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Desperate times sometimes force last-minute measures, says Verna Rollinger, who announced her candidacy for City Council by filing her campaign papers on Friday, Aug. 19, the last day possible.

In a bold move, the city council unanimously vowed to “work hard” on getting residents to defeat a medical marijuana dispensary measure on November’s ballot.

Facing a room full of residents and nearly 90 minutes of individual comments, the city council unanimously voted Tuesday to prohibit short-term rentals in residential zones.

With contentious issues rising among residents regarding short-term rentals, medical marijuana dispensaries and a burgeoning number of beachgoers, the only candidate so far to challenge two City Council incumbents in the November election says she’ll give the city back to the...

When Bob Borthwick read the email in his inbox telling him the city was awarded a $500,000 grant to restore part of Laguna Canyon Creek, he was overjoyed, nearly getting, he’s reticent to admit, emotional.

Flashy overhead “gateways,” metal banners, painted crosswalks and second stories all hit the fan as a plan intended to enliven downtown fell flat at the Planning Commission meeting last Wednesday.

An initiative that would make Laguna Beach the only location for a medical marijuana dispensary in south Orange County will come up for consideration again in a special City Council meeting Monday, Aug. 8, in an urgent move by city officials to finalize a November ballot measure.

Voters in November will decide on a 2 percent increase in the hotel guest tax, the City Council unanimously decided Tuesday. If passed, the increase will bring the total hotel guest tax in Laguna Beach to 14 percent. Increasing the hotel tax was an idea fortified by the results...

With standing room only, a draft city ordinance that would allow short-term lodging in city neighborhoods for a limited time each year was presented to a City Council subcommittee last Thursday, July 14, at the Susi Q Community Center.

A beach scene once considered a nearly private Shangri-La by South Laguna residents is turning into what locals and city officials are calling a tourist tsunami.

More local organizations came up lucky winners Tuesday as the City Council divvied out another $7,777 in grants from a fund of $238,777.

Three factors – drought, climate change and bark beetles – make this fire season potentially riskier than in the past, fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse told the City Council in a presentation Tuesday.

But police video surveillance cameras knew better.

The City Council decided 4-1 Tuesday to consider asking voters in November to raise the 10 percent hotel bed tax paid by guests. The increase would supplement city services burdened by a visitor count topping 6 million a year, a city report stated.

Based on a recent survey where local voters split evenly on the question of legalizing in-town medical marijuana dispensaries, the City Council instructed city staff Tuesday to prepare a November ballot measure countering a petition-driven initiative that would allow for local...