A Note From the City Manager
By Shohreh Dupuis
It’s hard to believe that it is already June, and the summer season is upon us! Our city services are essential to people living in or visiting Laguna Beach, and I am pleased to share how our city teams from all departments are prepared for these summertime service levels. Many of these service enhancements are part of the City’s resident-serving “Neighborhood & Environmental Protection Plan,” to mitigate visitor impacts to neighborhoods, enhance city services for residents, and add environmental protection programs.
Through the end of September, our public works department will be emptying public trash and recycling cans three times daily, providing four litter picking crews every weekend (Friday to Sunday), doubling the number of contracted day porters serving the Downtown, Main Beach, and Heisler Park areas, and doubling our Downtown sidewalk pressure washing program to four nights per week.
In addition, Public Works will launch the new Neighborhood Beach Trolley on Friday! The Beach Trolley will supplement the Laguna Beach Local on-demand service and provide an additional transit option from residential neighborhoods in North Laguna, Top of the World, Bluebird Canyon, and Arch Beach Heights. The Beach Trolley will operate from June 10 through Aug. 21, seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., approximately every 45 minutes. The Beach Trolley can be flagged down anywhere along the route in the residential neighborhoods and will have limited stops along Coast Highway. This service is designed to provide neighborhoods with transportation down to the beach during the day with surfboards and other bulky beach gear.
The Laguna Beach Local On-Demand summer hours will start on June 24. The Summer Hours between June 24 and Sept. 5 are Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. In addition, Festival Season Trolleys will begin on June 24 including the Summer Breeze new service on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Recreation classes are in full swing and summer camps will start Monday.
Our police department is ready for the summer and patrol officers will remain vigilant and address quality of life concerns throughout the season, with a multifaceted approach including ATV patrols of our city beaches in the evening and nighttime hours. Police officers on bicycle teams will patrol the Downtown area and the beaches and parks, and traffic aides will provide traffic control on Forest Avenue on the weekends from noon to 7 p.m. The Police Department has two new park rangers in training and additional park rangers will be hired over the next few months.
Currently, 100% of our fleet of fire engines and vehicles are operational and the Laguna Beach Fire Department is ready to respond if needed. Next week, we begin our orientation academy for our 19 new Ambulance Operators and finalize our fleet of three new City ambulances as part of the City’s new in-house ambulance program. We begin providing ambulance transport services on July 1 and are continuing to train on our EMT and Paramedic skills, to ensure the highest quality of care is provided to our community and visitors.
The Marine Safety Department is preparing for summer operations and all lifeguard tower positions will be staffed beginning Saturday. Tower lifeguards and lifeguard rescue units have extended patrol hours to accommodate beach usage in high-impact locations. Lifeguard staff looks forward to providing ocean and aquatic rescue, emergency medical response, accident prevention, protection of marine resources, and ordinance enforcement to keep the public safe. The Junior Lifeguard Program will begin Monday. There are very few spots open, but if you are interested in registering, go to lagunabeachcity.net for more information.
Lastly, I hope you will join the community, city council, and city staff as we celebrate the City’s 95th birthday on June 29 at the Cobblestone area at Main Beach Park from 4 to 6 p.m. We will have live music, an ice-cream social, and some commemorative 95th birthday gear for you as we celebrate our city’s heritage and history, and use this as a warmup for our centennial celebration that will happen in just five years. I hope to see you all there on June 29 and wish you a safe start to another fantastic Laguna Beach summer!
In Community Spirit.
Shohreh assumed the role of City Manager in June 2021. She joined Laguna Beach as an assistant city manager in 2016 and lives in South Laguna.
