By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Representatives from the Surfrider Foundation North Orange County Chapter recently presented the City with a generous donation of $12,415 toward the purchase and installation of a new marine trash skimmer for Newport Harbor. The donation will be used to offset the $18,000 cost of a new trash skimmer that will replace an older, broken skimmer located at the Rhine Wharf public dock.
Marine trash skimmers are floating devices attached to docks that operate in a manner similar to pool filters, using a motor to cycle water through a filtration system while trapping trash and debris. The new skimmer will be part of a network of eight skimmers that collect seven to eight tons of trash and debris from Newport Harbor every year. The new model will be more efficient than previous versions, using 80 percent less power and a self-cleaning filter that empties automatically every 30 minutes.
The Newport Harbor trash skimmers are an important part of the City’s ongoing efforts to keep our beaches, harbor and waterways clean.
Presidents Week Camp
Get ready to jump the day away! Presidents Week Camp at the Community Youth Center starts on Monday, Feb. 20. Campers (ages 5-12) will enjoy five full days of activities, crafts, games and an excursion to Rockin’ Jump. Pintsize Preschool Camp (ages 3-5) will also enjoy bounce house fun during Presidents Week at the Newport Coast Community Center. There are only a few spots left in each camp; click here for more information or to register: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/cnbreg/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&activity_select_param=2&activity_category_ids=48&viewMode=list.
Spring into Class Registration
It’s time to serve up some fun this spring with activities and events with the Recreation & Senior Services Department! Registration is open for all spring classes and camps. Residents should be on the lookout for the latest edition of the Newport Navigator hitting their mailboxes. Spring into a refreshed routine with new classes like Cheer Jump & Stunts, Indoor Volleyball, Longboard surf clinics, and more.
Click here to view the digital edition: https://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=781940&pre=1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
New Body Worn Camera System
The Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) recently implemented a new Body Worn Camera (BWC) system. The device offers significant technological features and will further the Department’s goal of providing premier public safety service to our community.
The BWC system is a substantial upgrade from the Department’s existing car mounted cameras, and will help to provide the accountability, transparency, and digital evidence collection the public expects in 2023.
The goal in any police encounter with a detained subject is to obtain voluntary compliance, and officers will do everything they can to de-escalate someone who is non-compliant. BWCs capture a record of all interactions, thereby protecting the rights of the public and demonstrating the lawful, ethical, and professional conduct of the NBPD. All NBPD sworn officers are now outfitted with a BWC.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and EMTs, and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week the Be Well team:
- Collaborated with City staff to relocate a man to his hometown to obtain services and resources.
- Collaborated with a local church and City Net to assist a person in distress.
- Transported a person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
- Homelessness update
Homelessness Update
This week the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Transported a client in transitional housing to the Social Security office to obtain his new card and gave him his new photo ID.
- Enrolled a Be Well client into services and obtained a P.O. Box for him to receive his new photo ID card and EBT benefits.
- Enrolled a new client into services.
- Continued to shelter people. Eighteen people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Completed the necessary forms to extend an Emergency Housing Voucher and assisted the client in applying for apartments.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City’s homeless response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
