Voters say they’d support tax hike to fund hospital

Barbara Diamond

Results of a recent poll showed overwhelming voter support for

keeping South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach -- even if it

means increasing property taxes.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to continue aggressive

efforts by a hospital and city task force to keep the medical center

here. However, no funding for the effort was included in the 2005-06

city budget, which was pared to fund emergency services and projects

related to the June 1 landslide.

“We have covered the bills through June and we can get another

$5,000 from other sources, including the City Manager’s budget, that

will carry us through perhaps August,” said Assistant City Manager

John Pietig.

“We don’t know how much more funding will be needed. If it’s a

lot, it will require council action.”

Pietig is the city staff representative on the task force, which

also includes former Mayor Paul Freeman, the city’s paid consultant.

Adventist Health, which owns and operates the center and the

hospital management, is still reviewing options to relocate or stay.

Pollsters surveyed 300 randomly selected registered voters within

the city limits. The margin of error is 5.7. The sampling reflects

the results the poll would have achieved if every person in Laguna

Beach had been called, said Sharon Pinkerton.

Pinkerton made the poll presentation to the City Council on

Tuesday with Jessica Reynolds.

Eighty-three percent of the voters polled said the hospital was

“very important” in town and 67% said they would be willing to pay

another $200 a year on their property tax to keep it here. This was

the highest funding level tested.

Support intensified when voters were asked to consider the

formation of a funds-generating assessment district that included the

neighboring cities of Laguna Hills, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San

Juan Capistrano.

“Seven out of 10 residents would support a funding measure,”

Reynolds said. “Only 16% were opposed. That is minuscule in my line

of work.”

A high percentage of polled voters also gave the hospital good

marks in care and management

Of those polled who had been patients at the hospital, 79% said

they were extremely or very satisfied with the care they received.

Sixty-nine percent of the voters who have experienced the hospital’s

services said the center has high quality doctors, nurses and medical

staff and a well-run emergency room.

A majority of those polled supported changing land use or zoning

requirements to help the hospital expand and raise revenue.

Options for keeping the hospital include:

* The hospital partnering with the city to build a new parking

structure to support new medical and office space and provide more

public parking.

* Relaxing land-use restrictions on much of the hospital’s land if

protected open space was not developed.

* Constructing senior housing and assisted living centers on and

around the existing campus, as long as views and open spaces were

protected.

“This survey was very revealing,” Councilwoman Toni Iseman said.

“People recognize just how important this is to everyone, not just

those of us who are approaching 60 in a month.

“I want to thank [task force members] Cheryl Kinsman and Jane

Egly. You have uncovered important things.

“First they tried to steal the museum. Next it was the festival.

Then the hospital.”

In each case cited by Iseman, attempts were mounted to move the

institutions out of town. The first two were thwarted.

The city is now working with the hospital on solutions to keep it

in town.

“Keeping the hospital is the No. 1 issue, aside from the

disaster,” said Kinsman, who once promised to tie herself to the

tower on the campus rather than see the hospital leave.

“Two years ago, we were close to losing it. I think we have turned

the corner on that. We will keep working on it.”