HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 - 02-08-2000February 25, 2000
Agenda Item No. 1
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Minutes DRAFT
Study Session
February 8, 2000 - 4:00 p.m. INDEX
ROLL CALL
Present: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, Mayor Noyes
Absent: Debay (excused), Thomson (excused), O'Neil (excused/late - arrived
at 5:45 p.m.)
CURRENT BUSINESS
1. CLARIFICATION OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
In reference to Item # 5 (Proposed Amendments to Garbage and Refuse
Container Requirements), Council Member Glover asked if the changes to
the ordinance were only applicable to purchases of new garbage containers.
City Manager Bludau responded by stating that the ordinance would not go
into effect until September 1, 2000, and that the City is expecting everyone
to be in compliance with the new regulations by that date. Council Member
Glover stated that she would be pulling the item for discussion at the
evening meeting.
2. REVISION OF COUNCIL G -1 TREE POLICY.
General Services Director Niederhaus introduced Marcy Lomeli, Park &
Tree Superintendent, and John Conway, Urban Forester. He stated that the
two manage the City's urban forest, which consists of approximately 30,000
trees.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that two unusual tree removal
cases that came before the City Council approximately ten months prior
illustrated the types of issues that staff deals with on a daily basis. He
stated that the first incident involved an individual that illegally removed
and replaced trees in front of his home. The individual stated that he did it
as a result of the frustration he had in dealing with the current policy as well
as with staff having no flexibility in the removal and replacement of trees.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that the second case involved
an individual who went through the process with staff and the Parks,
Beaches & Recreation Commission, and eventually appealed to the City
Council.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that staff took the direction
from the City Council decisions made on the two items, and began to analyze
the G -1 Policy. He said that a report was prepared for the June 28, 1999,
City Council meeting on what was wrong with the current policy. He said
that staff also began to work with all interested parties (approximately 100
individuals). He said that the majority of these individuals are interested in
single tree removal and replacements in front of their homes. General
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Services Director Niederhaus stated that there are currently 72 pending tree
removal and retention requests that staff is delaying action on until the
policy is amended by the City Council.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that some individuals are not
waiting for the amendment to be approved, and that there is increased
frustration in dealing with a policy that has little flexibility. In rewriting the
policy, he said that staff has attempted to come to a fair balance between the
small minority of individuals that insist on all trees being retained and the
majority that would like to see some type of flexibility in the removal and
replacement of trees.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that the new policy better
defines the tree removal criteria. He said that the second part of the policy
deals with reforestation and has some flexibility built into it. He described
tree removals as the removals of trees only, and reforestation as the removal
and replacement of trees. He stated that reforestation is done at the
individual's expense. He added that the replacement tree must be the
largest tree possible, which can cost between $800 and $1,000.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that the proposed policy also
sets a better and clearer review process. He said that certain steps are set
for individuals and associations. He said the new policy also allows staff to
go to the City Manager, at the advice of the Risk Manager and Traffic
Engineer, to authorize tree removals that deal with safety issues.
General Services Director Niederhaus said the appeal process was also
equalized. He said there used to be no appeal process for reforestation. He
concluded by stating that the new policy also requires the individual to
attempt to resolve the matter by paying for two supplemental trims first.
Council Member Glover stated that when she was with the Planning
Commission, the City did not protect private views. She stated that this was
the policy because the City recognized that it couldn't make such a
guarantee. She said that she now sees the City topping trees to preserve
views, which she stated has been an evolvement, over the years, towards
protecting private views. She voiced her disagreement with this new
unwritten policy.
Mayor Noyes and General Services Director Niederhaus both indicated that
private homeowners have had trees topped by private firms.
General Services Director Niederhaus stated that the current policy does
allow a supplemental trim using other than the ISA (International Society of
Arboriculture) standards, but only as an alternative.
Council Member Glover again stated her concern that the apparent
unwritten policy that has evolved over the years could cause a problem for
the City in the future. She added that throughout her district there is no
undergrounding and that through her meetings with Edison, she has learned
that they would prefer that all trees in Newport Heights be shrubs. She
stated that she has also learned that topping a tree can cause it to die within
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ten years.
INDEX
Council Member Glover stated that she would like to see every tree
preserved, however believes she is in the minority of the residents in
Newport Beach. She also stated her disagreement with reforestation.
Council Member Glover related a conversation she had with Rob Elliott, the
head landscape architect for The Irvine Company, and a committee that was
formed to look at how to retain trees in the City of Irvine. Council Member
Glover stated that after the three years of study, the committee determined
that the only way to retain trees is through preservation. She stated her
concern that staff may consider the removal of 72 trees in the City.
Mayor Noyes confirmed with General Services Director Niederhaus that the
City does top trees and that it is allowed in the reforestation section of the
current G -1 Policy when normal trimming does not solve a view issue. Staff
is recommending that this alternative to reforestation remain in the policy.
General Services Director Niederhaus added that a change to the G -3 Policy
will be suggested for the preservation of views which will prohibit trees in
the 200 block of Ocean Boulevard.
