By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
I am pleased to report that after a multi-year effort, the City’s Utilities Department has converted or replaced all of Newport Beach’s older, analog residential and commercial water meters – about 27,000 – with new digital water meters. The digital meters provide near real-time information to help reduce water waste, prevent property damage and cut extra charges to homes and businesses.
The new digital meters are known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI. The AMI system uses a low-powered communication device to transmit water usage information once a day over a secure network.
Where analog meters provided customers with water use information only for the prior billing cycle, the new digital system measures water use by the hour. It can detect both large leaks and small, pinhole-sized leaks.
City staff monitors the water use data for evidence of leaks. If a leak is detected, the City will alert the home or business owner who can then address the leak, avoiding additional water costs, water waste and potential property damage. Water customers can sign up to receive leak alerts for the quickest response.
The system is already working effectively. In the past year, since April 2023, City staff has notified about 480 water customers to major and minor leaks, most of which have been repaired within four days of notification.
Customers can view water use information on a desktop computer or smartphone application at www.nbca.gov/wateruse. Through the portal, customers can track water use, view bills, receive notifications, go paperless, make payments, schedule autopay, and more.
I encourage all Newport Beach water customers to sign up if you haven’t done so already!
Officials Cut the Ribbon on New Balboa Marina Public Pier
The City and our project partners recently celebrated the grand opening of Newport Harbor’s newest and largest public pier at 151 E. Coast Highway, just south of the PCH bridge.
Watch this new video to see the grand opening and learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T7UfNNlsDo.
Join us May 4 for Free Paper Shredding, E-Waste Disposal, Compost Giveaway Event
The City and CR&R will host a free paper shredding, e-waste disposal and compost giveaway event on Saturday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Corporation Yard, 592 Superior Ave. The entrance will be from Superior Avenue via right turn.
The event is for Newport Beach residents. Please bring ID as residency will be verified.
The event includes free on-site paper shredding, electronic waste disposal and four free 30-pound bags of compost (while supplies last).
Please note that the following will NOT be accepted: household hazardous waste such as paint and cleaning products; universal waste including batteries, light bulbs, and thermostats, sharps, marine flares and microwaves.
For additional information please contact CR&R’s Sustainability Team at (949) 667-4158 or by email.
Mayor’s Youth Council Graduates Recognized
The 2023-24 Mayor’s Youth Council concluded this week with a mock city council meeting and recognition for students who completed the program.
The mock council meeting was hosted by Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill in the Council Chambers. Students assumed the roles of council or staff members and discussed several issues, including a new aquatics facility and items related to homelessness.
Eighteen participants received special recognition for completing the program, and four graduating seniors were honored with Mayor’s Youth Council cords to wear at their upcoming graduations.
The Mayor’s Youth Council will return in the Fall with another opportunity for high school students to get involved during the 2024-25 school year.
The Youth Council is an unpaid internship program for local high school students that includes education, service and outreach components. Participants are paired with City staff mentors to learn more about local government operations.
For more information or to apply, click here: https://newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/recreation-senior-services/youth-teen-programs.
Tips for Visiting Little Corona Tidepools
Little Corona del Mar is the best site in Newport Beach for tide pooling and is best accessed at the end of Ocean Boulevard and Poppy Avenue. Little Corona is part of the Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area, a protected habitat.
The best time to visit is about an hour before the lowest tide mark, to assure that you have plenty of time to see the lowest points and return before the tide starts to rise. When visitors are still and quiet, it is more likely that animals like octopus, fish and lobsters will reveal themselves.
You can gently touch — but never pull on any animal stuck to the rocks, feed animals, or collect animals in tanks or buckets. It is illegal for anyone to collect or remove anything from the tidepools. Any fishing in the surrounding area requires a valid state fishing license and adherence to all licensing regulations.
Registration Opens April 15 for New City Pickleball League
The City’s Recreation and Senior Services Department is excited to introduce a pickleball league, which will be held at the new public courts opening soon in Newport Coast.
Teams may register in the women’s, men’s or mixed divisions, organized according to skill level (beginner, intermediate or advanced). Registration for league will be taken as a team (up to 4 players) on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration opens Monday, April 15 at 8 a.m. Visit our website for information about registration, competition rules and the schedule for each league offering.
For questions or more information: Email pickleball@newportbeachca.gov or call (949) 644-3151.
Slurry Seal Maintenance Now Underway in Several Neighborhoods
Slurry sealing of public roads and parking lots is now underway in several neighborhoods.
Newport Beach’s slurry sealing runs on a seven-year cycle and is critical for maintaining the high quality of city streets and parking lots.
Slurry seal work is in progress in the Beacon Bay, Irvine Terrace, Corona del Mar, Mariners, Dover Shores, Bay Knolls communities, and parts of Cameo Shores communities. The work in those areas will be finished by early June.
The remainder of Cameo Shores and the Shorecliffs neighborhoods are expected to be completed in October after other projects are finished in those areas. All work near the beaches is scheduled to be completed before Memorial Day weekend, the start of the summer season.
Slurry seal is created by mixing water, asphalt emulsion, aggregate (very small crushed rock), and applying it to an existing asphalt pavement surface. Regular slurry sealing protects and prolongs the life of residential streets and parking lots, ensuring they remain in good condition.
The City asks that residents avoid turning their car tires while idling on freshly sealed streets to prevent damage and ensure durability as the sealant cures.
OASIS Volunteers Invited to Annual Recognition Luncheon April 17
The OASIS Senior Center will host its annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Wednesday, April 17, at noon.
If you have volunteered at OASIS within the past year, you are invited to attend and enjoy a delicious catered lunch.
Please RSVP by Thursday, April 11 by calling (949) 644-3244. The lunch will be held at the OASIS Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave.
Teens Ages 13-16 Invited to Apply for Summer Leadership Program
The City is offering a Teen Leader Program for teens ages 13-16. The program gives teens an opportunity to work side by side with City recreation staff in the two youth summer camps, three ACTIVE Kids after school programs, and at special events.
Participants can earn service credits, get involved in the community, develop and enhance life and work skills, and gain valuable job experience. Applications are due by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
For more information or to apply, click here: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/recreation-senior-services/youth-teen-programs.
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 works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week, the Be Well team:
- Transported a person to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Transported a person to a substance use disorder facility.
- Transported two people to crisis stabilization units.
- Transported a person to the Be Well campus for treatment.
- Transported six people to homeless services providers.
The mobile crisis team is dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request service, dial 911 or call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (949) 644-3717.
Homelessness Update
- This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Transported a person to the Huntington Beach Navigation Center for an intake in collaboration with the City of Huntington Beach outreach team.
- Placed a person in a motel to stabilize before entering a shelter.
- Completed a DMV voucher with a client to obtain a new photo ID.
- Enrolled 11 people into services.
- Continued to shelter people: 25 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
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.
Click here for information on the City’s Good Giving program: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help.
City Seeks Resident Input on General Plan Update
The City’s General Plan is being updated to reflect the community’s current needs and future aspirations. The General Plan contains goals that establish values and direction, policies that guide decision-making, and programs that carry out the actions needed to achieve these goals. The last comprehensive update of Newport Beach’s General Plan was in 2006.
A core part of updating the General Plan is engaging with residents and other stakeholders to capture and articulate a shared vision for the city for the next 20 years.
You are encouraged to visit the project’s website at www.newportbeachca.gov/gpupdate to learn more. To provide input through the website, please visit: https://newporttogether.mysocialpinpoint.com/we-want-to-hear-from-you.
