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Laguna Beach community Update City of Laguna Beach, California

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020

Laguna Beach Residents Celebrate Beach Reopenings and Comply with Guidelines for Active Recreation

The City of Laguna Beach is pleased to report beachgoers are complying with active recreation guidelines as City beaches reopened this week from 6 – 10 a.m. weekdays.

Laguna Beach beachgoers comply with active recreation guidelines as beaches reopened this week.

Thank you to all beachgoers complying with the City guidelines for beach use!

Guidelines for morning beach activity are in place to encourage social distancing, protect the community and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Laguna Beach beachgoers comply with active recreation guidelines as beaches reopened this week.

Laguna Beach City beaches are open weekdays from 6 – 10 a.m. for active recreation only. Each weekday the City beaches and ocean water will close promptly at 10:00 a.m. and Laguna Beach public safety staff will be present on beaches to enforce the closures.

City beaches will remain CLOSED all day on weekends. Those violating the closure orders outside of the permitted timeframe or on weekends can be cited and fined up to $1,000. Adjacent City beach parks remain closed at all times.

Dog walking is permitted during open beach hours; all dogs must be on a leash at all times.

ACTIVE RECREATION PERMITTED BEACH ACTIVITIES (including, but not limited to):

  • Walking/running/jogging
  • Dog walking is permitted; all dogs must be on a leash at all times
  • Ocean recreation: swimming, paddle boarding, surfing, bodyboarding, skim boarding, kayaking
  • Physical activity which keeps individuals in non-stationary active motion

NON-PERMITTED BEACH ACTIVITIES:

  • Gatherings
  • Beach towels, blankets, easy-ups, tents, umbrellas, etc.- items used for settling in place
  • Sitting or lying on beach
  • Setting up chairs and staying in place
  • Picnics/coolers/tables

This is an adaptive management plan and each phase will be enacted on a trial basis. If it is determined that an environment is created whereby physical distancing cannot be maintained, the City will consider further limiting beach access or closing the beach until compliance can be attained.

Anyone who requires special ADA accommodations regarding beach access for active recreation may contact the Laguna Beach Department of Marine Safety at (949) 494-6572. Beach wheelchairs are available for public use from the Marine Safety Department (pictured.)

City of Laguna Beach Makes National News for Beach Reopening Plan

Over the last few days, the City of Laguna Beach has made national news for its beach reopening plan.

Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen has been interviewed dozens of times on national and regional news programs. Check out a few of this week's news stories and interviews with Mayor Whalen, below.

Listen to Today's Podcast Update with Mayor Whalen on Beach Reopenings and What's Ahead

In today's podcast update, Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen discusses the successful limited reopening of city beaches, what to expect in the coming weeks, the opening of the City's tennis courts, and last week’s successful effort to curb high speed & modified exhaust vehicles, and how that effort will continue.

County of Orange Beaches Remain Closed Until County Beach Plan is Approved by State

Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed staff to prepare and submit to the Governor a beach reopening protocol consistent with the approved plans of partner municipalities.

Supervisor Lisa Bartlett proposed the plan Tuesday to work with local beach cities to form consistent reopening rules on all County beaches within cities, and also include some “active use” policies like Laguna Beach.

All County of Orange beaches remain closed until the Governor approves their plans for reopening.

Until the Governor approves the County's plan for reopening beaches, they will remain closed.

Aliso Beach, West Street Beach, Camel Point and Tablerock Beach in South Laguna Beach are run by the County of Orange.

Laguna Beach Tennis Courts Open Thursday, May 7

The Laguna Beach tennis courts will open Thursday for playing Single games only.

All Laguna Beach City tennis courts will open for recreation on Thursday, May 7 at 7:00 a.m. with the following guidelines:

  • Please bring your own hand sanitizers and use it before entering the court;
  • The courts are open for playing Single games only;
  • Only two people per court should be present; no spectators are allowed;
  • No Pickleball games allowed at this time;
  • No Tennis lessons are allowed at this time.

How to Participate in the May 12 Laguna Beach City Council Meeting

The public will not be permitted to physically attend the upcoming May 12 Laguna Beach City Council meeting, but you are invited to observe and participate from home by one of the following methods:

1. You may submit comments on any agenda item or on any item not on the agenda in writing via email to cityclerk@lagunabeachcity.net (there is an interactive public communications form on the front page of the City’s website). Please complete the form and email the completed form to the City Clerk. You may continue to provide written comments up to 12:00 p.m. on May 12, 2020 (the day of the meeting). Please note that while these comments will be provided to the City Council on 3 p.m. on May 12, 2020, the Council members may not have sufficient time to review them prior to the meeting.

2. You may view the meeting live on Cox cable channel 852 and online on the City of Laguna Beach website: www.lagunabeachcity.net.

3. You may listen to the meeting LIVE on KX FM Radio, 104.7.

Participate in next Tuesday's City Council meeting via Zoom.

4. You may listen and comment over the phone or computer during designated public comment periods by following the steps below:

• Call (669) 900-9128, and wait for instructions. The Webinar id is 943 7158 1970#.

• Let us know you want to comment on an item that is being discussed by pressing *9 on your phone.

• When you hear "your phone is unmuted," please proceed with your comment. The time for comments may be limited, so prepare your remarks accordingly.

• You can also click on the link below from your computer or smart phone to participate via zoom: https://lagunabeachcity.zoom.us/j/94371581970

If you are not able to use this Webinar system, you may submit comments via email during the meeting to cityclerk@lagunabeachcity.net.

All Laguna Beach City Offices Remain Closed to the Public.

Thank you to all beachgoers for social distancing and actively recreating as the City beaches reopened on Tuesday!

Essential Services Are Provided.

For Questions Call (949) 497-3311 During Regular Business Hours.

City of Laguna Beach Participating in 'Great Plates Delivered' Program

The City of Laguna Beach is participating in California's first-in-the-nation Great Plates Delivered program.

The program is designed to support qualifying adults, 65+ and adults 60-64, who are at high-risk from COVID-19, in staying home and staying healthy by delivering three nutritious meals a day, while also providing essential economic stimulus to local businesses and workers struggling to stay afloat during the COVID crisis.

If you are a qualifying Laguna Beach senior interested in participating in the program or a local business that would like to participate, click the link below for details.

What is a Red Tide?

'Red Tide' conditions off the coastline of Laguna Beach.

As beachgoers returned to the water this week for active recreation, they saw that Laguna's usually pristine blue waters are a bit murky.

That's because for the last week or so we've been experiencing a "red tide." Red tide is a common name for algal blooms, which are large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, such as protozoans and unicellular algae.

The upwelling of nutrients from the sea floor provides for the algae and triggers bloom events, making the water appear murky.

Drone photos take Tuesday of the beach openings for active recreation show red tide waters at Thalia Street beach.

Though it is generally safe to swim in red tide waters, some may experience skin or eye irritation from the algae.

This newsletter is texted out directly to residents registered for Laguna Beach’s Nixle Community Alert system.

Know someone or a senior who needs to sign up? Simply have them text 92651 to 888-777.

The City of Laguna Beach is Committed to Bringing You COVID-19 Information

Thank you to all beachgoers for social distancing and actively recreating as the City beaches reopened on Tuesday!

If You Have an Emergency,

Always Dial 9-1-1.

We’re @lagunabeachgov on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

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