LJTC approves Christmas parade budget The La Jolla Town Council (LJTC) voted to approve the Christmas parade budget, allowing the newly established LJTC Parade Foundation to begin applying for grants for La Jolla’s annual holiday parade. Vice President Rob Hildt announced the council is awaiting approval of a 501(c)3 application that was turned in several weeks ago to make the LJTC Parade Foundation a tax-exempt corporation. Following approval of the 501(c)3 status, the incorporator, Hildt will appoint board directors to the foundation. Merchant Gold Member dishes out great deals in La Jolla Hyper-local daily-deal company Deal Me In Today was introduced as this month’s Merchant Gold Member. “We help La Jolla businesses grow using a daily deal similar to the Groupon model and really target local consumers, so we’re trying to generate business in town,” said Deal Me In Today founder Troy Foss. “We’re excited to be gold members, and we’re looking forward to being more involved in the community here.” Deal Me In Today is the only daily deal company that is focused exclusively on promoting La Jolla businesses and targeting La Jolla consumers. Subscribers can join www.- dealmeintoday.com free to receive deals for massages, pet services, restaurant discounts and more. “They’ve been great partners, great to work with, and they founded the business right here in the community,” said LJTC Second Vice President John Weinstein. The good, the bad and the ugly of the state budget Sterling McHale, representative for 75th District Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, discussed details of the state budget. “The good of this budget is that it does not include tax increases or tax extensions, therefore the average family for this next fiscal year, your average taxes are expected to go down by $1,000 within the year,” he said. The bad: increases in certain other fees, including a $12 jump in vehicle licensing. The ugly: “It’s passed, but it’s not over,” he said, adding that he expects a lot of litigation over reconstruction efforts and the so-called Amazon bill, a bill requiring online vendors with an in-state presence to collect sales tax. Gov. Jerry Brown and state Assembly Speaker John A. Perez have suggested that if a projected increase in revenue does not come into the state as expected, certain triggers will automatically come into effect. The first to face cuts in the trigger system would be higher education. “They most likely won’t ever let those triggers go into effect. You are much more likely to see the legislature and the speaker of the assembly come back, reopen the budget and adjust it before they let any of those triggers take effect,” he said. A cleaner look proposed for the Children’s Pool Parks and Beaches Committee member Phyllis Minick introduced a plan to install towers, planters or other structural pieces at the Children’s Pool to prevent vendor tables on the sidewalk. “This issue is probably the biggest blemish on our community, the chaos that goes on at the Children’s Pool,” Minick said. “The entire area of the sidewalk is the object of endless screaming, shouting and vendors, like in Tijuana. Visitors who come to this part of the world come to La Jolla to enjoy the ocean front, and to have people insulted and cursed there is not acceptable.” The city is ready to implement a redesign plan for the new lifeguard tower, restrooms and sidewalk. Minick spoke to a city architectural engineer about redesign plans, including obstacles to prevent people from raising tables in the beach overlook area in an estimated $120,000 project. “There’s no way that we’re going to stop individual people from saying their piece there,” she said. “This is to rebuild the area in such a way that you would physically not be able to put a table there.” “Something must happen. I can’t believe this bullying and this dreadful atmosphere can go on like this,” she said. Other notes: • Nancy Gardner was approved as a new LJTC trustee. “I know she has a lot to add to the council,” said LJTC President Rick Wildman. • The appointment of proposed trustee Howard Singer has been postponed until the next LJTC meeting in August. • The LJTC motioned to support the event “Taste of the Cove” on Aug. 31 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Proceeds will benefit the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation. • The LJTC motioned to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s 18th annual San Diego Triathlon Challenge on Oct. 23. • Trustee Egon Kafka requested that the city restore funding to the Scripps Oceanographic Library. “This is the best specialized library on the subject in the world,” he said. “I just think that it’s vitally important to maintain this resource and not break it up.” • It was announced that Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) will hold an interactive budget forum in which constituents can balance the budget through an interactive program. The forum was held on July 19. • The La Jolla Village Merchants Association, Traffic and Transportation Committee, La Jolla Community Planning Association and La Jolla Town Council voted to approve the city’s recommendation to begin Segment 4 of the Torrey Pines Corridor Project. • Trustee Ken King nominated fellow trustee Egon Kafka to become a member of the Streetscape Committee. • LJTC’s Parks and Beaches representative Bill Robbins announced that the committee’s bylaws were adopted and sent to the city for approval. • The Traffic and Transportation Board approved the End of Summer Fire Run and the installation of two hour parking on the 8500 block of Nottingham Place.