City’s economy is main concern

Money, they say, makes the world go round. Lack of it sure puts a glitch in the cycle and that is what the City Council must deal with in 2010 and most likely for the next few years.

The city’s economy was foremost among the items discussed at the council retreat Jan. 9 in Conference Room A at City Hall, and it colored the discussion of other issues raised by council members and staff.

“We need an understanding of real constraints — how to move our agenda forward while paying homage to the budget,” Councilwoman Jane Egly said.

“We all have little projects,” Egly said. “If I put [one] forward and I am told it is costly, I think well, it is my only item and I want it.”

City Manager Ken Frank said he plans to present the draft budget three or four weeks earlier than in the past.

“It won’t be as accurate, but you will have more time to look at it,” Frank said. “If you cut in one place, you can add in another.”

Egly opined that it’s time for the council to get over the notion that Frank always has money stashed to fund their pet projects or unanticipated expenses and to shelve discussion of non-essential projects until the city is in a better economy position.

However, in Mayor Pro Tem Toni Iseman’s opinion, the economic downturn has an upside. Bids on projects are coming in much lower than in the past and the city should move ahead with projects to take advantage of the bids, she said. At the very least the council should keep an open mind on projects.

“I don’t want us to take the position that we can’t look at these projects,” Iseman said. “We have to be open to discussion.”

Frank said staff is expediting projects that can be expedited. Money was borrowed from the Gas Fund to pay to pave city streets, when the cost of asphalt was low.

“Speaking of asphalt,” Councilman Kelly Boyd said Coast Highway was 100% better before the California Department of Transportation repaved it.

The city has made its concerns known to Caltrans to no avail, Frank said. The next step might be a letter to Caltrans saying residents are unhappy.

“Unhappy? They are livid,” Boyd said.

Boyd and Mayor Elizabeth Pearson were appointed to represent the city at a meeting to be arranged with Caltrans District Director Cindy Quan to discuss, as Pearson put it, “the total disregard for the community and its goodwill.”

The economy as it relates specifically to the Laguna business community also was discussed.

Pearson proposed consideration of actions to bring more businesses to Laguna.

“We are branding ourselves as an art and beach community,” Pearson said. “Everyone knows that. Now it is time to take it to the next level. We can use institutions like the art festival to give people real reasons to come here and specific dates.

“As leaders, we should be putting these ideas forward,” Pearson said.

A report will be presented in March on the findings of the council’s Business Task Force, chaired by Pearson and Iseman.

Boyd recommended a review of the Downtown Specific Plan, reconsidering Laguna’s philosophy about anchor stores that might fit the town and limiting upper stories to office space when new building are sitting empty.

“Retail doesn’t work on the second floor,” Pearson said. “The biggest deterrent is parking codes as related to businesses in the downtown that are not grandfathered in [credited for spaces either below code or nonexistent].”

Egly, who chairs the Bike Task Force, which would like to be renamed the Complete Streets Act Task Force to reflect its focus on making streets safer for people not in vehicles, said perhaps the city should consider converting some streets to pedestrian-only. That’s her goal — at least for the first block of Forest Avenue.

“Downtown Boulder is pedestrian-only and it is wonderful,” Pearson said. “But peripheral parking is still the best answer. We want one in North Laguna and one in South Laguna.”

Pearson has been in contact with Supervisor Pat Bates’ office about taking over the Aliso Creek parking if it pencils out for the city.

“I am thrilled that you are exploring that,” Egly said. “I would like to see some of the cars pulled off the beach and parked across the street.”

Public parking is also available at the Third Street Centers and Iseman suggested contacting the Presbyterian Church about using its lot when not needed by the church.

Councilwoman and former City Clerk Verna Rollinger said City Hall also needs some help.

“I sat for decades across from the counter and people would come to see me when things didn’t go so well,” Rollinger said. “Usually, I could help, but it shouldn’t be that way.”

Other comments:

 Iseman wants better tracking of project plans that might be changed from the approved plans.

 Pearson recommended updated technology for planners.

 Fees and dates for group meetings at the Third Street Centers.

 Reducing the pension fund debt, already on Tuesday’s agenda.

 The Bike Task Force conclusion that police-directed traffic is counterproductive to residents.

 Boyd said the council needs to stick to the agenda items in its discussions and not go where it is barred from making a decision, playing to the audience.

The retreat, which concluded with a closed session to evaluate the city manager, was a public meeting. No one from the public attended.