“Our feeling was that the community wasn’t being welcomed, that we were possibly being placated, but it wasn’t working,” said former Mayor Ann Christoph, who lives and owns a business in South Laguna.
About 20 people attended the forum, for which 400 invitations were sent.
Among the questions raised by Rihn and left unanswered to his satisfaction was the names of the members of the Community Advisory Committee. The committee was required by the state attorney general.
The names are being withheld, except for Chairs Tim Carlyle, Dan Kelly and Melissa Masson, all Laguna Beach residents, until committee members give their permission, hospital spokeswoman Kelsey Martinez said.
“This is not the way it should be done,” Christoph told the City Council on Tuesday, noting Thursday that former Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and businessman Mark Christy attended a Planning Commission hearing on hospital signage and identified themselves as committee members.
However, hospital officials said committee meetings will definitely not be open to the public, which really rankled Rihn.
“I believe in transparency and my standards have not been met,” Rihn said.
After Christoph’s remarks during public communications Tuesday, Councilwoman Toni Iseman asked City Atty. Philip Kohn to investigate the legality of closed meetings and disclosure of committee members’ names.
Questions also were submitted at the forum about the rents being charged for the offices in the buildings in front of the hospital, which now has many vacancies due to rent increases, Christoph said.
The audience was told that the federal government required a study of rents and that they be set at market rate.
