Newport Beach City Manager Update

By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager

Due to the City’s fiscal discipline and stronger recovery than expected from the pandemic, the City has a budget surplus from the past several fiscal years.

Together with funds received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, Newport Beach is able to devote additional resources to new infrastructure projects such as the Jr. Lifeguard Headquarters and Library Lecture Hall, and focus on neighborhood improvements such as park, street and sidewalk upgrades to ensure our existing assets continue to serve our community well for years to come.

Every planned project is outlined in our Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which is updated in the first quarter of each year in preparation for the fiscal year budget adoption in June.

An important step in this process is the CIP “early look” City Council study session, which will be Tuesday, March 8 at 4 p.m. Staff will review the proposed projects for FY 2022-23.

I encourage you to attend the meeting at the Civic Center Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Dr., or watch the live webcast at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/public-information-office/nbtv/nbtv-live?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

To provide input to the Council as they assess spending priorities and projects, you can speak at the meeting during public comment, or email our City Clerk’s office prior to the meeting at CityClerk@newportbeachCA.gov.

Fire Department Welcomes New Recruits

The Newport Beach Fire Department’s Basic Fire Academy began on Monday, February 28 with eight new recruits, including five firefighters and three paramedics. Following graduation from the academy they will start as probationary firefighters in mid-April. We are very excited to have our new recruits on board and wish them great success in their training.

Community Development Releases Latest Activity Report

The Community Development Department’s  Activity Report for the 4th Quarter of 2021 is now available to the public. The report compiles operational statistics to illustrate the volume of business activity that the department handles on a quarterly basis. Visit https://www.newportbeachca.gov/PLN/CDD_Quarterly_Report_Current/Current_Report.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

OASIS Now Collecting Warm Coats for Homeless

OASIS Senior Center is coordinating the collection of new and gently used coats for homeless children and adults in Orange County. The collection will continue through March 31, so start your spring cleaning and visit the conveniently located drop boxes in the OASIS lobby, 801 Narcissus Avenue in Corona del Mar. For info: (949) 644-3244.

Camp Newport Registration Opens March 10

The City’s Recreation & Senior Services Department will offer more than 500 weeklong specialty camps this summer, including sports, beach and bay camps, visual arts, performing arts, adventure, technology, and enrichment.

This summer’s theme is “BE IN NEWPORT BEACH.” Join us for 11 weeks of fun starting May 31 through August 19.

Visit www.campnewport.com on March 10 for details and to register.

Be Well OC Update

The new Be Well OC Mobile crisis response team is now operating in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 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 OC team:

• Brought two people into crisis stabilization for mental health care after they were expressing suicidal intentions to police officers.
• Placed an elderly person into a psychiatric facility for a wellness assessment after she was unresponsive during a traffic stop.
• Transported one person to the Be Well OC campus in Orange for sober living treatment.
• Rendered first aid and transported a person to a social services appointment.
• Brought two people experiencing homelessness to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
• Provided four shelter referrals to people experiencing homelessness.

Organics Recycling: Cart Distribution Now Underway

The distribution of new, green-lid carts for recycling organic materials (yard waste, food waste and other biodegradable items) is underway through mid-April. Pickup of organic recycling will begin the week after the organics carts are delivered, on the same day as trash and standard recycling are collected.

For information on the state-mandated organics recycling program, please utilize the following resources:

• Click here for a short video on how to separate and recycle organic waste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn6jWR2RK6Q&t=29s.
• Visit newportbeachca.gov/recycle to find out when the organic recycling carts will arrive in your neighborhood (use the search function at the top of the page).
• Read through our Frequently Asked Questions document for answers to common questions and concerns: https://newportbeachca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/70926/637793182513400000?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
• Collection days have changed for about 14,000 households. To find out your trash and recycling pickup day: newportbeachca.gov/findmycollectionday.
• Street sweeping days have also been adjusted in the neighborhoods with collection day changes. These neighborhoods include portions of the Balboa Peninsula (21st Street to G Street) and Corona del Mar (north of Coast Highway), Irvine Terrance, the Port Streets and the north tip of Newport Heights. These changes will avoid conflicts, address parking conditions, and maintain street sweeping effectiveness.

For maps and information visit www.newportbeachca.gov/2022sweeping or call the City’s Utilities Department at (949) 644-3011.

State Updates Masking Guidance In Response to Declining COVID Cases

In response to declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, the California Department of Public Health has issued updated COVID-19 guidance on masking. As of March 1, masks are no longer required in most indoor settings. Masks are still required for everyone in high transmission settings such as public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and long-term care facilities. For K-12 schools and child care facilities, after March 11, masks will no longer be required.

Homelessness Update

The City of Newport Beach provides a comprehensive response to address homelessness through a coordinated effort by City staff, contractors, partner agencies and nonprofit groups.

This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:

• Helped an elderly woman who had experienced homelessness in Newport Beach for 14 years move into a new apartment. The woman became homeless when her memory care facility closed and did not provide a new housing opportunity for her. She was awarded an Emergency Housing Voucher, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which allows people to pay affordable rent based on their fixed income.
• Placed one person into the Yale Navigation Center, a shelter in Santa Ana.
• Extended an expired Emergency Housing Voucher to allow a women to stay in her apartment.
• As of this week, 20 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.

To donate to those experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach, please visit our Good Giving Program web page at https://newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.