STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
October 14, 2025
CONSENT
18 SUBJECT: FALL AND WINTER COMMUNITY EVENT APPROVALS AND REQUESTS RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Approve the Laguna Art Museum’s exclusive use of the Laguna Beach High School Community Pool to host a rehearsal on Saturday, October 18 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the public performance on Saturday, November 8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., subject to an agreement in a form approved by the City Attorney, and excluding lifeguard services, waiver of fees for the exclusive use of the pool and the commercial filming permit application;
2. Approve Ability Awareness’s request to host World Kindness Day at the Main Beach Cobblestones area on Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., waive the associated application fees for reserving the area, and authorize the Transit and Community Services Department to bag three parking meters on El Paseo in support of the event;
3. Authorize the Acting Director of Transit and Community Services to file an application for a Temporary Use Permit for Hospitality Night activities on Friday, December 5, 2025, December 4, 2026, and December 3, 2027, including the use of amplified sound, the temporary closures of certain Downtown Laguna Beach streets and Lot 2, and restricted parking on Forest Avenue;
4. Authorize an amendment to Resolution 13.001 to include the additional street closures of Temple Terrace and Catalina Street between Oak and Brooks Street each Halloween;
5. Authorize the City Manager to modify the dates of the events as necessary; and
6. Find the actions categorically exempt from State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 based on the facts in this staff report.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report recommends that the City Council approve the use of City and School District facilities for four community events planned for Fall and Winter 2025: the Laguna Art Museum’s Art + Nature performance, the World Kindness Day event hosted by Ability Awareness, the City’s co-sponsored Hospitality Night, and street closures for Halloween by the Laguna Beach Police Department. The recommended actions include authorizing facility use, fee waivers, event coordination, and temporary street and parking adjustments, as well as approving a Temporary Use Permit for Hospitality Night for three consecutive years.
There are minimal fiscal impacts, with most costs already absorbed in departmental budgets. The proposed events support the City’s community engagement and public enrichment goals, and the actions are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15301 (Existing Facilities).
DISCUSSION
The City and Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) have a Joint Use Agreement for the Community Pool. Based on such agreement, the City operates and oversees the pool for seventy (70%) of the time. Laguna Art Museum has approached the City for use of the Pool for an artistic swimming performance by the Meraquas of Irvine. More specifically, Laguna Art Museum is seeking to host a
FALL AND WINTER COMMUNITY EVENT APPROVALS AND REQUESTS
October 14, 2025
rehearsal on Saturday, October 18 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the public performance on Saturday, November 8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The requested use will occur outside of normal operating hours of the pool to limit impacts to the public’s use of the pool for lap swimming and to accommodate pre-existing activities scheduled on November 8. LBUSD has been made aware of and approved the requested use.
The City does not have an established policy or fee schedule for use of the pool outside normal operating hours, and estimates $75 per hour for lifeguard staff costs. Laguna Art Museum is asking for a waiver of both the pool use fees and lifeguard fees. City staff recommends that the City Council waive the pool use fees but charge for the lifeguard fees because lifeguards would not ordinarily be present and the cost is not budgeted.
Laguna Art Museum has also made the Transit and Community Services Department aware of its intent to file an application for a commercial filming permit pursuant to Chapter 5.66 (Commercial Motion Picture Film, Video Tape and Still Photography Production). Such applications are considered by the City Manager and are subject to certain conditions if granted. Laguna Art Museum is seeking a waiver of the application fees for such permit. City staff recommends that the City Council waive the application fees for the commercial filming permit.
