At the Aug. 10, 2021 City Council meeting, it was unseemly for Mayor Bob Whalen to cross-examine Councilman George Weiss and Councilwoman Toni Iseman. But being a lawyer and Harvard educated maybe this newfound skill can be used to get straight answers from City staff.
Mayor Whalen should ask Community Development Director Marc Wiener:
In a May 5, 2021 letter to Mo Honarkar, Wiener wrote “As I requested when we first met last summer, you must provide the City with a comprehensive plan for Hotel Laguna project. Such a plan must include a schedule and description of the future work that is proposed.”
Has this comprehensive plan been submitted?
Is it still required?
In a July 19, 2021 letter to Wiener from the California Coastal Commission, they requested his assistance in obtaining from Mr. Honarkar “an update on the resolution of the violations and submittal of a complete application” to the California Coastal Commission office.
Has this been done?
The Update on Hotel Laguna agenda bill staff report states “Mr. Honarkar has been making a good-faith effort to work with the City on obtaining required permits”.
Who wrote this sentence?
And is accurate and true?
Questions for the City Attorney Phil Kohn:
At the June 29, 2021 City Council meeting close session was Hotel Laguna litigation discussed?
What is your legal opinion on whether it’s appropriate to discuss lifting a stop-work order at a City Council closed session or is it more appropriate to do so at a City Council session open to the public?
Since the City owns the Irvine Bowl Park where improvements to the Terra restaurant are located, can the City assist sub-contractors who have not been paid by Mo Honarkar?
Question for City Manager Shohreh Dupuis:
The questioning that Mayor Whalen did at the August 10, 2021 City Council meeting of City Manager Shohreh Dupuis where he asked her to verify that no new permit was issued by the City Council at the closed session may have misled the public.
Question, did the City Council support modifying a stop-work order at the Hotel Laguna?
Gene Felder, Laguna Beach
