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HomeMy WebLinkAbout00 - Insider's guideMarch 14, 2017 Insider's Guide From: Kiff, Dave Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2017 7:13 PM Subject: Newport Beach Insider's Guide - Tuesday, March 14, 2017 Dear Readers: First, a good Friday morning to you. Second, as has been my theme during recent weeks, I'm here to report that almost all of the bad times on MacArthur are done! Gone! Finished! Yesterday (Thursday) was the end of the worst of it, with the final paving work done at the critical intersection of San Miguel and MacArthur. We still have some final striping to do (which is night work) as well as carving those signal indicator loops in the lanes (those are the loops that cause the signal to turn when your car or bike activates the loop) — both of these tasks are small compared to the resurfacing. Thank you again to all who heeded the call to take other.routes. For those who braved the road, it was buyer beware. Even as we complete this project, I do need to warn you O that we will be applying for Measure M funds to do the REST of MacArthur (Ford/Bonita Canyon to the 73), but that project won't happen for up to a year or more. Whee. Other traffic impacts can be found on Poppy & Ocean in CdM (new cement streets, sidewalks, and treescape there) and of course Irvine Avenue's S curves. New landscaping is going in, and then the street (both lanes, both directions) will be completely resurfaced, like MacArthur. It needs it. Once again, consider signing up for our weekly updates on All Things Traffic. Nixie helps, too. You'll be glad you did. As to stuff around City Hall, the Newport Beach City Council's next meeting is this coming Tuesday, March 14, 2017 starting at 4:00 p.m. (Study Session) and 7:00 p.m. More detailed Council meeting information is at the end of the Guide. I don't summarize every item on the agenda, so make sure you look at the City Clerk's agenda page to read the whole agenda if you'd like. The 4:00 p.m. Study Session has three items: ® A summary of recent water quality efforts in Lower and tipper Newport Bay. This is pretty relevant because we all can be reminded of the progress that's been made in improving bay water quality, with thanks to our residents, staff, and many others up and down the watershed. Is it perfect? No, but it's gotten a lot better over the 20+ years that folks here have been working on it. More is still to come, especially in regards to reducing trash. • We'll update the Council on a possible path to assign a fair market value to commercial marinas on City tidelands. a It's spring and it's "early hook" time with the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2017 —June 30, 2018). This is the Council's chance to weigh in on what they'd like to see in that capital program. It includes streets, alleys, storm drains, sidewalks, street lights, facilities, landscaping and more. Then the Regular Session begins at 7:00 p.m. Just a few items jump out at me: • Seeing if the City's policies on asset forfeiture should be updated to more closely align with new State law. ® "Second reading" of an ordinance that repeals (generally) the Museum House project's entitlement. This time, it comes before the Council as a consent calendar item. A judge this week refused to grant a temporary restraining order that would have blocked the Council from considering this follow-up action on Tuesday. As you likely saw, the Council took the first steps in repealing the Museum House project's entitlement at the February 28th meeting, but the Council did act to preserve the environmental document that looked at this project and alternatives. The thinking is that it is likely that something, someday will happen to the OCMA site that is different from the current use, and the environmental document is a good foundation for whatever that might be given all of the alternatives it studied. • There is an ad hoc committee proposed to be formed that would look at Election Reform issues. Sending a letter in support of St James the Great Church (the Episcopal Church near the Lido House Hotel site) that supportstheChurchretainin8theirsanctuaryandre|atedpropertiestheneon32'mStree{andViaUdo. StJames the Great's congregation is closely watching an upcoming ecclesiastical hearing at the end of March that might allow them to resume services in their sanctuary. Setting up a new way of displaying newspapers and related material along PCH in the Corona del Mar business area. CdM businesses have been asking for a sensible way to "gang" various nevvsracksto improve safety, visibility and aesthetics inCdK8. |npart because of11t Amendment issues, it's amore complex issue than one might think. That's pretty much it for the agenda. On to random notes: As I noted last time, the next gathering of Women in Newport Networking (WiNN) is coming up on Thursday, March 16 1h , 2017, from 5]8p.nn.to7:00pm.here atthe Civic Center's community room. VViNN'sspecial guest speaker isO[Supervisor (and current Board Chairman) Michelle Steel. ToRSVP, click here. Spring Forward. Clocks goforward at2:O8amonSunday, March 12th . Think about changing your smoke alarm batteries, too. | admit it—I'm not afan ofthe darkness inthe morning. Sharks and Rescues. VVehad ashark sighting Wednesday (| picture the "|iit|e"guy just going onalittle swim down from Huntington and won deringvvhyahelicopter isfoUovvin8him and vvhyeveryone isgetting out ofthe vvater)off of36'hStreet orso. VVatersare reopened now. Also, kudos 0uacouple ofour seasonal lifeguards who, just Thursday morning, were off-duty and surfing but in the right place at the right time (and were fully aware and well- trained) to administer CPR to another surfer found face -down in the waters. That person was alert and talking by the time he arrived at Hoag, which is wonderful and remarkable, and pretty much all due to the fast work and thinking of both the lifeguards and the person who noticed the surfer right away to pull him out. Someone emailed me this week asking "what's going on with the tractors and such" at Big Canyon Nature Park? This is the open space area between Park Newport and the CdMHS/Our Lady Queen of Angels area (sort of southernEastb|ufO. It's not development. But itisarestoration project that removes some invasive species AND attempts to solve a significant selenium problem there. Selenium is an element (it's in the geologic formations here) that isvital for life, but can beharmful inlarge amounts. When excessive amounts ofitpool infresh water, itcan be harmful toaquatic and bird life. This project attempts to keep the selenium from pooling in Big Canyon to avoid |aterbio'accurnu|adon in binds. For more information, click here. Speaking of"what's going oninmmy neighborhood?" our good |Tfolks have prepared aninteractive map onjust that subject. You can look at police calls, fire/EMS calls, and building permits and capital projects all on one map. It's fun and it's here. As always, thanks for reading. Please forward this Guide tofamily, friends and members ofyour HOA ifyou represent one. I always like hearing from you, too, so please don't hesitate to ask a question or offer a comment. Dave Kiff City Manager 949-644-3001 m City Council Meeting Information: The Newport Beach City Council meets on the 2 "u and 4~Tuesdays of most months /the exceptions are August and December). Typically, there is Study Session that starts at 4:00 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. Aclosed 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 7:00 p.m., and often has a specific listing of 20-40 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. Please know that I get a copy of that e-mail, too, because in almost all cases it's something that the City Manager follows -up on. It's my head -start. 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 behind City Hall. You are always welcome to attend in person, but you can also watch on TV (Channels 3/31) 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 Dave. I encourage you to read the full agenda if you wish.