Council Member Ridgeway referred to the pending 72 tree decisions
mentioned earlier and pointed out that 72 trees represent .0024% of the
current 30,000 City trees. He stated his support for a reasonable control on
the removal of trees, or individuals will be out of control. He stated his
support for addressing the issue in a policy, as is being suggested by staff.
Debra Allen, 1021 White Sails Way, stated that she is happy with the
language in the revised policy and the work of General Services Director
Niederhaus. She stated that there is a concern among her neighbors
regarding the cost of reforestation with the 36 -inch box tree requirement.
She said that if the cost is below $1,000, it shouldn't be a problem. Referring
to Council Member Glover's earlier comments, Ms. Allen stated that there is
a difference between the City using its regulatory power to govern the height
of private development blocking the view of another private landowner and
City development blocking the view of another landowner.
Council Member Glover informed Ms. Allen that her earlier comments were
referring to her district where there are not padded lots like in Ms. Allen's
neighborhood.
Ms. Allen continued by stating that it is true that one policy for all parts of
the City would be difficult. She stated that her area has policies developed
to preserve views.
Kent Moore stated his support for General Services Director Niederhaus and
the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission and their efforts to amend
Council Policy G -1. He feels that if the City determines that reforestation is
justified, he'd be happy to pay for it. He said that the undergrounding of
utilities is also difficult because the utility companies are concerned with the
roots. Mr. Moore stated that by adopting the amended policy, the City could
save money in repairs, trimming, sidewalk repairs, undergrounding utilities
and legal costs due to personal injury cases. He suggested that the City
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Council adopt the amended policy which has been looked at extensively, and
then make additional amendments if that is determined necessary in the
future.
Barry Eaton, President of Eastbluff Homeowners Community Association
and Director of Community Associations Alliance (CAA), stated the
Association's support for the amendments to the G -1 Policy. He added that
they also feel that it is important that appeals can only be brought to the
City Council by the City Manager or a Council Member. He added that the
CAA, which is comprised of many of the padded -lot associations as well as
other associations, is also supportive of the proposed amendments.
Elaine Linhoff, 1760 E. Ocean Boulevard, stated that the G -1 Policy was
worked out about four years ago, which was a compromise between those
who wanted to protect their views and those who wanted to preserve an
urban forest in the City. She stated that the policy, at the time, was
applauded, but after two people had to appeal to the City Council last year,
people suddenly thought that the policy wasn't working. She said that the
proposed policy makes it too easy for people to remove trees. She said that
the vote of the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission on February 1,
2000, on the proposed policy were 3 ayes, 2 noes and 1 abstention. She
stated that there needs to be a comprehensive tree policy for the City, rather
than several fragments, and she suggested that the City take advantage of
the services of a certified arborist available to the City through SPON (Stop
Polluting Our Newport) to write such a policy. Ms. Linhoff concluded by
stating that the maintenance of trees and sidewalks should be separated.
She said that allowing General Services to perform both services creates a
bias.
Council Member Glover stated that a comprehensive policy does exist but it's
true that there are many different parts of the City and possibly there
should be different policies for different situations. Council Member Glover
referred to the difference between the padded lot areas and the older parts of
Newport Beach, such as Newport Heights.
Ms. Linhoff agreed that maybe there should be a different policy for the view
neighborhoods.
John Robertson, 2509 Harbor View Drive, stated that his concern with the
G -1 Policy is that it's becoming a "view tax ". He stated that it sounds like a
compromise by having the people that want to remove trees, pay for them,
but he stated his concern that there could be lawsuits filed against the City
by frustrated homeowners who want numerous mature trees cut back.
Pat Beek, Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission, stated that the
proposed G -1 Policy is much more liberal in regard to the removal of trees.
She added that she was the abstention vote because she felt that the policy
should better clarify definitions, procedures and limits to making requests.
Ms. Beek stated that when discussing views, everyone should keep in mind
that this would not be exclusively blue water views. She stated that the
change in the removal of trees due to hardscape damage is not new.
Ms. Beek stated that another concern that should be considered is how much
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staff time will be needed to handle the reforestation requests. She said that
the Commission knows of no changes to the G -3 Policy. She concluded by
stating that the Commission deferred the Eastbluff item to allow staff to
report on the possibility of replanting the trees in another part of the City.
Bud Rasner stated his concern for the liability that the City faces by leaving
large trees, such as eucalyptus, standing and then risking the possibility of
damage from drippings or personal injuries from uneven sidewalks.
Mr. Rasner stated his concern that he, as a property owner, could be named
in such lawsuits. He stated his understanding that the Parks, Beaches &
Recreation Commission vote would be counted as a 4 ayes, 2 noes vote
because the abstention would be recorded as a vote with the prevailing side.
Mr. Rasner stated that the policy will not allow all trees to be cut down in
the City, and he supports the thought that trees should occasionally be
replaced, especially as they get older.
Val Skoro, Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission, stated that he voted in
support of the new policy but also wants to see more trees in the City, such
as on MacArthur Boulevard. He stated his feeling that not everyone in the
City will ever be satisfied with one tree policy, and maybe separate policies
for different parts of the City might work better. Mr. Skoro stated that he
wanted to make it clear that although he supported the new policy, he does
not feel that it is a way to get more trees removed. He said there needs to be
common sense and flexibility.
