A Shocking Lack of Transparency

By George Weiss
I was shocked during last Friday’s six-hour Strategic Planning Meeting to discover an agenda item discussing the potential repurposing of the historic Laguna Beach County Water District (LBCWD) headquarters on Forest Avenue. Even more concerning, the City failed to inform Water District officials that this discussion would take place, nor did they provide notice when the topic was briefly raised at the January 27th City Council meeting. Does that bother anyone?

Historical Context & Governance For context, the LBCWD serves 80% of Laguna residents and became a city subsidiary roughly 20 years ago, with the City Council acting as its Board of Directors. The Water District is a pillar of our history, having celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2025. It supplied water prior to the city’s 1927 incorporation—a crucial resource that allowed Laguna Beach to develop where Spanish explorers had previously avoided settling.