I have been reading about how concerned Laguna Beach City Council is about increasing revenue to cover costs, and yet parking enforcement only seems to be concerned about locals moving our vehicles on street cleaning days. I have seen cars parked on Coast Highway for days without ever getting a citation. Parking enforcement only takes notice when alerted due to concerns. Additionally, many meters were removed on Coast Highway when the sidewalks were worked on about a year and a half ago. They have not been replaced, thereby creating free parking and depriving Laguna Beach of revenue.
George Hayos, Laguna Beach
Here is proof that there is very little parking enforcement. If you look through this Excel sheet you will see that through the month of July of last year only three citations were given on South Coast highway. That is for parking violations at meters. The only other citations given were for people parking illegally in front of painted curbs like red, blue, or yellow. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ygEDpaXjhrGfgdqRMG8WPuU4catS3r90/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=111545563683198168574&rtpof=true&sd=true
Mayor Kempf was quoted by a business owner on Thalia explaining why the spaces in front of the business are never checked, “We don’t have enough people to monitor all the meters so we just focus on downtown and PCH.”
I’ve also been told that the City can only afford to have FOUR uniformed police officers on duty at any one time. Four.
Where IS our $91million budget going? Underwriting cosmetic upgrades to Forest Ave storefronts? Paying higher salaries to civil servants by giving them upgraded titles? Who is minding the store?