Tom Tobin, Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission, referred to Item #18
on the evening agenda (Appeal of Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission
decision) and the removal of a tree at Vista del Oro and Eastbluff Drive.
After discussion between the Mayor and the City Attorney, it was decided
that the specifics of the item should take place at the evening meeting.
Mr. Tobin concluded by stating that he voted in favor of the proposed G -1
policy.
Council Member Ridgeway suggested that the item be forwarded to a regular
meeting of the City Council. He said the intent of the revised policy is to add
some flexibility, which would allow for more common sense. He agreed with
Mr. Skoro's comment that support of the proposed policy does not indicate
that one is not in support of maintaining and adding trees in the City.
Council Member Ridgeway stated that the City has 2,000 more trees than it
had a couple years ago, and he knows of no one that just wants to cut down
trees. He stated his disagreement with Ms. Linhoffs belief that the policy is
not comprehensive. He feels that the policy is comprehensive and was
written responsibly by many citizens. He feels that the proposed policy
responds to safety and risk, and gives the City the ability to weigh safety and
risk against long -term cost. He commended all those who contributed to the
proposed policy.
Council Member Glover stated her agreement with Council Member
Ridgeway that the policy needs to address people illegally and hazardously
cutting down or trimming trees on their own.
Mayor Pro Tem Adams asked about the provision related to damage to
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ad utilities and if there was any discussion related to efforts to
relocate a utility rather than removing a tree. General Services Director
Niederhaus cited a recent incident on Tradewinds Lane where a utility was
moved, as part of an encroachment agreement, in order to save a tree.
Mayor Pro Tem Adams referred to an issue in Eastbluff recently where a
tree was determined to be interfering with a sewer line and the sewer line
was not relocated. Public Works Director Webb stated that it is not always
possible to relocate utilities and gave the example of a ficus tree, located fifty
feet from a sewer lateral, still being able to cause roots in the lateral. He
added that waterline relocations can be very expensive relocations.
Mayor Noyes stated that the item will be brought back to the City Council at
a regular meeting for action.
In reference to Ms. Allen's previous comments about the cost to replace a
tree, General Services Director Niederhaus stated that a 24 -inch box tree
could be planted at a cost of approximately $195. He stated that the cost of a
36 -inch box tree is more because a crane is required to put the tree into
place, which costs approximately $100, plus an additional cost due to the 36-
inch box tree being approximately five to ten years older. He said that by
utilizing a tree contractor the cost would definitely stay below $1,000, with a
range of $600 to $800.
ORANGE COUNTY CITIES - REVENUE/EXPENDITURE COMPARI-
SON.
Administrative Services Director Danner introduced Deputy Administrative
Services Director Dick Kurth, Revenue Manager Glen Everroad and
Management Analyst Craig Bluell.
Administrative Services Director Danner stated that on November 9, 1999,
the City Council directed staff to look at all of the cities in Orange County to
compare revenues and expenditures. He explained that the first step was to
decide on how to gather the information. He said that, from his experience,
a phone survey to the various cities would not ensure reliable data. He said
that sending a City employee to each of the cities to look through their
ledgers would not be a good use of staff time. He said that it would also be
too time consuming to receive and review a copy of each City's budget.
Administrative Services Director Danner stated that it was decided to collect
the data electronically through the State Controller's Office. He said the
problems with this method are that the information is old, the information
received is only as good as the information provided to the State and that
different cities may use different classifications for the various revenues and
expenditures.
Administrative Services Director Danner said that once the information was
received from the State, the City then had to reformat it, and analyze and
sort it using various Excel spreadsheets. He said this analysis was
completed about a month ago but upon review, staff questioned the City
being #1 in property tax revenues. He stated that the City tried to
determine the reason for this and found that many cities in the County have
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City Comparison
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redevelopment agencies, which means that the property taxes go to the
redevelopment agency and not to their general fund. He stated that staff
then went back to the State Controller's Office to obtain redevelopment
agency information.
Administrative Services Director Danner added that it is important to know
that the State Controller classifies revenues into two categories: general
revenues and functional revenues. He said general revenues are defined as
those revenues available to any general fund activity, and functional
revenues are defined as those revenues that are for a specific purpose.
Administrative Services Director Danner stated that staff concentrated on
certain revenues and expenditures, although information for all revenues
and expenditures was included in the analysis. He referred to the chart on
page two of the staff report that shows Newport Beach as being sixth among
the 31 Orange County cities in total revenue during the 1996 -97 fiscal year,
but number three in per capita ranking. He added that general revenues
and functional revenues were split almost 50/50 in the City, which is the
norm throughout the County.
Administrative Services Director Danner explained that functional revenues,
as determined by the State, don't necessarily equate to what the City would
consider as encumbered. Council Member Glover asked if tidelands revenue
would fall into the functional revenue category. Administrative Services
Director Danner responded that it would, but added that tidelands revenue
is not included in the report since only general fund revenues were looked at.
