Laguna beach city news City of Laguna Beach, California

Stay Safe, Stay Ready: Resources for National Preparedness Month

September marks National Preparedness Month, a reminder to everyone that preparing for emergencies and disasters can keep them, their families and their communities safe. This year's theme is "Start a Conversation". Starting a conversation today can help you and your family to take more actions to prepare. While the City works tirelessly to prepare for emergencies, we rely on residents, businesses, and visitors to be ready no matter what happens. Whether flood, fire, earthquake, or tsunami, these resources can help.

• Sign up for emergency alerts. Alert and Warning System
• Check out our Disaster Preparedness Guide
• Purchase an emergency backpack or create an emergency kit and family emergency plan
• Know what hazards we face in Laguna Beach and how to prepare for each one. Prepare for an Emergency
• Plan now for an evacuation. Evacuation Routes
• Family, friends, and neighbors with disabilities, access, or functional needs may need a little extra help preparing for an emergency. This link from FEMA can help. FEMA Ready.gov
• Join the Laguna Beach Community Emergency Response Team. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Review your insurance coverage. Go to this page on the City website for more information and resources.

City Holds Emergency Operations Training on Tuesday

Watch 🎥: Town Hall Meeting on Addressing Rising Fire Insurance Costs and Policy Challenges

The Laguna Beach Fire Department is aware that there has been an increase in non-renewals and understand that residential insurance is getting harder to find in high fire risk areas. The California Department of Insurance has resources for residents to help navigate if Laguna Beach residents are having difficulties getting residential fire insurance. Please watch the Town Hall meeting recording below:

The Next Regular Meeting of the City Council is Tuesday, September 24 at 5:00 P.M.

The "Tentative Agenda" is strictly tentative and there is no guarantee that items listed will be agendized as scheduled due to changing priorities, new information, staff workloads, and other unforeseeable events.

City of Laguna Beach and Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach Complete Summer of Community Partnership Projects

The City of Laguna Beach is pleased to announce the successful completion of a series of community service projects in partnership with Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach. These initiatives not only enhanced the City through park maintenance, historic restoration, and environmental education, but also provided valuable work opportunities for Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach employees while the resort underwent major renovations.

One of the most impactful projects was the restoration of the historic mid-century modern Hortense Miller home. Recognizing the need for repairs, Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach mobilized a team of skilled painters and maintenance staff, who dedicated more than 120 hours scraping, sanding, and painting the iconic home overlooking Boat Canyon. This effort helped preserve the landmark, which has long been a symbol of Laguna Beach’s unique history.

In total, Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach’s staff contributed over 4,046 hours of work across a variety of community service projects throughout the summer. This partnership allowed the resort to provide meaningful work for their employees during the hotel’s renovations. By engaging their team in these projects, Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach helped maintain vital public spaces and contribute to environmental education efforts in Laguna Beach.

“Partnering with the City of Laguna Beach has been an incredibly rewarding experience for us,” said Joanna Bear, General Manager of Surf & Sand Resort Laguna Beach. “Not only did we have the opportunity to support important projects like restoring the Hortense Miller home and maintaining city parks, but we were also able to keep our staff working and engaged while our resort was undergoing renovations. It was truly a win-win for everyone involved.”

Q: My neighbor's trees are blocking my view. Is there an ordinance that regulates the height of trees or hedges?

A: If the property does not have an approved landscape plan and/or design review conditions related to landscaping, then there are no restrictions on the height of the vegetation or the type of vegetation that can be planted. If trees impede a property owner's view, the property owner can file a View Restoration Claim under LBMC Chapter 12.16. If hedges block a property owner's view, sunlight or there is a safety concern, the property owner can file a Hedge Height Claim under LBMC Chapter 12.14 for the City to determine if a valid obstruction exists and if so, require specific remediation.

We Want Your Input for the Laguna Beach Facilities Master Plan

Mark your calendars! The Laguna Beach’s Facilities Master Plan project team will have a table set up at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 18 to collect input and ideas about the City’s facilities. This comprehensive plan will assess over 288,000 square feet of facilities in the community, including public safety, community and art facilities, parking lots, the library, and more. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of these essential services.

Additionally, don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about the Facilities Master Plan at the City Council meeting on October 22. Stay tuned for further community engagement events and updates, which will be announced soon. We look forward to your participation and insights!

A complete summary of key discussion points and takeaways from these events will be compiled and posted on the project website, which will also be updated with future meeting dates as they are confirmed. In the meantime, residents are welcome to email their thoughts and ideas about the City’s facilities to Louie Lacasella llacasella@lagunabeachcity.net.