your patience as we work to make the necessary corrections.

To clarify, residents will now receive a separate waste service bill, which was previously embedded in your property tax bill. It’s probably no surprise that, in light of inflation nationwide, costs for this service were going up (as fuel, labor and insurance and many other company costs were increasing). While CR&R’s overall proposed rate package was lower than Waste Management’s, both firms proposed rates for 2024-2025 that were higher than the previous contract’s rates. Again, CR&R’s proposed rates for 2024-25 were an increase over Waste Management’s 2023-24 rates, but CR&R’s 2024-25 rates were lower than what Waste Management had proposed charging for 2024-25 and beyond.

In addition, CR&R offers more benefits, such as four bulky item pickups per year, hazardous waste collection, and free compost material. If you have concerns about bin size or billing, contact CR&R at (949) 662-3819.

This Friday night, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., our police department will conduct a DUI checkpoint at an undisclosed location. It’s a reminder to everyone that drinking and driving is never acceptable, especially with the availability of services like Uber, Lyft, and our own Laguna Beach local transit. Let’s work together to keep our streets safe.

Lastly, we had a wonderful turnout at this year’s Labor Day Firefighters Pancake Breakfast! The new grills at the fire department made it more comfortable for the firefighters to serve up delicious pancakes, and the event provided a great opportunity to connect with residents. It’s always heartwarming to see familiar faces and enjoy time with the community. Councilmember Mark Orgill and I enjoyed talking to folks and meeting even more of our Laguna Beach Firefighters.

Thank you all for your ongoing engagement and commitment to making Laguna Beach such a special place to live. I encourage you to stay involved in these important projects and to continue sharing your input.

Sue Kempf, Laguna Beach Mayor