Administrative Services Director Danner continued through the Comparison
of Selected Revenues chart in the staff report and mentioned the City's
rankings for property tax, sales tax and transient occupancy tax (TOT). He
then moved on to the next chart, Comparison of Selected Expenditures, and
stated that the City ranked fourth overall and second per capita. He also
mentioned the City's rankings in public safety, culture and leisure, general
government and community development.
In response to Council Member Glover's question, Administrative Services
Director Danner stated that community development primarily includes
planning and building. Council Member Glover stated that, with the City's
per capita ranking at number eight, this may indicate that the City is not
committing enough revenue to community development and planning. City
Manager Bludau agreed and pointed out that community development was
one of two categories where the City ranked lower in per capita than it did in
the overall ranking. He stated that the other category was TOT.
In response to Council Member Ridgeway's question, Administrative
Services Director Danner stated that most of the expenditures in the
Community Development category are supported by functional revenues.
Council Member Ridgeway confirmed that transportation fees are not
included in the report because they are not general fund revenues.
Administrative Services Director Danner stated that staff came to three
conclusions. He listed the first observation as being that staff realized that
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the data is not exact. He stated that secondly, staff observed that the City's
sales tax ranking should be higher. He added that there should be more
sales tax from the tourism industry.
Mayor Noyes clarified that TOT is also low, when looking at the per capita
ranking versus the overall ranking.
Administrative Services Director Danner stated that the third observation
made by staff was that some cities have as much as 85% functional revenues
and, as mentioned earlier, the City is split about 50/50 between functional
revenues and general revenues. He added that general revenues are subject
to tampering with by the State.
Administrative Services Director Danner concluded by stating that he
recently received a publication from the Public Policy Institute of California
that included a review of local government revenue data in California. He
read from the review which began by stating that many policymakers and
analysts throughout the State have hesitated to use the State Controller's
data on local public revenues because it does not capture all public entities in
the State, does not accurately reflect the fiscal activity of those it does
capture and the data is not produced in a timely manner.
Council Member Glover pointed out that the per capita ranking of the City in
the public safety expenditure category is #1 in the County, and she pointed
out that her district, which is surrounded on three sides by commercial
areas, still feels safe to many of its residents. She said that the City should
take a great deal of pride in that fact.
Council Member Glover stated that she wasn't too surprised by the sales tax.
She added that she understands that the State could take the sales tax from
all cities and redistribute it to the cities within each County, on a per capita
basis. She felt that this would, in essence, be a no growth overlay on the
entire state, since cities would not want development in their city if it didn't
produce direct revenue. She asked for more information regarding this
proposal.
Ken Emanuels, Kenneth Emanuels and Associates, stated that the senator
who introduced the proposal does not like sales tax because it is not a federal
income tax allowable deduction. The senator, instead, feels that only state
taxes should be paid since they are deductible. Mr. Emanuels stated that
the proposal is not in print and shouldn't advance very far. He added that
the chances of even a swap between the City's property tax and sales tax are
zero. He said the cities would oppose it almost uniformly, and legislators
wouldn't support it, since it would require constitutional protection. He
stated that even the governor has stated his opposition.
Council Member Glover asked which of the revenues is the most endangered.
Mr. Emanuels responded by stating that he didn't foresee any changes in
property tax, sales tax or transient occupancy tax in the next couple of years.
He stated that if there is a downturn in the economy, the State then might
come to the cities for more property tax.
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Council Member Ridgeway asked how a constitutional amendment to protect
the City's property tax could be initiated. Mr. Emanuels stated that it would
be impossible to accomplish, politically. He understands that it would
require an initiative, which the League of Cities has determined would cost
approximately $1 million.
Council Member Glover stated her feeling that the two best ways to protect
property tax in the City are to make sure an airport is built at El Toro and to
make sure the schools are improved. She stated that the City also needs to
look at ways to increase its sales tax. She added that the transient
occupancy tax revenue could also be increased.
Council Member Glover stated that the City should encourage The Irvine
Company to continue with their plans for Macy's and Neiman Marcus. Per
Council Member Glover's request, Planning Director Temple reported that
Fashion Island is allowed a total development of 1,588,850 square feet, plus
1750 theater seats. She stated that of the 1,588,850 square feet, there
remains 250,000 square feet of retail development that could occur in the
future. Planning Director Temple stated that the 250,000 would not be
subject to a vote by the citizens if the Greenlight Initiative was in effect, but
would be included in the tabulations.
Council Member Glover asked for the status on Macy's and Neiman Marcus.
Planning Director Temple stated that any improvements to the existing
buildings, which added additional floor area, would draw down the
remaining 250,000. Planning Director Temple added that 200,000 square
feet of retail space was effected by The Irvine Company's recent action to not
continue with the developments at Fashion Island. Council Member Glover
stated that the City should talk to The Irvine Company about continuing
with their plans. She stated that the City needs to capitalize on the sales tax
it receives from Fashion Island.
