By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
To provide additional information to the community on the City’s ongoing efforts to combat homelessness, we have created the homeless data dashboard, a quick reference guide available on the web, updated monthly.
The dashboard contains year-to-date information on the number of individuals served, the number of nights homeless individuals have been sheltered, outreach contacts made, placements secured for permanent housing, and the workforce reentry projects completed through our partnership with Trellis International.
Monthly data includes a recent count of homeless individuals (conducted once a month), the average number of shelter beds filled, outreach contacts, shelter placements, transports conducted by our field teams, first aid provided, and case numbers.
The dashboard is rounded out by fiscal year-to-date budget information, including all homeless-related expenses, and good giving donations and expenditures.
Further down the web page you will see charts of monthly homeless counts going back several months, and updates from our contractors City Net, a social services agency, and Be Well, which provides mobile mental health services for residents, visitors and homeless individuals.
The homeless data dashboard will be updated in the middle of each month with information from the prior month’s activities.
While we will continue to give weekly updates in this newsletter, the data dashboard will provide additional context on the work being done by City staff and contractors to address the challenges presented by homelessness in our community.
Access the Data Dashboard at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
L Street Park Renovations Add Improvements
Renovations were recently completed at L Street Park, at 327 L St. in the Peninsula Point neighborhood, to help preserve 100-year-old Cork Oak trees that comprise the largest grouping of Cork Oaks west of the Mississippi River.
Staff from the City’s Public Works department observed that the Cork Oak trees were showing signs of stress, and worked with contractor West Coast Arborists to evaluate them and develop recommendations to help alleviate the stress.
Based on the contractor’s recommendation, City staff removed grass from directly around the oaks and reconfigured the irrigation system, using drip irrigation to avoid directly watering the tree trunks. A grass area between the tree clusters was preserved and improved with new sod, as the park is used by many dog owners in the neighborhood.
In addition, staff installed new plants and large boulders, along with a new concrete pad for a park bench, a new trash receptacle at the east end, and a park sign at the west end.
Charges for Additional Trash Carts, Non-Containerized Waste to Begin July 1
The City of Newport Beach recently implemented an expanded recycling program to help meet state mandates related to organics recycling. As part of the expanded program, residential households are allocated a set amount of free solid waste material collection provided in a combination of black trash carts, blue recycling carts, and green organics carts at no charge. Residents can review and select their household’s combination of allowed free refuse and recycling carts through CR&R’s website at https://oss.crrinc.com:8443/.
As of July 1, additional fees will be charged for extra carts, at the rate of $6.09 a month for black trash carts, $3.41 a month for blue recycling carts, and $4.11 a month for a green organics recycling cart. Billing will be done on a quarterly basis.
Also beginning July 1, residents will be charged for any waste that is in not placed within the provided collection carts, including waste left on the sidewalk or street, or on top of the cart (which will require the truck operator to get out and manually collect the waste material). Any residential waste placed on the curb, street, or on top of a waste container will prompt a $2.47 fee for each instance after the first warning. This fee does not apply to scheduled bulky item pickups.
If you would like to return extra carts, or request extra carts, please contact CR&R Customer Service at (949) 667-4158 or email csnewport@crrmail.com. You can manage all your waste and recycling services through a Web-Pak account at https://oss.crrinc.com.
2021 Drinking Water Quality Report Now Online
The City’s Utilities Department has prepared the annual drinking water quality report for the 2021 calendar year. This annual report was recently mailed to all Newport Beach water customers and is available on the City’s website at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/71725/637896013126670000.
The City vigilantly safeguards Newport Beach’s water supply, 77 percent of which comes from groundwater, along with 23 percent from the Colorado River. As in years past, the water delivered to residential homes and commercial businesses meets the quality standards required by federal and state regulatory agencies. For information about the report or water quality information in general, please contact the Utilities Department at (949) 644-3011.
Community Development Activity Update
The latest Community Development Department Activity Report is now available. The report compiles operational statistics to illustrate the volume of business activity that the department handles on a quarterly basis. Access the report at https://ecms.newportbeachca.gov/Web/0/edoc/2822333/2022_CURRENT_CDD_Quarterly_Report.pdf.
Monthly Treasury Report Details City Investments
The May 2022 Treasury Report is now available on the City’s website at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/finance/financial-reporting-division/financial-information/treasury-reports.
As of May, the City’s investment portfolio totaled $382.1 million when measured at amortized cost. The current market value of the City’s portfolio of $374.9 million incorporates price fluctuations due to the changing interest rate environment that are typically irrelevant since the City typically holds its securities to maturity and receives the full principal value at that time.
The City’s liquidity portfolio is sized to meet the City’s cash flow needs over the next 12 months. Approximately $64.8 million, or 17 percent of the portfolio, was invested in liquid investments available for day-to-day operating expenses and the costs associated with ongoing construction projects. An additional $34.0 million, nine percent of the overall portfolio, was invested in a portfolio of securities with targeted short-term maturities, which earns a higher yield than the City’s more liquid investments. The City utilizes these investments with targeted maturities to meet cash flow needs at times when the balance of more liquid investments declines due to the seasonality of revenue receipts throughout the year.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well 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 team:
- Transported three people to crisis stabilization units for care.
- Transported one person to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for intake.
- Transported one person to the sobering station at the Be Well campus.
- Transported six people to services, shelter intakes, and appointments.
- Conducted 23 outreach interactions with residents and people experiencing homelessness.
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:
- Continued to shelter people. Eighteen people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Assisted a woman and her minor child fleeing a domestic violence situation by enrolling them into services and referring them to a family shelter.
- Enrolled one person into services and completed a housing assessment.
- Completed housing paperwork for a client matched to a housing voucher.
- Sheltered an older adult in a motel while they await placement with an Emergency Housing Voucher.
To donate to those experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach, please visit our Good Giving Program web page at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help.
