Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Regular Meeting - September 22, 2026

The City Council/Planning Agency met on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. All council members were present. The meeting included the appointment of a student liaison, approval of the consent calendar, a detailed discussion on parking modifications on Laguna Hills Drive, and a review of the Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program. Public comments were heard on multiple agenda items.

Presentations and Proclamations

• Appointment of Student Liaison: Marissa Allen, a senior at Laguna Hills High School, was appointed as student liaison and provided a report on school activities, including academics, athletics (e.g., girls' volleyball 7-5 overall, girls' flag football 4-4, boys' football 3-1), performing arts (fall musical "Xanadu" October 1-3), and upcoming events like homecoming on October 10.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (4-0), items including:
  • Waiving reading of ordinances/resolutions
  • Approval of September 8, 2026 meeting minutes
  • Consultant agreement with CSG Consultants, Inc. for on-call public works/engineering services
  • Hosting agreement with Nobel Systems, Inc. for cloud GIS services (waiving formal bidding per LHMC)
  • Ratification of warrant register for August 28-September 13, 2026, totaling $1,233,485.21
  • Treasurer's Investment Report for August 2026
  • Annual review of Investment and Portfolio Policy and delegation of investment authority
  • Development Application Status Report

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-agenda items: No speakers.
• Agenda Item 5.2.1 (Parking Resolution):
  • Gary Steinberg (resident): Expressed support, stating the new restrictions have eased parking at Sunset Place and reduced trash.
  • Scott Miller (Traffic Commission member): Supported more parking, noted safety concerns about parking near schools are unfounded based on city data, and urged a consistent standard.
  • Maureen Gosher (resident): Voiced opposition, citing personal safety incidents on Paseo de Valencia and concerns about unrestricted parking attracting crime and encampments.
• Agenda Item 6.1 (ALPR Program Review):
  • Amy (Mission Viejo resident): Opposed ALPR expansion, cited 22 million images generated in six months, questioned necessity, and called for termination.
  • Kathy Udoch (resident): Raised concerns about ALPR inaccuracies (e.g., misreading plates) and potential misuse by insurance companies.
  • Gary Steinberg (second appearance): Expressed strong support for ALPR, referencing the Nancy Guthrie case.
  • Alice (AL) (online, attorney): Opposed ALPR as mass surveillance, cited lack of crime reduction evidence, data sharing with federal agencies, and police misuse cases.
  • Elijah Manasero (former resident): Opposed ALPR, argued it violates privacy and urged termination.
  • Jack Grafston (resident): Questioned the presence of Flock Condor cameras in parks (pan-tilt-zoom video surveillance), stating Flock's messaging about only taking license plate photos is misleading.
  • Online written comments: Jay Los, Tracy Madliner, and Sebastian Young all opposed ALPR.

Discussion Items

• 5.2.1 Proposed Resolution on Parking on North Side of Laguna Hills Drive: Assistant City Manager Joe Ames presented the staff report, recommending unrestricted parking on a 650-foot segment of the north side (approx. 30 stalls) and reducing the existing permit parking zone from 1,000 to 600 feet (approx. 16 additional stalls), totaling 46 new stalls. The proposal included daytime street sweeping (Tuesdays 8 a.m.–12 p.m.) on the new unrestricted areas, but nighttime sweeping on the remaining permit zone to avoid impacting a medical office building. Council debated:

  • Councilmember Wheeler proposed opening the entire street to unrestricted parking (removing the permit zone entirely), but this was deemed to require a separate agendized item to rescind a prior resolution.
  • Councilmember Pezold opposed, citing safety concerns about attracting homelessness and crime.
  • Councilmember Mathis and Councilmember Sweeney supported the staff recommendation with the amendment to retain nighttime street sweeping for the permit zone.
  • Mayor Caskey and Councilmember Wheeler expressed openness to a trial period. The motion to approve staff's recommendation (with the slight amendment of nighttime sweeping for the permit zone) passed 4-1, with Councilmember Pezold voting no.

• 6.1 Review of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Program: Councilmember Wheeler introduced the item for discussion. Captain Burke presented on ALPR capabilities, privacy safeguards (30-day data retention, no facial recognition, restricted access, immutable audit logs), and gave examples of crime-solving (e.g., security guard shooting, stabbing, kidnapping, missing hospice patient, stolen vehicles). Chris Colwell, Senior Vice President of Flock (and a Laguna Hills resident), answered questions about data ownership, sharing policies, and market share (~90% of ALPR market). Public comment was heavily opposed, citing privacy concerns, potential misuse, and lack of independent studies. Councilmembers expressed general support for the program, noting its value for public safety, and no motion was made to change the current contract. The contract is in its third year of a three-year term.

Key Outcomes

• Parking Resolution (5.2.1): Adopted 4-1 (Pezold opposed). The resolution modifies parking restrictions on the north side of Laguna Hills Drive: removes a portion of the no-parking zone, reduces the permit parking zone from 1,000 to 600 feet, and establishes daytime street sweeping (Tuesdays 8 a.m.–12 p.m.) on unrestricted segments while retaining nighttime sweeping on the remaining permit zone. Fiscal impact: approximately $12,000 for signing and striping.
• ALPR Program (6.1): No action taken. Council reviewed the program and heard public testimony; no direction was given to staff. The program will be revisited upon contract renewal.
• Student Liaison: Marissa Allen appointed and report received.
• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
• Future Meetings: The next regular meeting is scheduled for October 13, 2026, at 6:00 PM.