Mayor Noyes confirmed with Planning Director Temple that the 45,000
square feet that was recently moved from Fashion Island is not included in
the 250,000 figure. He said that with the 250,000 square feet available and
the entitlement to the hotel tower next to the Four Seasons, The Irvine
Company could develop without too much trouble. He asked how long the
entitlement for the hotel tower would be effective. Planning Director Temple
stated that the entitlement does not disappear except through an
amendment to the General Plan, but that the hotel requires traffic phasing
approval, which is only allowable for a couple of years.
Council Member Ridgeway agreed with Council Member Glover's comments
and assured everyone that the City would not do anything until it weighs out
and balances the traffic impacts. He believed that the financial implications
of a Fashion Island expansion are very important to evaluate. He
encouraged The Irvine Company to develop, but stated that he understands
that there are market considerations that dictate what they do.
Regarding the property tax ranking, Barry Eaton expressed the opinion that
it is not fair to include redevelopment area funding in the report since that
money cannot be used toward General Fund revenue. He stated that it
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might not be bad that the City does not rate as high in terms of sales tax
since the State Controller may reallocate sales tax partially on a per capita
basis. This will more strongly affect Irvine and Costa Mesa. He also
expressed concern relative to e- commerce and its affects on State and local
sales tax.
Council Member Glover agreed with Mr. Eaton and added that the City
should be concentrating more strongly on transient occupancy tax (TOT) in
the event the City loses its sales tax. Mr. Eaton concurred, believing that
the City's TOT is poised to grow.
Council Member Glover expressed her appreciation to staff for doing this
report. She stated that it gives her a strong sense of the direction Council
should take in order to achieve increased revenue.
Administrative Services Director Danner reported that next year's fiscal
information will come out in March. He indicated that it took a lot of staff
time to generate this report, but confirmed that they could continue using
this format for future analysis.
Phil Arst stated that he talked with a planner in Irvine last week who also
expressed concern relative to e- commerce. He believed that the plan should
incorporate and look into this concept as it can have a major impact on the
City. Regarding TOT, Administrative Services Director Danner clarified for
Mr. Arst that the City's TOT is higher than the adjacent cities.
Administrative Services Director Danner stated that the City does have to be
concerned about e- commerce since six to seven percent of the City's sales tax
base will be going this way in a few years. He added that most economists
feel that a six to seven percent reduction in sales tax equates to a moderate
recession. Council Member Ridgeway expressed the opinion that
Congressman Chris Cox's comment that e- commerce should not be taxed is
irresponsible.
Regarding Mr. Arst's question relative to Proposition 13, Administrative
Services Director Danner stated that data is difficult to obtain and comes
from the County. He indicated that, up until a couple of years ago, the City
had the highest number of pre- Proposition 13 assessments, but now the City
is second highest.
Mayor Pro Tem Adams thanked Council Member Glover for requesting this
report and agreed that it would be a good idea to keep it up to date. He
asked if any consideration was made of sharing this with the other Orange
County cities. Administrative Services Director Danner stated that the City
has not formally done this, but that the City Clerk has received many
requests from other cities to receive it and noted that the report is also on
the City's website.
City Manager Bludau stated that he was pleased with what he heard from
Council, specifically about the TOT because it is an opportunity for the
greatest growth with the least impact on the community.
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PUBLIC COMMENTS —None.
ADJOURNMENT — 5:47 p.m.
The agenda for the Study Session was posted on February 2, 2000, at
3:15 p.m. on the City Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of
Newport Beach Administration Building.
City Clerk
Recording Secretary
Mayor
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INDEX
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Minutes
Regular Meeting DRAFT
February 8, 2000 - 7:00 p.m. INDEX
STUDY SESSION - 4:00 p.m. [Refer to separate minutes]
CLOSED SESSION - 6:00 p.m.
CLOSED SESSION REPORT PRESENTED - None.
RECESSED AND RECONVENED AT 7:00 P.M. FOR REGULAR MEETING
ROLL CALL
Present: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Absent: Thomson and Debay (excused)
Pledge of Allegiance - Council Member Glover.
Invocation by Reverend Tim McCalmont, Presbyterian Church of the
Covenant.
CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MATTERS WHICH COUNCIL
MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR
DISCUSSION. ACTION OR REPORT (NON- DISCUSSION ITEM):
• Mayor Noyes announced that the Library Bookstore still needs more donated
books. The books can be picked up by calling 759 -9667 or dropped off at the
library.
• Mayor Noyes announced that, if anyone needs to send a fax to Council on
meeting days, they can fax the item to the City Clerk's office at 644 -3039.
• Mayor Noyes requested that a future study session be held to answer general
questions regarding traffic phasing, lighting, etc.
• Noting that the supplemental agenda item appoints Council Member Ridgeway
to the Orange County Coastal Coalition, Mayor Noyes commended and thanked
the newest Council Members, Mayor Pro Tem. Adams and Council Member
Ridgeway, for shouldering their share.
• Mayor Noyes announced that the Secretary of States provided cassette tapes to
assist the blind and visually impaired that outline the propositions on the March
ballot. He stated that individuals can contact the City Clerk's office at 644 -3005
regarding the tapes.
