— Art courtesy city of Newport Beach ©
As the city is in the middle of the “listen and learn” part of the update of the General Plan, an informational fair will be held next week, officials announced at the General Plan Update Steering Committee meeting on Wednesday.
The city will host the Newport, Together Community Fair on Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Newport Beach Civic Green, at the Civic Center.
About a dozen people attended the Committee meeting Wednesday, held in Council Chambers at the Newport Beach Civic Center.
Jenna Tourje, of consultant Kearns & West, said the aim of the fair is to engage as broad of a spectrum of the community as possible. They developed a “fairly robust” outreach program, she noted.
The event will include resident engagement activities, including talking about what they love about the city and areas that need improvement.
There will be tables from various city departments, as well as a number of community groups, including both Newport Beach and Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce organizations, Newport Bay Conservancy, Environmental Nature Center, Friend of OASIS, Friends of the Library, Community Emergency Response Team, Still Protecting Our Newport, and more.
The event will include live music, food, lawn games, and kids’ activities, and it will highlight local nonprofits and community groups. The city will also have activities to gather input from residents on what they love about their city and to share information about the General Plan.
Committee members will have special name tags to help identify them for the public, Tourje confirmed.
— Photo by Sara Hall ©
The presentation also included an update on costs for the launch event. The actual total cost is $6,882, Tourje reported.
“We don’t anticipate any further costs,” she said.
According to city officials, the event is the first in a series of community fairs, workshops, pop-up events and community dialogues to listen and learn from the Newport Beach community about the General Plan and its future update.
Over the next year, the city will host opportunities for the community to explore and assess the City’s current General Plan in preparation for the future plan update.
On Wednesday, the Committee reviewed a calendar of possible dates to host the meetings, at least one in each Council district. The first meeting could be as soon as Nov. 12.
The Newport, Together listen and learn process is led by the General Plan Update Steering Committee which was appointed by the Newport Beach City Council earlier this year.
The Committee meeting also included an update on the General Plan Update website, newporttogether.com.
“Newport, Together is an opportunity for the city of Newport Beach to listen and learn from the Newport Beach community as the first step towards a future General Plan Update,” the website reads. “We want to hear your stories about Newport Beach — what you love about your community and how we can continue to shape the future of the City together.”
The site includes an explanation of what the General Plan is, the Committee’s role, a calendar of events, and more. Each page includes an opportunity for community input, Tourje noted.
Several public speakers and Committee members noted that not all the neighborhoods were listed, and a few suggested adding a map.
For more information, visit newporttogether.com and newportbeachca.gov.
