CalCoast News

	*Local Government News* January 18, 2012 Encinitas Approves Fee on Sidewalk Dining By Jonathan Horn San Diego Union-Tribune ENCINITAS — Encinitas restaurants that offer sidewalk dining will now have to pay for the right to do so with a $220 permit and an annual $80 renewal fee. January 16, 2012 San Francisco's Plan to Cut Non-Native Trees Sparks Environmental Clash By Susan Sward Sacramento Bee SAN FRANCISCO - An intense battle is building over a little-known plan to cut down thousands of eucalyptus and other trees in urban forests here and at a city-owned golf course in Pacifica. November 11, 2011 Solana Beach Council Approves City Manager Contract By Jonathan Horn San Diego Union-Tribune SOLANA BEACH — Solana Beach City Manager David Ott, who has served as the interim city manager since retiring in December, has signed a two-year contract to once again become a full-time employee. October 23, 2011 Redesigned Solana Beach Affordable Housing Plan Unveiled By Jonathan Horn San Diego Union-Tribune SOLANA BEACH — Solana Beach officials and the developer of a proposed affordable housing complex near the city’s coastal bluffs have unveiled two new designs in response to criticism of the project’s initial size. October 21, 2011 Fourteen Apply for Encinitas City Council Vacancy By Jonathan Horn San Diego Union-Tribune ENCINITAS — Fourteen Encinitas residents have applied for the City Council seat that has been vacant since Maggie Houlihan died of cancer Sept. 16. October 2, 2011 Beach cities' Next Wave: Getting Healthier By Anna Gorman Los Angeles Times As part of a pioneering health-based initiative, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach step up to improve residents' exercise and dietary habits. September 14, 2011 Early GOP Endorsement in Supervisor Race Criticized By Christopher Cadelago San Diego Union-Tribune The Republican Party of San Diego County’s early endorsement of Steve Danon has drawn criticism for potentially freezing out other canddates weighing entry into the race for county supervisor. September 8, 2011 County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price to Step Down Next Year By Chris Nichols North County Times North County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price will step down from office next year, a staffer for the longtime elected official said Thursday. May 15, 2011 Rackauckas Wants Huntington Beach to Ban Sex Offenders from Recreational Sites By Alexandra Baird Los Angeles Times The Orange County district attorney will appear before the City Council on Monday. Last week, he urged Irvine to enact a similar ban modeled on a county law. May 11, 2011 Judge Says Gang Injunction Subjects Are Owed Due Process By Carol J. Williams Los Angeles Times Police and prosecutors can't enforce anti-gang policies against individuals suspected of belonging to an outlawed group without first giving each one an opportunity to fight that label in court, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. May 10, 2011 Del Mar City Manager Leaving for San Juan Capistrano By Jonathan Horn San Diego Union Tribune DEL MAR — Del Mar City Manager Karen Brust announced this week that she will take over as chief of San Juan Capistrano on June 30. May 9, 2011 Del Mar, Solana Beach Sue Fairgrounds By Jonathan Horn San Diego Union Tribune DEL MAR — Del Mar and Solana Beach will team up to sue the Del Mar Fairgrounds over the state-owned venue's recently approved expansion plan. April 24, 2011 Newport Beach Might Reduce Lifeguard Staffing During the Off-season By Mike Reicher Los Angeles Times City Manager Dave Kiff says the move would still allow Newport Beach to meet its public safety obligations. But lifeguards say safety and tourism could suffer. April 11, 2011 Newport Beach May Lay off Workers to Reduce Pension Obligations By Mike Reicher Los Angeles Times City Manager Dave Kiff proposed cuts Thursday that would reshape the Municipal Operations Department, which maintains streets, parks, beaches and other public areas. Some lifeguards could be demoted to part-time. February 15, 2011 Solana Beach's Kellejian heads coastal rail agency board By Robert J. Hawkins San Diego Union-Tribune The agency which oversees the coastal rail corridor from San Luis Obispo to San Diego has named Solana Beach Deputy Mayor Joe Kellejian chairman of its board of directors for 2011. February 14, 2011 Beware of Sacramento's crash tax By George Skelton