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CONSENT CALENDAR
READING OF MINUTES /ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
1. MINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED REGULAR AND REGULAR
INDEX
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MEETING OF JANUARY 25, 2000 AND SPECIAL MEETING OF
JANUARY 31, 2000. Waive reading of subject minutes, approve as written
and order filed.
2.
READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. Waive reading in
full of all ordinances and resolutions under consideration, and direct City
Clerk to read by title only.
RESOLUTIONS FOR ADOPTION
3.
Removed at the request of Mayor Pro Tern Adams.
4.
Removed at the request of Council Member O'Neil.
ORDINANCES FOR ADOPTION
5.
Removed at the request of Council Member Glover.
6.
AMENDMENT TO FRONT YARD SETBACKS ON ALVARADO PLACE
Ord 2000 -4
(PLANNING COMMISSION AMENDMENT NO. 896) - AN
PCA 896/
AMENDMENT TO DISTRICTING MAP NO. 11 TO ESTABLISH AN
301 Alvarado Place
8 FOOT FRONT YARD SETBACK ON ALVARADO PLACE AND
(94)
DELETE THE ESTABLISHED 8 FOOT FRONT YARD SETBACK ON
EAST BAY AVENUE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING AT
301 ALVARADO PLACE. Adopt Ordinance No. 2000 -4.
7.
407 BOLSA AVENUE (APPLICANTS - VANCE COLLINS AND IAN
Ord 2000 -5
FETTES) - A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE
GPA 91 -2
LAND USE DESIGNATION FROM RETAIL AND SERVICE
407 Bolsa Avenue
COMMERCIAL TO TWO- FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO ALLOW FOR
(45)
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ATTACHED TWO- FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
SUBDIVISION. Adopt Ordinance No. 2000 -5.
CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS
8.
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CONTRACT WITH KENNETH
C -3083
EMANUELS AND ASSOCIATES. Authorize Mayor Noyes to execute the
Legislative
agreement for professional services with Kenneth Emanuels and Associates.
Advocacy (38)
9.
CONSULTANT AGREEMENT AMENDMENT FOR THE NEWPORT
C -3235
DUNES RESORT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (contd. from
Newport Dunes
1/25/00). Continued at the request of the consultant.
Resort EIR (38)
10.
DOVER DRIVE, WESTCLIFF AND DOVER SHORES STREET
C -3317
REHABILITATION (C- 3317). 1) Approve the plans and specifications;
BA -036
2) award C -3317 to Ruiz Engineering Company for the total bid price of
Dover Drive/
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City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
$458,082.50 and authorize the Mayor and the City Clerk to execute the
contract; 3) establish an amount of $45,000 to cover the cost of unforeseen
work; and 4) authorize a budget amendment (BA -036) to transfer
$283,082.50 from the Gas Tax appropriated surplus fund balance to Account
No. 7181- C5100537, Dover Drive Pavement Overlay.
11. Removed at the request of Council Member Glover.
MISCELLANEOUS ACTIONS
12. PLANNING C
Receive and file.
AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY 3, 2000.
13. Removed at the request of Council Member Glover.
14. RESUBDIVISION NO. 978 AT BIRCH STREET AND DOVE STREET.
1) Approve the improvement plans and specifications and accept the public
improvements constructed in conjunction with Resubdivision No. 978; and
2) authorize the City Clerk to release the faithful performance bond and
labor and materials bond (Bond No. 11- 91 -90).
15. DONATION OF CITY PROPERTY. Approve the donation of the property
as listed in the staff report to the Newport -Mesa Unified School District.
16. TRUCK PURCHASE FOR PUBLIC WORKS UTILITIES DIVISION.
1) Approve an additional vehicle for the Public Works Utilities Division and
authorize the purchase of a 1 -ton truck with utility body; and 2) approve a
budget amendment (BA -035) to transfer $25,000 from the Water Enterprise
Fund Utilities Account (5500 -8110) to the Equipment Replacement Account
(5500 -8024) for the purchase of the truck and a transfer of $18,000 from the
Special Departmental Supplies Account (5500 -8200) to the Equipment
N.O.C. Account (5500-9300).
17. NOTICE OF INTENT TO WITHDRAW FROM THE METRO CITIES
FIRE AUTHORITY; AND APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT
TO CONDUCT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO STUDY THE
FEASIBILITY OF MERGING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE
FIRE AND MARINE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY DISPATCH,
TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SUPPORT
SYSTEMS. 1) Approve recommendation to give notice of the City's intent to
withdraw as a member of the Metro Cities Fire Authority pending a
comprehensive study to determine the feasibility of merging the Police
Department and Fire and Marine Department Emergency Dispatch,
Technology and Management Information support systems; and 2) approve a
budget amendment (BA -038) reallocating existing funds and authorizing
staff to send out a Request for Proposals to conduct said study, in an amount
not to exceed $75,000.
18. Removed at the request of Mayor Pro Tern Adams.
S21. APPOINTMENT TO THE ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL COALITION.
