Council Member Sue Kemp outlines "Clean Laguna" campaign ahead of busy summer

Council Member Sue Kemp said Laguna Beach will launch a citywide "Clean Laguna" campaign in late May to reduce litter during a predicted heavy summer visitor season. The effort combines visible signage, retailer partnerships, stepped-up public-works pickups and targeted enforcement, Kemp said.

Kemp said the program will place banners at all three town entrances and wrap trash cans with messaging to direct visitors to bins. "You're welcome to come here, but you have to pack your trash, take it home with you, or else put it in one of our trash bins," Kemp said, describing the tone of the outreach and social-media messaging the city will use.

The campaign pairs education with operations. Kemp said public works will increase trash pickups "three times a day" as part of the summer surge, but added that the city cannot reach every spot and needs community cooperation. To extend coverage, the city will seek retailer participation: businesses that display a Clean Laguna sticker will be asked to sweep the sidewalk and curb in front of their storefronts each morning and before closing, Kemp said.

Enforcement will run alongside outreach. Kemp said Laguna Beach police will run pop-up patrols and checkpoints on beaches, and the city may reallocate park-ranger hours to coincide with peak visitor times. "They'll be writing a lot of tickets," she said, and the city plans to publish monthly enforcement statistics showing citations by category (for example: trash, drinking on the beach, smoking, loud music and loud vehicle noise) so residents can see how officials are acting.

Kemp also promoted the Ask Laguna app for reporting problems. She described using the app herself to submit photos and GPS-tagged reports of full bins or dumped furniture; the city will notify users when issues are addressed, she said.

Kemp encouraged businesses and civic groups to sponsor beach cleanups and to promote events on their own social channels. She said the city will highlight participating businesses and groups with social-media coverage and short video reels to amplify community stewardship.

The program, Kemp said, is rooted in the city's stewardship priorities and seeks to pair enforcement with education so residents and visitors alike treat Laguna Beach as a shared, precious place. The launch is planned for late May; Kemp invited residents and businesses to participate and watch for program updates on the city's social channels.