Laguna Beach City Council Regular Meeting - January 27, 2026

January 27, 2026

Executive Summary

- The City Council held a regular meeting on January 21, 2025, featuring employee recognition, presentations, and significant action on hospital services, public undergrounding, and property acquisition. - Providence St. Joseph Hospital announced plans to close the acute care hospital in or before 2030, transitioning to a wellness campus without emergency room services, generating strong public opposition and calls for community advocacy. - The Council approved $321,000 in funding for the Top of the World Assessment District 2025-2, moving forward the undergrounding of approximately 3,000 feet of overhead wires across 87 parcels, with a projected timeline of four to six years. - The Council approved a Clean Laguna visitor stewardship campaign with $210,000 in funding ($160,000 net after a $50,000 recycling grant), developed by Visit Laguna Beach to promote responsible visitor behavior and reduce littering. - The Council established an ad hoc committee process for evaluating the Alternative Sleeping Location, dog park, food pantry, and Pacific Marine Mammal Center, later amending the approach to have City Manager Dave Kiff lead the evaluation instead. - The Council approved a first

Key Decisions

- Approved $321,000 in funding from the wildfire mitigation fund for the Top of the World Assessment District 2025-2 to underground approximately 3,000 feet of overhead wires across 87 parcels (unanimous). - Approved $210,000 in funding ($160,000 net after a $50,000 recycling education grant) for the Clean Laguna visitor stewardship and anti-littering campaign developed by Visit Laguna Beach. - Amended the Alternative Sleeping Location evaluation process from a council ad hoc committee to having City Manager Dave Kiff lead the evaluation and return with recommendations (unanimous). - Approved