New Year’s Resolutions for Newport Beach

There are always the typical New Year’s resolutions, so I thought I would take the 10 most popular resolutions and apply them to the City of Newport Beach.

Lose Weight

Everyone seems to want to lose weight and it is the most popular resolution. For the City to lose weight, they need to shed some of its staff. They started privatizing the trash services, but it is still overweight and has more employees per capita than any other city in OC. Trimming is necessary. $200,000 Lifeguards anyone?

Improve Your Finances

This is an area that everyone always says they need to do, but no one ever seems to be able to change their habits. In this case, the City has a lot of debt from the Taj-Ma-City-Hall. They could sell the old city hall site and pay down their debt. Newport is blessed with many resources; we should be a pay as you go city. $40 million City Hall renovation to a $140 million Taj-Ma-City-Hall says it all.

Exercise

Use it or lose it! Those of us that have some experience in life know that you need to keep practicing to keep fit and trim, and keep that Cardiac system working well. In this case I will apply it to the Back Bay and harbor. The city has done a good job in getting the Back Bay dredged. But it still has a long way to go in the harbor. One thing that the city ought to consider is adding some sort of de-silting mechanism to the San Diego Creek that empties into the Back Bay, to keep the harbor cleaner longer. Let’s bring back the clean harbors of the past.

Get a New Job

We have an opportunity to put four new council members on the council this election year. There are three councilmembers termed out, and Rush Hill, who was instrumental in the Taj-Ma-City-Hall debacle. Let’s make it a clean sweep. Wash out all those tax-raising, fire pit banning party-poopers.

Eat Healthier

So we need to look at the nutritional value of what we eat a little closer. The City should look at “government on demand.” Government that is as minimum as necessary and only when we need it. Well I can dream can’t I? Well I guess we can always look forward to Obamacare….

Stop Smoking

Kind of makes me think of fire rings. Don’t think I want the fire rings to stop smoking this year.

Manage Stress

Take a chill pill. Let’s see what we can do to get the California Coastal Commission out of our lives for the day to day stuff. Maybe we should have OC join San Diego County in forming a new state and jettison Sacramento as well.

Stop Procrastinating

Banning Ranch. Let’s get the thing built and stop litigating. It’s a great project that cleans up the site and dedicates most of the land as open space without Newport Residents paying for the open space. Win-Win.

Set Time Aside for Yourself

Supposed to unplug, relax, turn away from all the electronics. All you have to do is take a trip around Civic Center Park and look at all the bunnies… bunny-henge…. I am relaxing already.

Improve a Relationship

Where do I start? Maybe the Dock Tax crowd? The Fire Ring crowd? Or maybe the people that like the money spent on the Taj-Ma-City-Hall? Admittedly a small crowd.

Resolutions’ Chances

Resolutions actually only work if you make them for yourself. Chances seem slim to none that the City Council will want to do these this year. But when we make new friends in November, we will see….

 Scott Peotter is an Architect and former Planning Commissioner in Newport Beach.  Scott can be reached at scott.peotter@taxfighter.com.