1 McKay, Ann Marie CC
Subject: October 14 City Council Agenda Item #19 Summer 2025 Operational Wrap-up From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2025 3:12 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Cc: McKay, Ann Marie CC <[email protected]>; Kiff, Dave CM <[email protected]>; Thomas, John <[email protected]>
Subject: October 14 City Council Agenda Item #19 Summer 2025 Operational Wrap-up Thank you for the efforts to address negative impacts caused by tourism.
And, all-in-all, it is a good report with many highly supportable recommendations for going forward.
Here are a few additional comments, suggestions, and questions:
1. Restrooms (Page 1 of 8) : Portable restrooms in South Laguna – MY COMMENT: What was done this year? And what is the status of efforts to create permanent restrooms in South Laguna?
2. Beach Hours: (Page 7 of 8) Hours - Regarding. “Council may wish to discuss different options for some of our more secluded coves where beachgoer safety can be compromised by isolation and darkness.”
MY COMMENT: The language in the December 17, 1986, Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Orange County, referencing DEIR 461 that enabled public access to Tablerock Beach included this language:
“MITIGATION MEASURES INCLUDED IN BOTH EIR 461 AND PREVOUS NEGATIVE DECLARATION 21. Because the access is proximate to residences, it shall be designated for day use only, that is, from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Signage shall be posted at the access indicating beach hours, and a gate, to be locked and unlocked daily by Operations and Maintenance personnel, installed to enforce those hours.”
MY COMMENT: Should Tablerock beach be closed at sunset as the Supervisors specified? Isn’t that what was approved.
3. Beach Maintenance (Page 2 of 8) Regarding - “Currently, downtown Laguna Beach, Main Beach, and Heisler Park are served by two day porters per shift. To better meet demand, the City Council may wish to consider increasing this to four per shift, assigning one dedicated day porter each to downtown and Main Beach, and two porters to serve Heisler Park. Additional day porters could also be deployed at Aliso Beach Park and along the South Laguna beaches, including West Street, Table Rock, Thousand Steps, and Totuava, to support trash collection, restroom maintenance, and overall site cleanliness during peak visitation periods.”
MY COMMENT: Considering the revenue the city received for taking over South Laguna beaches and considering South Laguna beaches comprise about 3 miles of the total 7 miles of Laguna beaches, there should be wide support for the staff report suggestion of additional day porters being deployed to the South Laguna beaches.
4. Park Rangers: (Page 1 of 8 and 3 of 8): City is considering changes in the Park Ranger program.
MY COMMENT: Some people have observed that Beach Patrol officers were far more evident on the sand than the Park Rangers are. Currently, Park Rangers have duties beyond patrolling the beaches which leave them less time on the sand which is where the vast majority of incidents are encountered. 1) Should the city reconsider the change from Beach Patrol of Park Rangers? Or 2) at least, like Chief Farinella did, log the amount of time these officers are actually on the sand – referred to as “Sand 2 Time” - and make sure there is at least a minimum amount of time spent on the sand by the Park Rangers?”
5. Tidepools: (Page 4 of 8)
MY COMMENT: While the report mentions tidepool education at Main Beach, should South Laguna tidepools receive the same level of effort as others in the city?
6. Fake Rose Petals and Weddings (Page 6 of 8):
MY COMMENT: I don’t have a suggestion on this, but simply as an observation, there are weddings almost daily on South Laguna beaches and I have no idea of whether they go through the permitting process.
7. Trolley and Summer Breeze Ridership: (Page 5 of 8): Just a question: What is the cost per boarding of the Trolley and Summer Breeze programs? Some of these programs may be more cost-effective than others.