By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Our next City Council meeting is Tuesday, June 22. Items that may be of interest are highlighted below. The entire agenda, and all reports, can be viewed at https://newportbeachca.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/64223/72.
Study Session Meeting of the City Council at 4 p.m.:
- City staff will present an update on the draft General Plan housing element, based on input from the Council’s June 8 study session on the topic. The housing element is being updated, after months of public meetings and community input, to meet a State mandate requiring Newport Beach to plan for the development of more than 4,800 housing units over the next 8 years. The draft housing element update is available for public review at this link. The study session discussion will include affordable and market rate housing allocations and inclusionary housing requirements in the draft housing element.
Regular Meeting of the City Council at 6:30 p.m.:
- The Council will consider terminating the local emergency ordinance that has been in place since the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Proclamation of Local Emergency was declared by City Manager Grace Leung on March 15, 2020, and ratified by the City Council on March 18, 2020, in response to COVID-19 and guidance from the State of California about controlling the spread of the coronavirus. The action enabled the City to access federal and state resources and recoup some of the City funds spent responding to the pandemic. Rescinding the emergency ordinance would repeal a moratorium on new, short-term lodging permits and a minimum-night restriction on short-term rentals. It would not affect temporary outdoor dining permits for restaurants, which were extended through September by Council action earlier this month.
- Grant awards for community programs and special events are recommended for Council approval. Each year the City allocates funding to support competitive grants in the following areas: local programs that benefit residents; smaller events that are local or charitable in nature; and larger, signature events that provide significant promotional and economic benefits to Newport Beach. Staff is recommending $246,000 in funding for five signature events, which include the Newport Beach Boat Parade and Newport Beach Film Festival. Staff has recommended 12 community programs eligible to receive a portion of $55,550; 14 community and charitable special events eligible for a portion of $40,500; and two groups that would receive a fee waiver for use of City facilities.
- Council members will vote on applicants seeking to fill vacancies on seven City boards and commissions. The appointments will fill vacancies on the Planning Commission, Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission, Harbor Commission, City Arts Commission, Civil Service Board, Board of Library Trustees, and Building and Fire Board of Appeals. The terms will run from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
City Council Meeting Information
The Newport Beach City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of most months (the exceptions are August and December).
Typically, there is a Study Session that starts at 4 p.m. Study sessions are times for the Council to take a deeper look at a specific issue, or hear a presentation, that might eventually lead to a specific and more formal action. A closed session often follows the Study Session. Closed sessions are typically to address legal, personnel, and other matters where additional confidentiality is important.
The Regular (evening) Session typically starts at 6 p.m., and often has a specific listing of different items ready for formal votes. Items on the “Consent Calendar” are heard all at once, unless a Council member has removed (aka “pulled”) an item from the Consent Calendar for specific discussion and separate vote. If an item on the agenda is recommended to be “continued”, it means that the item won’t be heard nor voted on that evening, but will be pushed forward to another noticed meeting.
Public Comment is welcomed at both the Study Session and the Regular Session. The public can comment on any item on the agenda. If you want to comment on a Consent Calendar item that was not pulled from the Consent Calendar by a Council Member, you will want to do so at the time listed on the agenda – right before the Council votes on the entire Consent Calendar (it’s Roman Numeral XIII on the posted agenda).
If an item is pulled, the Mayor will offer that members of the public can comment as that specific item is heard separately.
Additionally, there is a specific section of Public Comment for items not on the agenda, but on a subject of some relationship to the city government.
If you cannot attend a meeting and/or want to communicate with the City Council directly, this e-mail gets to all of them: citycouncil@newportbeachca.gov. The City Manager also get’s a copy of the email, because in almost all cases it’s something that the City Manager follows-up on.
The Council meets in the Council Chambers at 100 Civic Center Drive, off of Avocado between San Miguel and East Coast Highway. There is plenty of parking in the parking structure. You are always welcome to attend in person, but you can also watch on TV, Spectrum channel 30 and Cox channel 852 or stream it on your computer.
This Insider’s Guide is not an attempt to summarize every item on the Agenda – just the ones that seem of specific interest to the City Manager. You are encouraged to read the full agenda if you wish.