Los Angeles Times Sacramento - River City, The City of Trees, Sacotomato - is the latest local entity in California to adopt the dreaded "crash tax." More than 50 have imposed it as they struggle to make ends meet. February 1, 2011 Supercenter ordinance repealed in San Diego By Craig Gustafson San Diego Union-Tribune There's now one less hurdle for retailers like Walmart to build supercenters in San Diego, but it remains to be seen whether the behemoth stores stocked with groceries will eventually win final approval from a reticent City Council. January 31, 2011 Newport Beach and Costa Mesa seek to discourage trash scavengers By Mike Reicher Los Angeles Times Responding to complaints from residents who say they're fed up with trash scavengers, Newport Beach officials voted recently to criminalize the practice; in Costa Mesa, officials are considering a plan to keep garbage under lock and key. January 29, 2011 Trash: Southern California's mission to clean up the confusion By Mary MacVean Los Angeles Times Psst. That coffee cup in your hand. Where will you toss it? Trash bin? Recycling bin? What about the little white bag that has a few grease spots from your Mexican restaurant chips? And what happens to those utensils labeled "biodegradable" you bought for a family picnic? Where should you put plastic grocery bags? The choice of black, blue or green bin is meant to be simple. January 10, 2011 San Clemente restaurants shrug at plastic-foam ban By Brittany Levine Orange County Register Though San Clemente has adopted a ban on plastic-foam containers at restaurants, several local eating establishments say it's no big deal. January 5, 2011 San Clemente finalizes ban on plastic-foam food containers By Fred Swegles Orange County Register The San Clemente City Council finalized an ordinance that starting July 1 will bar San Clemente restaurants, delis and other food-serving shops from using plastic-foam containers. December 22, 2010 San Clemente moves to ban plastic-foam containers By Fred Swegles Orange County Register In 2011, restaurants in San Clemente may have to stop using plastic foam cups, plates, bowls and containers to dispense food in order to comply with a new law introduced on a 5-0 City Council vote Tuesday night. November 18, 2010 Huntington Beach might post DUI arrests on Facebook By Tony Barboza Los Angeles Times Huntington Beach is considering a new tactic in its crusade against drunk driving: public shaming on Facebook. October 21, 2010 A stroll and a cigarette? Not in Long Beach By Stephen Ceasar Los Angeles Times Long Beach has joined more than 140 other California municipalities that have banned or partially banned smoking in city parks. September 23, 2010 Supervisors ban foam food containers at most L.A. County facilities By Rong-Gong Lin II Los Angeles Times Taking what could be the first step toward a far wider ban, Los Angeles County supervisors voted this week to restrict foam food containers from most county offices and concessions. September 20, 2010 Schwarzenegger considers bills to prevent Bell-type pay, pension excesses By Patrick McGreevy Los Angeles Times Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is mulling a raft of bills touted as the remedy to the kinds of pay and pension excesses discovered in the city of Bell, but there is disagreement among experts over how effective they might be in preventing future abuses. September 10, 2010 Hermosa Beach tattoo parlor ban ruled unconstitutional by appeals court By Carol J. Williams Los Angeles Times Tattoos and the art of tattooing are "forms of pure expression fully protected by the 1st Amendment," a federal appeals court said Thursday in ruling that a city of Hermosa Beach ban on tattoo parlors is unconstitutional. June 26, 2010 Retiring city manager to be hired back on contract basis By Tanya Mannes San Diego Union-Tribune ENCINITAS - The Encinitas City Council will hire back retiring City Manager Phil Cotton on a contract until a permanent replacement is found. The amount of his compensation will be discussed at a future meeting. Mayor Dan Dalager said the council hopes to hire someone permanently after the November election in which he and Councilwoman Teresa Barth are up for re-election. Cotton will still officially retire July 6. April 28, 2010 It's a sad day for Happy Meals in Santa Clara County By Sharon Bernstein Los Angeles Times Happy Meal toys and other promotions that come with high-calorie