San Clemente will hold election to fill Council vacancy
The San Clemente City Council will pursue having a Special Election to fill the rest of the Council term of Mayor Steve Swartz who died on May 8.
Councilwoman Laura Ferguson says having the Special Election is required under city code. She says it’s possible, the Council may agree to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the Special Election on November 5. And the election may consist of a mail ballot.
She says in other business, in response to complaints about homeless people camping at North Beach and the Metro-link station and other public areas, the Council did approve an urgency ordinance to ban camping on public land. And in order to do so, it agreed to designate an area on Avenida Pico on a city owned lot behind the U-Haul for public camping.
Ferguson says the Council also directed the City Manager to continue to explore cost effective temporary shelter ideas for San Clemente. And to work with Orange County and neighboring cities on a regional concept to address homelessness.San Clemente will hold election to fill Council vacancy
The San Clemente City Council will pursue having a Special Election to fill the rest of the Council term of Mayor Steve Swartz who died on May 8.
Councilwoman Laura Ferguson says having the Special Election is required under city code. She says it’s possible, the Council may agree to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the Special Election on November 5. And the election may consist of a mail ballot.
In the meantime, a lawyer for homeless people is objecting to plans by San Clemente to relocate a tent encampment from a parking lot in the North Beach area to a city yard.
The move is set for tomorrow.
Southern California News Group reports attorney Brooke Weitzman yesterday had threatened to sue, saying in a letter to the city attorney that the plan won’t work because it isn’t providing accommodations for people to sleep indoors.
The plan would allow up to 96 people to pitch tents in the yard, which would have security cameras, trash service, bathroom facilities and a security guard for nighttime supervision.