World Kindness Day
In 2018, the City of Laguna Beach adopted Resolution 18.051 to support World Kindness and calendared World Kindness Day annually on or around November 13. (Attachment 2.) This year, Ability Awareness is proposing to host an event on the cobblestone area Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In accordance with the provisions of Laguna Beach Municipal Code Section 18.28.010, the hard surface cobblestone area located in the southerly portion of Main Beach Park are available not more than five days per month on a first-come, first-served basis by reservation through the City for the conduct of constitutionally protected expressive activities involving the use of structures. “Constitutionally protected expressive activities involving the use of structures" means “conduct and activities that encompasses, entails or includes the erection and use of stages, tables, barricades, utility poles, booths, tents or other temporary structures in addition to the tables, benches, permanent structures, equipment and facilities provided by the city, and the sole or principal purpose of which is the expression, dissemination, or communication by verbal, visual, literary or auditory means of opinion, views or ideas.” No single structure in excess of six hundred square feet in area or in excess of eight feet in height shall be allowed. (LBMC Section
18.28.015(c).)
Ability Awareness is proposing to set up for an event on the Cobblestones with temporary structures and requests City staff print kindness awards signed by the Mayor. Ability Awareness requests a waiver of both the application fees to reserve the area for the proposed event and bag three parking meters on El Paseo in support of the event.
Hospitality Night
Each year, the City and the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce propose to co-sponsor Hospitality Night which generally occurs one night in December. The main festivities generally take place at the Pepper Tree parking lot (Lot 2) at 322 Forest Avenue, where Santa visits, tree lighting occurs, and the public enjoys
FALL AND WINTER COMMUNITY EVENT APPROVALS AND REQUESTS
October 14, 2025
family-friendly crafts. Additionally, the Chamber of Commerce generally provides main stage band entertainment at the end of the Promenade on Forest, coordinates with all the downtown businesses, and works with other Laguna Beach Chamber members and non-profits on booth set-ups on Forest and Glenneyre Avenue to provide organization information and sell holiday-related items. To accommodate Hospitality Night, Downtown streets are generally closed to vehicular traffic prior to and during the event, including the intersections of Park at Glenneyre Street, Beach Street, Ocean Avenue, Lot 2 (Pepper Tree lot), Second Street, Mermaid Street, and Forest Avenue, so that pedestrians can walk safely through the downtown area and support local businesses.
The Transit and Community Services Department recommends that the City Council authorize the Transit and Community Services Department to file a Temporary Use Permit application for the Hospital Night on the following dates over the course of the next three years: December 5, 2025, December 4, 2026, and December 3, 2027. We conferred with Santa’s scheduler and these were the only available dates in 2025, 2026, and 2027 during which he could leave the North Pole. We were fortunate to have booked him early via a “save the date(s)“ postcard.
Halloween Street Closures
City Council Resolution 13.001 authorizes the temporary closure of Oak Street and Brooks Street between Temple Terrace and Catalina Street on Halloween.(Attachment 3.) Due to the popularity of the event and increased attendance, the Police Department is requesting that the resolution be formally amended to include the closure of Temple Terrace and Catalina Street between Oak and Brooks Street each Halloween.
This change will enhance public safety, improve traffic control, and provide a safer environment for families and children walking in the area. This creates a safe walking loop between Oak and Brooks Streets and allows attendees to circulate without crossing through active vehicle traffic.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Laguna Art Museum and World Kindness Day requests are indirect costs. The costs associated with annual Hospitality Night are incorporated into the budget and no additional allocations are requested.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The recommended actions are exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 because it consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Here, the recommended actions meet the exemption because they contemplate authorizing activities on public facilities, which are generally used for such activities.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Hospitality Night Street Closure Plan (Pg. 5)
2. World Kindness Day Resolution (Pgs. 6-7)
3. Halloween Street Closure Resolution (Pgs. 8-9)
FALL AND WINTER COMMUNITY EVENT APPROVALS AND REQUESTS
October 14, 2025
Submitted By: Alexis Braun Approved: .David A Kiff
Alexis Braun, Acting Director of
Transit and Community Services
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Alexis Braun, Acting Director of Transit and
Community Services
Tierney Doran, Recreation Supervisor
Andrea Tirnauer, Senior Recreation Coordinator
Jeff Calvert, Chief of Police
Jane Abzug, Assistant City Attorney