children's meals will soon be banned in parts of Santa Clara County unless the restaurants meet nutritional guidelines approved Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors. April 24, 2010 Cities feeling the pinch By Richard Simon Los Angeles Times Local governments are laying off workers and cutting services while hoping for federal aid. October 26, 2009 Court says cities have the right to bar telecommunications towers By Carol J. Williams Los Angeles Times Palos Verdes Estates wins its case against Sprint, citing visual blight in rejecting plans for two structures. September 22, 2009 San Jose council votes to ban most plastic and paper bags beginning in 2011 By Tracy Seipel San Jose Mercury News The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted to make the city the largest in the nation to ban most plastic and paper shopping bags - and took steps to bring other Santa Clara County cities along with them. September 16, 2009 Report: Slower recovery in state UCLA forecast sees ‘little or no growth’ exceptions By Thomas Kupper UNION-TRIBUNE The widely followed UCLA Anderson Forecast says California's economy will recover more slowly than the rest of the nation's because of the sorry fiscal condition of state and local governments here. September 15, 2009 Smoking banned at county parks, with some exceptions Daily News The Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to prohibit smoking in county parks, with some exceptions. July 27, 2009 EPA looks at effects of waste plants on minorities, poor Los Angeles Times The agency is reviving a Clinton-era executive order that required federal agencies to consider the effect of their policies on disadvantaged communities. July 24, 2009 MTA changes course, opening carpool lanes to solo drivers -- for a fee By Dan Weikel Los Angeles Times The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday set the tolls that for the first time will allow solo motorists to drive in carpool lanes on two of the region's most congested freeways. Los Angeles' first experiment with so-called congestion-based pricing is slated to begin in late 2010 or early 2011. July 22, 2009 Oakland voters approve a tax on medical marijuana Oakland voters resoundingly approved a tax increase on medical marijuana Tuesday evening, the first such tax of its kind in the nation. July 17, 2009 L.A. weighs plan to replace computer software with Google service Frustrated by a slow and antiquated computer system, the city of Los Angeles is weighing a plan to replace its e-mail and records retention software with a service provided by Google, a move that could allow the Internet giant to retain sensitive records transmitted by the police and other municipal agencies. December 20, 2008 Donald Trump files $100-million lawsuit against Rancho Palos Verdes Real estate mogul alleges the city is trying 'to stymie everything I do.' City officials and some residents say Trump 'feels rules aren't made for him.' October 21, 2008 In Seal Beach, change versus charm on the ballot Measure Z pits those who want to preserve the throwback look of the city's Old Town against those who argue for property rights and progress in the form of development. October 12, 2008 Tourist tax would pay for sand replacement ENCINITAS - Encinitas residents on Nov. 4 will have a second chance to vote on a measure that would tax tourists to replace beach sand lost to erosion. City to regulate surf camps ENCINITAS --- Beginning surfers won't be clogging the waves and sand along Encinitas beaches next summer under a new law regulating surf camps that was enacted by the City Council last week. October 8, 2008 City limits ground-floor space downtown ENCINITAS ---- The Encinitas City Council adopted an ordinance Wednesday night limiting ground-floor uses along nine blocks of South Coast Highway 101 to retail and what it called pedestrian-friendly services. September 24, 2008 Council puts sidewalk dining on the menu ENCINITAS ---- The Encinitas City Council moved closer to hammering out a policy for sidewalk dining Wednesday night, saying it would be open to an ordinance that included a simple, even-handed permitting process. September 3, 2008 Coronado puts off decision on Hotel Del expansion plans CORONADO - The City Council has requested more time to consider changes to proposed expansion plans for the historic Hotel del Coronado. Copyright 1999-2011, California Coastal Coalition Phone: (760) 944-3564