Thread: CA: Laguna Beach leaders approve day-labor site purchase

Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Laguna Beach leaders approve day-labor site purchase
The city will offer $18,000 to Caltrans for the 16,810 square-foot parcel of land used for day laborer hiring.
By CHRISTA WOODALL
The Orange County Register

LAGUNA BEACH - City leaders unanimously approved purchasing the land used for a day labor hiring center at its meeting Tuesday night, a move that would end a two-year struggle over the property's ownership.

The Council authorized City Manager Ken Frank to offer the California Department of Transportation $18,000 for the land. The California Transportation Commission board must still sign off on the purchase contract at a meeting this summer to seal the deal.

Still in the air is what the use of the land will be. The purchase agreement deems the land for park, recreational and open space use.

The Laguna Beach day labor center has been in the crossfire of Orange County's illegal immigration debate. Two years ago, city resident and anti-illegal immigration activist Eileen Garcia uncovered that the parcel was in fact owned by Caltrans.

Caltrans agreed to lease the land to the city before deeming it excess right of way that went up for public sale last year. Laguna Beach is the only bidder.

The price breaks down to $1.07 per square foot – a deal city leaders said they were happy to take.

"The land deal is a good land deal," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson. "When is last time anyone was able to buy a piece of land that big in Laguna Beach for that price?"

Opinions on the purchase were strong and split from the speakers at the meeting.

Although Frank has said the land would be used as a park, some speakers questioned if that park land would be open and available to all residents.

"I'm all for having an ice cream park in town; what I'm opposed to is having a day labor site on it," Garcia said. "If day laborers are using it every day, how can the public use it? Can my family go in and sit down at picnic tables? Does Ken Frank wish for a nice park available to all, or is he wishing to protect the land of the day laborers?"

Attorney and Laguna Beach Gene Gratz opined that the site has been a welcome solution for Laguna Beach by keeping laborers limited to one location rather than soliciting work throughout town, a defense repeated by Council members.

"We have lots of parks; what we need is a day labor site," Gratz said. "There is a practical side… These people come here to work. They come because they want to support their families… and should be welcomed as they are."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/land ... aguna-city

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE DAY LABOR SITE THEN YOU CAN JUST LEAVE TOWN!"

Tonight the City of Laguna Beach voted on whether to purchase the Caltrans land where the day labor site is located. They claimed to be buying it as "open space-parkland."

Needless to say the vote was unanimous. They will be buying the land for a mere $18,000. This is a FRACTION of what the land was valued at, which was $1.2 MILLION. (The reason for this is a long story which I have emailed much about in the past.)

Three Laguna Beach residents spoke up, as well as some good speakers who made very good points about how illegal immigration effects everyone.

I'd like to Thank: Alice, Dolores, Barb, Elaine, Robert, Vince, Pastor Drake, and a wonderful Ex-Marine from the San Diego area. And of course my wonderful and supportive husband, George. We had 5 speakers.

There were 2 speakers in favor of the day labor site.

One of them was our old buddy Gene Gratz who said that we were all "UnChristian" and that we did NOT represent the people of United States. He also admitted to hiring his employees from the day labor site.

The other speaker was an old hag who lives in Laguna Beach named Anne Frank. She got up and sang the praises of the day labor site and the illegal aliens and then turned to all of us and told us "IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE DAY LABOR SITE THEN YOU CAN JUST LEAVE TOWN!"

Of course, this was insulting to those who are Laguna Beach residents, but very rude and hurtful to those who love this country.

After the unanimous vote to buy the day labor site land the city council began to laugh, high five, giggle, and thank Ken Frank for (basically stealing) making such a great deal on this land.

So, if you are as angry as I am PLEASE contact Governor Schwarzeneggerer, YOUR State Senator, and YOUR Assemblyman. Since it is the State of CA that got ripped off in this deal they would surely wish to take some action.

I WILL SEND PHOTOS AS SOON AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE.

Laguna Beach, CA





City Buys Day Labor Parcel from Caltrans
By WILLIAM HAGLE


After enduring another round of withering criticism by antiillegal immigration opponents, the City Council on Tuesday voted 5-0 to pay Caltrans $18,000 for land alongside Laguna Canyon Road that for years has served as a day labor hiring center.

Councilmember Elizabeth Pearson characterized the price as a good land deal for the 16,800 square foot parcel.

Council members were asked Tuesday to approve appropriating the funds from the city's open space fund and to allow the city manager to complete the purchase. There was nothing in the bill denoting the usage of the land, or changing its use to something besides a roadside hiring center for day labor.

Pearson said, "We are just approving the purchase, not the use."

During public comments, Alice Jolise criticized the freewheeling spending by city officials. As her public testimony time ran out, Jolice slapped at the council for an earlier vote they took to pay themselves back expenses at local fundraising events. "I would like to know why it is that taxpayers pay for you to attend functions," Jolise asked.

Several people suggested converting the Caltrans parcel into a park.

Eileen Garcia, a Laguna Beach resident and vocal opponent of the day labor site, who discovered Caltrans owned the property, urged council members to vote against the measure. She accused the city manager of defending the rights of undocumented workers. Garcia also contended Frank's recommendation to buy the land was an apparent conflictof interest since his wife is a board member of the Cross Cultural Coalition, which staffs the hiring center.

Opponent Barbara Cove took an even harsher tone on the dangers she says are posed by the laborers. "You are creating a sanctuary for federal criminals."

Others opponents made equally incendiary claims about the day labor center, site of numerous traffic-slowing rallies for immigration opponents but not known as a hotbed of police activity.

Local constitutional lawyer Gene Gratz defended the day labor center, saying he is unaware of any attacks near the site.

The council ultimately steered comments back to the business of buying. Councilmember Toni Iseman noted the land could never be used as a filling station or hot dog stand or other nonpermitted uses.

The city council voted 5-0 to purchase the property, though no date for taking title was set. The city will take possession as soon as the deed is recorded.




http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/n ... e/005.html