EDITORIAL:Smile, you’re in Laguna

Laguna Beach residents are generally a happy lot, despite a few bumps in the road to total bliss, according to a recently released survey.

Out of some 250 cities and counties all over the country in the National Citizen Survey, Laguna Beach came in second in residents’ overall satisfaction with life in the city.

What city beat out Laguna Beach? The survey company won’t tell.

The survey — representing about 500 persons who responded to 1,200 mailers — will give city officials a lot to chew on for some time.

Those surveyed were most pleased with the city’s air quality, appearance and image or reputation — this last item coming as somewhat of a surprise given the allegations that MTV’s reality show is tarnishing the city’s “rep.”

Residents like the city’s parks, recreational and cultural opportunities, and the overwhelming majority (87%) feel safe from violent crime, the survey says.

But there are negatives.

Issues that respondents saw as “major” potential problems: traffic congestion (74%); homelessness (29%); too much growth (25%).

Other negatives: affordable housing and affordable, quality healthcare, which are seen as difficult to obtain.

Then there’s the question of how city officials are viewed.

Respondents are most displeased with the city’s land use, planning and zoning services, which only 7% ranked as “excellent” and 28% ranked as “poor.” That category garnered one of the lowest average ratings in the survey — 38 out of 100 possible points — a failing grade.

Rating highest were fire services (83 points out of 100); ambulance/emergency medical services (81 points); with police services, crime prevention and fire prevention all earning a solid 68 points, while traffic enforcement scored a marginal 50.

The city’s public schools are another high point, with 31% rating them as “excellent,” and only 3% calling them “poor.”

Services to youth and seniors were given a middling ranking of 55 and 57 points (out of 100) respectively. Services to low-income persons were the lowest of all — with 34% seeing these services as “poor.”

Respondents also saw a dearth of shopping opportunities (53 points out of 100) and generally gave poor marks to the quality of new development (48 points).

Who are the survey-responders? Most own their own homes (64%); are employed (78%); overwhelmingly white or Caucasian (92%); have annual incomes of more than $50,000 (82%); and have at least some college education (97%). Also, 59% of the responders have lived in Laguna Beach more than 10 years.

In short, despite the grumblings about traffic and development, the city’s quality of life is extremely high, leading to the inescapable conclusion that these negatives haven’t materially damaged the city’s overall liveability.