Answers Please…Carmelites turned out in force to City Councilman Jason Burnett’s Aug. 2 town hall meeting to ask questions and demand answers on the $600,000 settlement of a sexual harassment case in which ex-staffer Jane Miller leveled serious charges at City Administrator Rich Guillen. [RU]

Sunnier News…In the wake of a federal move to squash financing for energy-efficiency projects, the county is reducing the red tape around rooftop solar projects. The new rules, drafted by a task force of the Monterey County Business Council, allow larger photovoltaic arrays and streamlined over-the-counter permits. [KA]

Dollars Delayed…MPUSD got preliminary approval for a $17 million dollar federal grant designed to improve performance at three Seaside schools, but the board didn’t make it official as planned on Aug. 2. They’ll make the final announcement just after Labor Day. [RU]

Project Runway… Monterey Peninsula's other airport is getting a makeover. A $1.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will hook the Marina Municipal Airport up with runway and lighting upgrades, with the goal of enhancing aircraft safety, particularly in the nighttime. [KA]

Pup Love…The second otter pup on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is now viewable on the live online Otter Cam. The fuzz bundle remains nameless unless you count "502," which indicates the number of stranded sea otters brought into the Sea Otter Research and Conservation program since 1984. [MCA]

Break It Down… At the Seaside Library July 31, MC Lars, originally from Carmel Valley, held forth on the last of six hip-hop lectures/demonstrations to an audience of about 20 mostly adult visitors, filling the library with snippets of music, video and chants, while dropping hip-hop science. [WR]

Bookish Debate…Pacific Grove residents Jim and Lee Willoughby, who oppose the city's November parcel tax to support the P.G. Public Library, have announced the formation of an ad hoc committee focused on encouraging the city to join the county's library system. [KA]

Ballot Battle…The California League of Cities says the ballot summary of its initiative to bar the state from dipping into local government coffers isn’t strong enough, and they’re headed to court to change it. The judge must act fast—the deadline to make the November ballot is Aug. 9. [RU]