City Council Wrap-Up

The following is from the Sept. 15 City Council meeting.

Surveillance cameras

TechCom Committee member David Mitchell said adding a wireless outdoor camera system for virtual street patrols would be a fairly simple expansion to what the city already has, referring to an proposal by Councilwoman Toni Iseman at the Sept. 1 council meeting.

The proposed addition’s only cost would be for camera and recording software.

“The biggest issue is with privacy, but the cameras have masking capability,” Mitchell said.

He said Dana Point recently installed a citywide system that had proven to be an enormous benefit to public safety.

Car allowance

The council approved City Manager Ken Frank’s request to double his $500 a month car allowance due to an increase in the costs incurred in the use of his personal car on city business and other auto and business expenses not reimbursed by the city.

However, because of the city’s straitened finances, Frank requested that the increase be offset by a 60-hour reduction in his vacation days.

WHAT IT MEANS

There will be no net cost to the city for the increased car allowance.

Permit extensions approved

Ordinance 1506, which extends by 12 months the approval periods on certain development entitlements, was approved 5-0.

WHAT IT MEANS

The ordinance will go into effect Oct. 15.

Recreational vehicle parking limits

The council split 3-2 on proposed amendments to the municipal code that would enable the city to enforce a five-hour limit on recreational vehicles parked on city streets.

Councilwomen Jane Egly and Verna Rollinger voted against the proposal.

WHAT IT MEANS

Interim Police Chief Paul Workman told the council that people are living in their campers and moving them around to avoid parking fines. He said the limitation would close that loophole in the city code. The amendment would not apply to vans.

Booking fees approved

The council also split 3-2 on a proposal to assess booking fees for processing people who are arrested and jailed in Laguna and later convicted of a crime. The fees will be based on administrative costs incurred in the processing. Rollinger and Egly voted no.

WHAT IT MEANS

Staff determined that it cost the city $195 to process a person who is arrested and booked into the city jail. Staff estimates the fees will generate $60,000 in annual revenue, with a collection rate of 50%, described as conservative.

Segways outlawed in some areas

The council voted unanimously to establish rules on the operation of electric personal assistive mobility devices, better known as Segways. The California Vehicle Code defines the operator of the Segway as a pedestrian, which allows unrestricted use on sidewalks and other public areas unless regulated by the city.

Segways can reach 13 mph, which the Police and Marine Safety departments consider unsafe.

“I am interested in alternative transportation,” said Environmental Committee member Scott Sebastian. “To ban these things is a little precipitous.”

WHAT IT MEANS

The amendments to the city municipal code ordinance were passed to the second reading, required for adoption.

City accepts park

The county is divesting itself of facilities, which are local in nature. The Parks Department offered the city a quitclaim deed for Table Rock Park and associated access ways, which was accepted unanimously.

Frank recommended the acquisition as a public resource.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city gets a park, which will cost very little to maintain because the park is undeveloped and beach access.

“” Compiled by Barbara Diamond