Laguna Beach — 2026-01-13

1. MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS\nRecommendations:\n1. Approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting for the City Council of December 9, 2025, and Special\nMeeting of December 18, 2025.

10. LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE LEASE AMENDMENT / FUNDING ASSISTANCE\nRecommendations:\n1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to the 2003 Laguna Playhouse lease with\nthe City of Laguna Beach, that would memorialize more community use time at the Playhouse, along\nwith a rate structure;\n2. Appropriate $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2025–26, to be disbursed in two installments, for one-time\noperational support to the Laguna Playhouse to support expanded community access and performance\nopportunities, by appropriating $250,000 from the Cultural and Environmental Stewardship Special\nRevenue Fund and $250,000 from funds set aside for the cultural arts facilities reserve; and\n3. Find that these actions do not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California\nEnvironmental Quality Act. (Public Resources Code Section 21065; 14 CCR Section 15378(b)(5).)

11. AWARD OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE FOREST PROMENADE PERMANENT\nCONVERSION\nRecommendations:\n1. Award and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Superb Engineering, in the amount of\n$5,549,964.85, for construction of the Forest Promenade Permanent Conversion project;\n2. Award and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Nexgen Design Builders Inc, in the\namount of $340,950, to provide construction management and inspection services and approve project-\nrelated expenses and change orders for additional construction management and inspection services\nthat may be required in an amount not-to-exceed $34,000, and direct the City Manager to execute the\nrequired documents as approved by the City Attorney;\n3. Authorize the City Manager to approve project-related expenses and contract change orders for\nunforeseen circumstances in an amount not to exceed $1,100,000;\n4. Approve the transfer of $4,409,629 in existing appropriations from other Capital Improvement Projects\nthat are inactive or not proceeding into construction during the current fiscal year, to fully fund the\nForest Promenade Permanent Conversion Project; and\n5. Find the proposed action statutorily exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant\nto Senate Bill (SB) 922/Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1), as the action implements the\npreviously approved Promenade on Forest project, which the City Council found to be statutorily\nexempt pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.25(b), as amended by Senate Bill 922 (SB\n922), on March 25, 2025.\nH. PUBLIC HEARINGS - NON APPEALS.    This section is for matters (other than appeals) that are structured as Public\nHearings.  Public hearings are different from regular business items in that there is a specific time period where a formal hearing\nis opened by the presiding officer, public comment is accepted from any member of the public, and the hearing is closed by the\npresiding officer.  Generally each public speaker has one opportunity to speak.  The City Council conducts all Public Hearings in\naccordance with the provisions of applicable Laguna Beach procedure and State law. The presiding officer shall have discretion\nto establish the time allocated for public comment.

12. PUBLIC HEARING AND BALLOTING FOR PROPOSED UNDERGROUND UTILITY ASSESSMENT\nDISTRICT 2021-3 (FAIRVIEW/LA BREA)\n[This item will begin immediately prior to the Consent Calendar to (1) Receive and file the proposed\nUndergrounding Utility Assessment District 2021-3 report; (2) Open the public hearing for public\ncomments; (3) Call for submittal of any final ballots, and close the public hearing; (4) Direct staff to\nproceed with tallying ballots in City Hall, Conference Room A, and invite the public to observe the\ntallying process; and then will continue during the Regular Meeting with the remaining actions after the\ntallying is complete.]\nRecommendations:\n1. Receive and file the proposed Undergrounding Utility Assessment District 2021-3 report;\n2. Open the public hearing for public comments;\n3. Call for submittal of any final ballots, and close the public hearing;\n4. Direct staff to proceed with tallying ballots in City Hall, Conference Room A, and invite the public to\nobserve the tallying process;\n5. Postpone the item until the ballot tally is complete and then resume the meeting on the item, asking\nstaff to report the ballot results;\n6. Review the balloting results, and if the majority of weighted ballots are in favor of the proposed\nassessment district; then:\na. Adopt the attached Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE\nCITY OF LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE\nASSESSMENT BALLOTING\nPROCEEDING, CONFIRMING ASSESSMENTS\nIN UNDERGROUND UTILITY ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NO. 2021-3, ORDERING THE\nPROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE, TOGETHER WITH APPURTENANCES,\nAPPROVING THE ENGINEER’S REPORT, AND DESIGNATING THE FINANCE\nDIRECTOR OR THE CITY TREASURER TO COLLECT AND RECEIVE MONEY”;\nb. Adopt the attached Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE\nCITY OF LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR\nCONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERGROUND UTILITY ASSESSMENT\nDISTRICT NO. 2021-3 SUBJECT TO RECEIPT OF BOND PROCEEDS AND FINDING\nTHE SAME EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT”,\nawarding a construction contract to Hot Line Construction in the amount not to exceed\n$2,807,414;\nc. Appropriate $474,580 for the General Benefit cost from the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety\nFund prior to bonds being sold;\nd. Appropriate $474,580 as a separate City Contribution from the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire\nSafety Fund prior to bonds being sold; and\ne. Authorize the City Manager to approve project related expenses and construction change orders\nfor unforeseen circumstances for an amount not-to-exceed $280,742.\nOR\n7. If there is not a majority of weighted ballots in favor of the proposed assessment district, then declare\nthe proposed Underground Utility Assessment District 2021-3 (Fairview/La Brea) abandoned for lack\nof majority support.

