FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020
Laguna Beach Police Will Enforce City Closure Orders at all City Beaches, Adjacent Beach Parks and Trailheads
Violators of Beach Closures Can Be Cited With a Misdemeanor, Fined up to $1,000 or Arrested
It feels like summer this weekend, but as a reminder, we are still under a Stay at Home order issued by the Governor.
To slow the spread of COVID-19, all Laguna Beach Trailheads, City Beaches, and Adjacent Beach Parks are CLOSED and remain CLOSED until further notice.
Violators of beach or trailhead closures can be cited with a misdemeanor, fined up to $1,000 or arrested. Please be courteous to our Police Officers, Public Works team and Marine Safety Officers who are doing their best to deal with traffic impacts and people looking to access the beach.
With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in the County and the surrounding counties continuing to rise, this is not the right time to open our City beaches and entice large crowds to the City’s beaches and trails, especially with warmer weather coming this weekend.
We appreciate our community’s help ensuring the distribution of factual information about the closures and their patience and understanding as we all continue to 'flatten the curve' together.
This situation will continue to be monitored and modified as appropriate and will be reviewed by the City Council at its April 28 meeting.
Write to the Orange County Board of Supervisors With Aliso Beach and Other South Laguna Beach Related Complaints
Aliso Beach, West Street Beach and Tablerock Beach in South Laguna Beach are run by the County of Orange. Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen asked the County to close Aliso Beach this week to protect our residents from large crowds of visitors and the spread of COVID-19.
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett was supportive of the closure and brought it up to the County Board of Supervisors at their meeting, but they took no action to close Aliso Beach or County trails.
The County has closed parking at Aliso Beach and the stairway accesses to West Street Beach and Tablerock Beach, but not the beaches themselves, which in-turn forces beachgoers to park in South Laguna neighborhoods and walk to the beach.
Because of the rules set forth by the California Coastal Commission for coastline access, the City is limited in its ability to restrict parking in surrounding neighborhoods.
What can you do?
Email, tweet, Facebook, and write your Orange County Board of Supervisors to tell them how you're being impacted this weekend. You'll find their contact information, below.
Contact Michelle Steel, Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors:
Michelle.Steel@ocgov.com
Michelle Steel's Twitter
Michelle Steel's Facebook
Michelle Steel's Instagram
Contact Andrew Do, Vice Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors:
Andrew.Do@ocgov.com
Andrew Do's Twitter
Andrew Do's Facebook
Andrew Do's Instagram
Reminder to Residents to Lock Homes and Vehicles
Laguna Beach Police remind all home and vehicle owners to remain vigilant during this time. Lock your doors and secure windows when you leave your homes and set the alarm if you have one. Always lock your doors when parking and exiting your vehicle.
- Take your keys. Don’t leave them in your vehicle.
- Close all windows and lock all doors.
- Never leave valuables in your vehicle, and if you do, make sure they are out of sight.
- Never leave credit cards/debit cards, cash or your wallet or purse inside of your vehicle overnight.
- Park in well-lit areas or preferably inside a garage, if possible. Install lights with motion sensors near where you park your vehicle.
- Get in the routine of double-checking that your vehicle is locked and secure each night before bedtime.
If your vehicle has been stolen or broken into, follow these steps:
- Call the LBPD non-emergency line (949-497-0701) to report a vehicle theft or break-in. Call 911 if observing a vehicle theft in progress. A copy of the police report and/or a case number will be needed to provide to your insurance company.
- You will be asked to provide the license plate number, make, model and color of the car, the VIN number and any identifying characteristics.
Laguna Beach Farmer's Market to Reopen Saturday
The Laguna Beach Farmer's Market will reopen on Saturday, April 25 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon in lot 11 of the Village Entrance located at the corner of Forest Avenue and Broadway.
State of California COVID-19 guidelines allow for the continued operation of certified farmers markets throughout the state of California.
Those guidelines include discontinuing samples, encouraging pre-bagging to expedite purchasing and spacing booths and patrons in accordance with state social distancing measures.
How to Participate in the Upcoming April 28 Laguna Beach City Council Meeting
The public will not be permitted to physically attend the upcoming 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 mail to the City Clerk at: 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA. 92651 or by 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 no later than 3 p.m. on April 27, 2020 (the day before the City Council meeting) in order for your comments to be submitted to the members of the City Council the day prior the meeting, which provides them sufficient time to review the comments. You may continue to provide written comments up to 12:00 p.m. on April 28, 2020 (the day of the meeting). Please note that while these comments will be provided to the City Council on 3 p.m. on April 28, 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.
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 92092181384#.
• 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://zoom.us/j/92092181384
If you are not able to use this Webinar system, you may submit comments via email during the meeting to cityclerk@lagunabeachcity.net.
Chamber Small Business Survey Aims to Help With Resource Assistance
Small businesses are critical for employment and economic growth in our community. The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce understands each of you is in need of assistance and we want to know what the loan process has been like for you.
The survey will provide us with the information we need so we can advocate for you and provide you with the resources you need. This survey will take approximately 3-5 minutes of your time.
The City of Laguna Beach is Committed to Bringing You COVID-19 Information
If You Have an Emergency,
Always Dial 9-1-1.
We’re @lagunabeachgov on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter