LAGUNA BEACH, CA — In response to changes in tourism behavior, the City of Laguna Beach has approved the creation of a Laguna Beach Visitor Management and Impact Committee.
The committee, proposed by Laguna Beach City Councilman Mark Orgill, was approved during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 13.
The group, led by Orgill and Mayor Sue Kempf, will work with key stakeholders and the larger Laguna Beach community to develop a detailed local governance action plan.
According to the city, the plan is designed to preserve and protect Laguna Beach’s unique environment, culture and heritage.
As the project moves forward in the coming months, the city also recognizes the urgency of creating change in the way visitors interact with Laguna Beach.
“We recognize the need to address some of these immediate issues – today and now – before we have a comprehensive administration in place,” Orgill said during the meeting.
Measures that are outside the Action Plan but are currently being implemented include:
- Increasing the frequency and amount of garbage collection on beaches and in residential areas near the beach.
- Adequately staff traffic enforcement activities, including sanctioning noisy vehicles, speeding, unsafe turns, drunk driving and more.
- Stricter parking enforcement, with less patience and higher fines for parking illegally.
- Enforcement against illegal short-term accommodation in residential areas.
- Targeted social media and Google ads remind visitors of the rules for a respectful beach visit, including:
- Penalties for littering;
- Smoking penalties (neither vaping nor smoking are permitted in public areas of Laguna Beach);
- Ban on loud vehicle exhaust emissions; and
- Alcohol bans on the beach.
Kempf said the initiative was not just about bureaucracy and regulations.
“It’s not just about telling people ‘no,'” Kempf said. “It’s also about creating an understanding that Laguna Beach is a special place that deserves their care and protection – so that the next time they visit, or the visits of their children and grandchildren, they will find the same quality of beaches, ocean, culture and heritage in the long run.”
According to the city, the long-term goals include:
- Promote and protect a visitor culture that respects the beach and marine environment, including incorporating concern for Laguna Beach’s environment, culture and heritage into all visitor-focused messages, including from our nonprofit and marketing partners;
- Working with key stakeholders from the housing, destination, cultural and trade sectors to support the development of trust initiatives; and
- Regularly update and engage with engaged residents so that Laguna Beach residents maintain an engaged, welcoming and proud spirit of interaction with visitors and collectively preserve the heart and soul of Laguna Beach.
The committee is expected to take several months to prepare and present its action plan, which will include providing regular updates to the council and community in preparation for summer 2025 and subsequent peak seasons.
For more information, please contact Deputy City Manager Jeremy Frimond at (949) 497-0704