13. APPEAL OF DESIGN REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL OF DESIGN REVIEW 24-0658 AND COASTAL\nDEVELOPMENT PERMIT 24-0657 FOR A NEW SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING, ATTACHED TWO-CAR\nGARAGE, ELEVATED DECKS, GRADING, AND LANDSCAPING, AND DEMOLITION OF AN\nEXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING AT 31526 VALIDO ROAD IN THE R-1, RESIDENTIAL LOW-\nDENSITY ZONE, AND FINDING THE PROJECT CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT UNDER THE\nCALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES SECTION 15303 (CLASS 3)\nRecommendations:\n1. Open the public hearing, take public testimony, and continue the public hearing to February 24, 2026,\nCity Council Meeting; and\n2. Find that the action to continue the public hearing is exempt from the California Environmental Quality\nAct pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption).

2. APPROVAL OF GENERAL WARRANTS AND PAYROLL DISTRIBUTIONS\nRecommendations: 1. Approve the general warrants and payroll distributions.

3. MONTHLY TREASURER’S AND INVESTMENT REPORT (NOVEMBER 2025)\nRecommendations: 1. Receive and file the November 2025 report.

4. CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY\nRecommendations:\n1. Reject Claim #25-35 filed by Michael Petramala;\n2. Reject Claim #25-45 filed by Khawala Abuelhija; and\n3. Reject Claim #25-53 filed by Alfredo Yanez.

5. RENEWAL OF THE SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM\nRecommendations:\n1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with Laguna Beach Seniors to\ncontinue providing the Senior Home Repair Program for the community;\n2. Appropriate $125,000 from the Housing Fund and authorize the City Manager to provide a one-time\nlumpsum payment for the appropriated amount to fund the professional services agreement; and\n3. Find the recommended action is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act\npursuant to Section 15378(b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines.

6. AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR DESIGN SERVICES FOR CITYWIDE UTILITY UNDERGROUNDING\nSTUDY\nRecommendations:\n1. Authorize the City Manager to award a contract, in a form approved by the City Attorney, to Asplundh\nEngineering Services, LLC, in the amount of $53,800, for conceptual design services for a Citywide\nUtility Undergrounding Study;\n2. Approve an appropriation of $53,800 from the Wildfire Mitigation & Fire Safety Fund; and\n3. Find that the actions consist of government activities, which do not result in a direct or indirect physical\nchange in environment and therefore does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the\nCalifornia Environmental Quality Act.

7. AMENDMENT TO AN EASEMENT AGREEMENT RELATED TO RIGHT OF WAY NEAR 31131\nMONTEREY STREET; AND FINDING ACTION EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA\nENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT UNDER STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15061(b)(3)\nRecommendations:\n1. Authorize the City Manager to execute an Amendment to an Easement Agreement related to the right of\nway near 31131 Monterey Street; and\n2. Find the recommended action is not a project within the meaning of the California Environmental\nQuality Act under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) based on the reasons in the staff report.

8. RESOLUTION OPPOSING NEW OFFSHORE OIL LEASING FACILITIES OR DRILLING IN SOUTHERN\nCALIFORNIA\nRecommendations:\n1. Adopt the attached Resolution titled,  “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF\nLAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, OPPOSING THE INCLUSION OF NEW OFFSHORE OIL AND\nGAS LEASING OFF THE COAST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN THE 2024-2029 NATIONAL\nOUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND GAS LEASING PROGRAM”, stating the City’s formal\nposition against the Draft Proposed Program for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas\nLeasing Program; and\n2. Find that these actions do not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental\nQuality Act. (Public Resources Code Section 21065; 14 CCR Section 15378(b)(5).)

9. ARTIST LIVE-WORK UNITS; AMENDMENT TO THE PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT FOR 2307\nAND 2535 LAGUNA CANYON ROAD\nRecommendations:\n1. Approve the Third Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreements for 2307 and 2535 Laguna\nCanyon Road; and\n2. Find that the recommended action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act\npursuant to Section 15378, because the actions will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable\nindirect physical change in the environment.