By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
The Newport Beach Police Department was recently awarded a $376,000 grant from the State of California to support the City of Newport Beach’s ongoing traffic safety enforcement and education programs.
The NBPD will use these funds to help reduce serious injuries and deaths on our roadways, with a focus on critical areas such as distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding.
The grant-funded program, which runs through September 2024, will include:
- DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.
- High-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
- Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
- Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding; failure to yield; stop sign and/or red-light running; and improper turning or lane changes.
- Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
- Officer training and/or recertification on the areas of field sobriety testing, impaired driving enforcement, and drug recognition.
Thank you to the California Office of Traffic Safety, which awarded the grant to the City, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which provided the funding.
Balboa Island Bridge to Close Nightly Nov. 5-6
The Balboa Island bridge will be closed on Sunday, November 5 and Monday, November 6, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., for final work related to a new water main installation. The bridge was closed for several nights in October for primary construction of the replacement water main.
The Balboa Island Ferry will run throughout the night to provide access to and from the island. Residents and visitors should plan to access Balboa Island via the ferry. Arrangements have been made to allow emergency vehicle access as needed.
The City is replacing a water main that serves Balboa Island in advance of the Balboa Island utility undergrounding improvements, which property owners approved in 2021. Older water mains are being replaced ahead of the undergrounding work planned for January on North Bayfront.
For more information, please contact the City’s Public Works Department at (949) 644-3330.
City to Install Fencing to Protect Snowy Plovers
The City will install new fencing to protect the Western Snowy Plover on the Balboa Peninsula beginning Monday, November 13. The fencing will be located on a sand area between D and F streets.
The Western Snowy Plover is a small shorebird listed as a “threatened” species and is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. A population of plovers live on the Peninsula in an area designated as critical habitat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The 42-inch tall, wood slat fencing will be installed at the direction of the California Coastal Commission and will include signage and monitoring of the plover population.
Permit Center Customer Queue App Now Available
The City has launched a new application that allows customers to monitor the Permit Center queue directly from their smartphones.
The application will give customers the option of monitoring counter activity remotely. The application can be filtered by active service queues, so customers can monitor only the service they are awaiting.
To access the application, go to: www.nbca.gov/queue.
Free Document Shredding, E-Waste Disposal and Mulch Giveaway Nov. 18
Newport Beach residents are invited to bring documents for shredding and household electronic waste for disposal on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Public Works Corporation Yard, 592 Superior Ave.
In addition, free mulch will be offered at two locations on November 18: the Corporation Yard and Bonita Canyon Sports Park, 1990 Ford Rd. Please note that the Bonita Canyon site will be for mulch giveaway only (no shredding or e-waste disposal)
Mulch is being provided by OC Waste and Recycling, which creates high-quality mulch from residential organic (green) waste collected in Newport Beach. Mulch pickup is limited to 60 gallons per resident, per vehicle, for residential use only; commercial trailers and vehicles will not be permitted.
The mulch is not bagged, so please come prepared with shovels, as well as bags, tarps or containers. Be prepared to load the mulch into your own trunk or truck bed.
Newport Beach residency will be verified, so please bring identification. No hazardous or medical waste will be accepted.
For more information, please call the City’s Public Works Department at (949) 644-3311.
NBPD Joins Community Halloween Events
Newport Beach Police Department officers participated in several community Halloween events last week, including the “Boo Fest” at Mariners Elementary School and Halloween Spooktacular at Mariners Park.
These events were a fun way for the department to engage with the community and spread some Halloween cheer.
Proposed Municipal Code Changes Available for Public Review
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, the Newport Beach City Council held a study session to review potential changes to the City’s Municipal Code and Council policies.
The proposed revisions standardize language, eliminate unnecessary provisions, and update existing provisions, in part, to comply with changes in state law. The Council will consider adopting the changes at its November 14 meeting. The proposed changes are available for public review on the City’s website at https://newportbeachca.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/71679/72.
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 two people to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for intakes.
- Transported a person to the sobering station at the Be Well campus for treatment.
- Collaborated with the Newport Beach Fire Department to treat a person after resolving a mental health crisis.
- Transported a person to social services after resolving a mental health crisis.
To reach Be Well: 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:
- Continued to shelter people. Twenty-three people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Provided a ride share for a client to meet with social service providers.
- Followed up on the applications for the Housing Choice Vouchers program for several clients.
- Enrolled three new clients into City Net’s social services, and referred one person to the unemployment office for benefits.
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.
