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Working To Preserve and Enhance Active Recreational Facilities and Programs in Laguna Beach

LPRFC 2022 City Council Candidates Endorsements

October 19, 2022

Laguna Public Recreation Facilities Conservancy (LPRFC) is happy to announce our endorsements of Sue Kempf. Mark Orgill and Alex Rounaghi for the Laguna Beach City Council

Summary

Kempf is an incumbent on the city council and has led the effort to create a more pedestrian and user friendly downtown. Being an athlete herself, she has directed city staff to gather specific ideas to enhance existing recreational facilities. Mark Orgill has extensive experience in project execution consistent with local “charm” and fought against efforts that are incompatible with those principles. He promised to place high priority on recreational opportunities and looking for ideas to enhance the environmental quality of life for residents. Alex Rounaghi stood out as a candidate that understands data driven policy analysis and will bring fresh perspective to data driven long term planning and policy decisions on more acute issues like homelessness and effectiveness of expensive outside consultants tasked with various studies.

LPRFC candidate interviews were conducted via in-person meetings, telephone calls, e-mail exchanges, and video replays of candidates forums. Specific ideas that were discussed with all the candidates include acquiring more small neighborhood parks as part of open space acquisition. Locating a skatepark if wanted at the saddle between TOW and Moulton Meadows. Creating pickleball space in N. Laguna. Continue to support the acquisition of parcels for the specific purpose of community gardens including the one in S. Laguna. Consideration of a community swimming pool at St. Catherine’s to relieve current congestion at HS pool. Most importantly, re-installing a citizen-at-large member to the Irvine Bowl Committee.

The Irvine Bowl exhibit grounds continue to be under utilized during off season and resident input is lacking in the selection of cultural events and performance arts that can take advantage of the venue to the benefit of residents. Increased revenues have historically been used to fund the purchase of open space. Main Beach as the prime example. A city owned property should be run like it is city owned. We appreciate all the candidates for willing to serve the city.

One candidate told us that he will be happy to serve and he will just be happy running his business if not elected. We wish all the candidates continued happiness no matter the outcome.

Measure Q - Our endorsements do not imply any position on the merits of Measure Q.

LPRFC Board of Directors

Charlie Anderson, Gene Nalbandian, Byron Nelson, Glenn Parrish, Ray Tang

Advisory Board Members

Cynthia Clotzman, Stacy Ison, Steve Lewis

News Release - LPRFC Congratulates Winners of City Council and City Clerk Elections

November 15, 2020

We congratulate George Weiss and Bob Whalen for their elections to the City Council, and Ann Marie McKay as City clerk.

LPRFC is appreciative of the remaining candidates (Dicterow, Flores, Nokes and Tracy) for offering their ideas and dedication to making the City a better community and enhancing the quality of life of residents. We want to especially thank Steve Dicterow for his hard work on behalf of the City through many years of service.

LPRFC was founded on the principle that active public recreation facilities are an integral aspect of Laguna Beach residents pursuing a happy, healthy and active lifestyle. We are also residents that are concerned about the overall environmental impact and fiscal sustainability of major policy decisions. Over 800 residents and tennis court users signed our change.org petition to preserve the Irvine Bowl Park tennis courts.

Weiss was a co-founder of Laguna Residents First and has expressed a strong desire for increased participation of residents on decisions that impact our quality of life. Weiss brings much needed balance to the City Council. Whalen has demonstrated competence in his efforts on fire safety and pandemic policies. We believe his work ethic and willingness to listen to all parties will be important in City Council matters.

Board members - Charlie Anderson, Gene Nalbandian, Byron Nelson, Glenn Parrish, Ray Tang

Advisory Board members - Cynthia Clotzman, Tina Hanson

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2020 City Council and Clerk Elections

Candidates Positions and Endorsements

LPRFC is happy to announce our endorsements of George Weiss and Bob Whalen for City Council, and Ann Marie McKay for City clerk.

Weiss was a co-founder of Laguna Residents First and has expressed a strong desire for increased participation of residents on decisions that impact our quality of life. Weiss will bring much needed balance to the City Council. Whalen has demonstrated competence in his efforts on fire safety and pandemic policies. We believe his work ethic and willingness to listen to all parties is an important trait required in City Council matters.

LPRFC candidate interviews were conducted via telephone calls, in person meetings and e-mail exchanges. We share some of the findings here. With regards to the Irvine Bowl Park, the candidate with the most historical involvement believes that the Myford Irvine gifts of the Park (three separate parcels consisting of Bowl, exhibition grounds and tennis courts) were really intended as “belonging” to the Festival of Arts (FOA). Guidelines and milestones were not specifically spelled out in the Grant Deed because the FOA was just starting up at the time and there was no assurance that FOA will succeed. Thus the Grant to the City instead of the FOA. Another candidate reviewed the Grant Deed and stated that there is a mandatory use provision for the Bowl for theatrical performances but there is nothing specific about tennis playing on the courts.

LPRFC position on the Canyon tennis courts parcel is that proper procedure was not followed in gifting City owned facility to a private entity with no compensation in return. The more important risk that the City took on is the reversion risk in that the Irvine Company to this day, has been unaware that the tennis court parcel was added to the FOA long term lease. If the active recreational element of the original gift was excluded for all the years prior to 2001, how is it possible to think that a City owned recreational facility “belongs” to a private entity without asking residents and the Grantor?

We want more neighborhood parks in Laguna Beach, not less. We want more transparency in public policy, not less. We urge you to vote Weiss, Whalen and McKay.

https://www.georgeweiss4citycouncil.org/meet-george

http://www.bobwhalenforlbcouncil.com/

http://mckay4cityclerk.com/