Confirm Mayor Noyes' appointment of Council Member Ridgeway as the
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INDEX
Westcliff/
Dover Shores
Street
Rehabilitation
(38/40)
Planning
(68)
Resub 978
Birch Street and
Dove Street
(84)
City Property
(73)
BA -035
Truck Purchase/
Public Works
Utilities Division
(40/74)
BA -038
Metro Cities
Fire Authority/
Emergency
Dispatch,
Technology and
Management
Information
Support Systems
RFP
(40/41/70)
Orange County
Coastal Coalition
City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
City's representative to the Orange County Coastal Coalition.
Public Works Director Webb announced that the Bonita Canyon Park
negative declaration had an error relative to the publication of the
document. The hearing will not be conducted tonight, but is scheduled for
March 8. He reported that they are preparing responses to comments and
that those letters should be received prior to March 8.
Motion by Mayor Pro Tern Adams to approve the Consent Calendar,
except for those items removed (3, 4, 5, 11, 13 and 18) and continued (9).
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes:
Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes:
None
Abstain:
None
Absent:
Thomson, Debay
ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR
3. ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION OPPOSING MEASURE F.
Mayor Pro Tern Adams stated that this is an important Countywide vote
that could affect the development of an airport at El Toro and proceeded to
read the resolution.
Council Member Glover believed that the local newspaper, some residents,
Supervisor Tom Wilson, and the proponents of the Millennium Plan are
trying to convince the public that there is nothing to worry about relative to
the John Wayne Airport (JWA) being expanded if El Toro does not happen.
She noted that there will be a need for additional air passenger use in the
County and, if El Toro is not built, they will naturally expand JWA.
Mayor Pro Tern Adams stated that the two - thirds provision in Measure F
would ensure that El Toro would not be built. And if El Toro is not built, he
believed that getting a two - thirds vote to expand JWA five to fifteen years
from now will be one of the easiest things to do since the County will be
suffering from a lack of air service and the economy will be suffering. He
indicated that the cities that are directly in the JWA corridor (Newport
Beach, Costa Mesa, and Tustin) will easily be outvoted by the remainder of
the County to expand JWA.
Motion by Council Member Ridgeway to adopt Resolution No. 2000 -14
Mayor Noyes stated that these types of initiatives are not in the best interest
of the County and believed that the decisions are made based on prejudice,
self interest, and propaganda.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Volume 53 - Page 190
(54)
Res 2000 -14
Measure F (54)
City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
INDEX
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
4. BANKRUPTCY RECOVERY.
Res 2000 -15
Bankruptcy
Council Member O'Neil stated that this issue was brought forward at the
Recovery
Transportation Corridor meeting last week. He reported that Supervisor
(40)
Todd Spitzer indicated that this type of resolution waives and releases any
claims to any additional funds that may be discovered. He believed it would
not be in the City's best interest to waive any rights in order to receive the
fair share.
Council Member Ridgeway reported that the City's loss was $17.3 million
and the recovery will be 94 percent of that amount.
Administrative Services Director Danner confirmed that the City is required
to sign a release for any additional money that may be found. He stated that
the City has been encouraged by Orange County Investment Pool (OCIP)
Counsel Patrick Shea to sign the document in order to receive the proceeds.
It is his opinion that it is unlikely that any additional funds will be found
since it has been five years since the bankruptcy and the County's auditors
have been through the books. He reported that the funds will be available
on February 24.
Indicating that he is satisfied that this has been reviewed by the bankruptcy
counsel, Council Member O'Neil moved to adopt Resolution No. 2000 -15
appointing the Administrative Services Director as the designated person
from the City to receive all bankruptcy proceeds and adopt the Settlement
Agreement between the County, Pool Committee, and each Option A
participant.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
5. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 6.040.090 OF THE NBMC
Ord 2000 -1
(GARBAGE AND REFUSE CONTAINER REQUIREMENTS).
Garbage & Refuse
Containers (44)
General Services Director Niederhaus reported that about 11 percent of the
population has containers that do not meet the new requirements. He stated
that a public outreach program has been set up which will notify the
residents that they have until September 1 to change out the nonconforming
containers; and provide them with the store locations where they can
purchase the proper containers. He provided an overview of the new
requirements and indicated that, even though they have the authority to cite
and fine residents, they always find them cooperative.
In response to Council Member Glover's questions, Mr. Niederhaus reported
that the City services 26,320 units, and that 1,743 are affected by the
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City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
ordinance. He reiterated that the residents always tend to cooperate with
the refuse department and that the refuse department expects there will be
compliance prior to September. He reported that the containers can cost
between $8 to $17 each, with each unit using two to three containers. He
stated that they have contacted the local hardware stores relative to the
container change and that the stores will also have flyers that outline the
new requirements.
Motion by Council Member Glover to adopt Ordinance No. 2000 -1.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
11. PLANNING ANALYSIS OF THE "PROTECTION FROM TRAFFIC
AND DENSITY" INITIATIVE.
