HomeMy WebLinkAbout00 - Insider's GuideInsider's Guide for the Newport Beach City Council Meeting on August 24, 2021
Our next City Council meeting is Tuesday, August 24. Items that may be of interest are highlighted below.
The entire agenda, and all reports, can be viewed here.
There is no Study Session.
The Regular Meeting begins at 4 p.m. with a closed session. The Council will reconvene at 5 p.m. for
open session, with the following items of note:
On the Consent Calendar is:
A proclamation to end a local emergency regarding the infestation of an invasive algae species,
Caulerpa Prolifera, in Newport Harbor. The Council declared the local emergency in May after
as discovered near the China Cove area of Newport Harbor. The plant, which is commonly used
in aquariums, is not toxic to animals or humans but can quickly overtake native habitats and
cause significant environmental damage. Newport Beach supported multiple state and local
agencies and contract divers who removed the Caulerpa in July. The cleanup effort was
successful, and the state agencies and the City will continue to monitor the harbor floor to ensure
that the Caulerpa does not return.
Visit Newport Beach, Inc. (VNB), a business unit of Newport Beach & Company, which provides
destination marketing services to the City of Newport Beach under contract agreement has
submitted their fiscal year 2022 business plan, annual budget, and fiscal year 2021 performance
standards report. Under the agreement, VNB is required to submit business plans, budgets and
performance reports to the Council on an annual basis. The agreement with VNB runs through
December 31, 2024.
Public Hearings and Current Business include:
The Council will hear a request to remove and replace two lemon -scented gum eucalyptus trees,
designated as special neighborhood City trees, in the public right-of-way at 1317 and 1323
Ashford Lane. After City staff initially denied the request, the applicant appealed the decision to
the Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Commission. In June, the Commission upheld staff's
decision to deny the removal request. The Commission's decision is now being appealed to the
City Council for consideration.
The Council will consider an appeal of a determination made by the City's Community
Development Director, issued on April 30, interpreting that resort hotels may allow residential
uses under certain conditions. The determination was made in accordance with City Council
direction under Council Policy K-4 (Reducing the Barriers to the Creation of Housing). The
determination was appealed by Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) to the City's Planning
Commission, which denied the appeal and upheld the Director's determination. Following the
Planning Commission's decision, SPON filed an appeal to the City Council. The Council will
consider whether the Director's determination is consistent with Council Policy K-4.
In response to neighborhood safety concerns, a proposal to close Tustin Avenue at Cliff Drive to
vehicular traffic, on a trial basis, will be considered by the Council. City staff has consulted with
residents on potential safety improvements and is proposing a trial closure, to vehicular traffic
only, at the north end of Tustin Avenue at Cliff Drive. Staff will conduct a traffic analysis during
the four-month trial period, which will be used to help determine whether the temporary closure
should be made permanent.