Mailbag: Collecting coyote attack information

Let’s talk about coyotes.

Another day, another cat. Another week, another small dog snatched from a leash. Another corner, another flier.

Coyotes are jumping fences, scaling walls, attacking leashed dogs, snatching cats from backyard patios and now there’s a story about a coyote entering a home in the village and snatching a tiny dog next to a sleeping baby.

So let’s address this. If you have lost a pet to a coyote in the past 36 months or had a face-to-face encounter with a threatening coyote, please email a photo of your pet to [email protected], along with the following information:

1) Date and location of the encounter;

2) Time of day;

3) Type and size of pet (with photo);

4) A brief description of the event;

5) Most importantly, state if you were personally injured by the coyote.

Let’s find out just how many pets we’re losing to coyotes in Laguna Beach.

If you don’t use email, please mail the above information to Vicki High, PO Box 1105, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.

Vicki High

Laguna Beach

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Extra scrutiny of treasurer is unneeded and disrespectful

At the regular City Council meeting of Nov. 17, the council majority showed disrespect to City Treasurer Laura Parisi, Jim McBride, CPA, and the council subcommittee of Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow and Councilwoman Toni Iseman.

Over the course of many months, Parisi completed two projects that were outside the scope of her employment. Upon successful completion, she submitted a request for compensation for the hours she had worked at the city’s request. Subsequently, a subcommittee of Dicterow and Iseman was appointed to review the invoice for appropriateness.

The subcommittee asked McBride to review and comment. He did so and found that the invoice was appropriate for the tasks completed and that Parisi, also a CPA, had the special skills and experience required for the projects.

At the meeting, the subcommittee presented a recommendation to the council to pay the invoice. In a display of poor taste and poor judgment, the other three council members asked for verification of the hours worked.

I was the elected city treasurer from 1982 to 2000 and I am aware that the treasurer, in addition to performing the city’s banking and administering its assessment districts, manages its portfolio of approximately $75 million — which has grown from the portfolio of $25 million that I managed. Obviously Parisi is above reproach.

The city has seven elected officials, five councilmembers, a city clerk, and a city treasurer. None of these elected officials holds a higher position than the others.

It was disrespectful to question the hours Parisi had worked when the matter had been fully vetted by the subcommittee and the independent CPA. I suggest that the City Council approve payment of the invoice at its next meeting and thank Parisi, McBride and the subcommittee for their work.

Susan Morse

Laguna Beach