Laguna Beach shifts Visit Laguna funding toward ‘stewardship’ and artist land trust

Mayor Alex Wenagi and Mayor Pro Tem Mark Orgel said Visit Laguna Beach will pivot to a “stewardship” model after the city approved a new funding contract that the officials say will return roughly one-third of Visit Laguna’s revenue to the city, with a portion earmarked for artist space and stewardship programs.

The change follows a recently completed bid and contract with the local tourism marketing district. “Visit Laguna now gives one-third of their money roughly back to the city, and a portion of that money is assigned to going toward artist space, housing and artist space,” Mayor Pro Tem Mark Orgel said. Orgel said that allocation is intended to support an artist land trust the council is exploring to preserve studios and housing for artists who, he said, are leaving the community because of affordability pressures.

Why it matters: Laguna Beach’s leaders framed the move as an attempt to balance tourism with protection of the city’s environment, culture and heritage. The officials said the stewardship…