Assistant City Manager Wood noted that the Protection from Traffic and
Density initiative (Greenlight initiative) will be on the November ballot. She
stated that the initiative is a very complex piece of potential legislation and
the impacts on future development are unclear. Additionally, because of its
retrospective nature to look back at General Plan Amendments (GPA) from
the past 10 years, a fair amount of research needs to be done to gain that
understanding. She indicated that the City does not have the staffing to do
the analysis in -house and is proposing to contract with John Douglas of The
Planning Center. She reported that Mr. Douglas is a former City employee
and that the advantages of him conducting the analysis is that he worked on
some of the GPAs and knows the City's system and General Plan. She noted
that Council Policy requires Council approval whenever it is proposed to
retain the services of a former employee.
In response to Council Member Glover's questions, Ms. Wood reported that
Mr. Douglas will be contracted to review all of the GPAs that have been
approved in the last 10 years by statistical area and will track the amount of
square footage, number of residential units approved, and the amount of
traffic generated by those developments. The City will then know what the
future impacts will be for each statistical area, i.e. the amount of capacity
that remains in each area before another GPA would require a vote of the
people. Ms. Wood stated that this information is needed in order to
understand what the City is dealing with and to respond to property owner
questions.
Believing that this is the beginning point, Council Member Glover stated
that the long term economic impacts, the number of elections, and the
election costs will need to be determined in order to properly inform the
residents of the initiative's implications. Mayor Pro Tem Adams requested
that the following questions also be answered: how many elections will the
City need to hold; what will the cost be to the taxpayers to hold the elections;
what is the expected cost for administrating the change to the City charter;
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INDEX
C -3328
BA -037
Planning
Analysis of
Initiative
(38/40/68)
City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
INDEX
and does the initiative cover large and small development proposals that do
not require GPAs.
Motion by Council Member Ridgeway to approve a budget amendment
(BA -037) in the amount of $11,500 and authorize the City Manager to retain
the services of a firm employing a former City employee, and to execute a
professional services agreement with The Planning Center for the
preparation of a planning analysis of the initiative.
Allan Beek, 2007 Highland, believed that Council is opposed to the
Greenlight initiative and hopes it fails. Further, that the money might be
regarded as a campaign expenditure to try to produce something to be used
against the initiative. He stated that an easy way to avoid this appearance
of evil is to put off this study until after the election.
Mr. Beek stated that the answers to the three concerns are already in hand.
Regarding staffing, he believed that there will be a trivial amount of extra
time involved and that the GPA reports will, thereafter, have to show the
increase in peak hour trips, square feet, and dwelling units. He believed
that this data should already be included in the staff report. He indicated
that staff reports are good at telling what the situation will be after
adoption, but does not report on what the situation was before adoption.
Regarding how many elections the initiative would cause to be held,
Mr. Beek indicated that they have analyzed this and posted the information
on their website. He reported that they analyzed the 55 GPAs that were
made over the last 11 years and that there were about 2,000 projects a year.
Of those 2,000 projects, about 5 projects required GPAs and, of those
5 projects, only 1 was major enough to call for a vote under the Greenlight
initiative. He indicated that he gave his analysis to the Economic
Development Committee and the Planning Department so they could check
it and find any errors, and so far no one has offered any corrections. He
stated that they welcome the production of information, but that it does not
take $11,500 to do this. Regarding determining what the initiative means to
the economic development and future of the City, Mr. Beek expressed the
opinion that the analysis is an inappropriate thing to be spending money on.
He stated that, when a GPA comes up, its impact on the economic future of
the City is one of the things that is taken into consideration. He indicated
that it might be necessary to look at some of the past GPAs and clarify what
was done only when a new GPA comes up.
Phil Arst, 2601 Lighthouse Lane, stated that he supports any and all
analysis of the work they did in formulating the Greenlight initiative so that
the public may form an opinion for themselves. He noted that major
builders have seen the data and believed that, if The Irvine Company found
serious flaws, they would not have withdrawn their project.
Mr. Arst asked if Council is the initiative opponent since Council is
interjecting into a separate political process by subsidizing work that more
properly should be done by their commercial opponents. He stated that they
strongly object to the City using taxpayer dollars for an analysis. However,
if Council does award this contract, they should then award an equal amount
to the proponents. Referencing Agenda Item 15 on the January 11 agenda,
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City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
INDEX
he expressed the opinion that this is the second time Council has interjected
itself into the process. He stated that, if there was something wrong with
the initiative, their opponents will bring lawsuits against it and that the City
does not need to be involved.
Mr. Arst requested that Council leave this political study to their opponents
since this information is not needed until after the election. He announced
that information regarding the Greenlight initiative can be accessed at
www.newportgreenlight.com.
Mayor Noyes stated that Council works for the citizens of Newport Beach
and that their goal is to educate the citizens. He noted that doing the
analysis after the election has been conducted is not right because that
would mean that the citizens would find out what they voted on after they
have already voted.
City Attorney Burnham stated that Council can and has the obligation to
educate its citizens on any ballot measure. He indicated that it is his
understanding that this agenda item was something that was suggested by
Mr. Beek a few months ago after his GPA analysis. Mr. Beek suggested that
the City check his work, determine what prior GPAs might have been
subject to the initiative, and determine the affects of prior GPAs in terms of
the aggregation provision. He believed that this is precisely what Mr. Beek
asked the City to do and added that the study is completely legal.
In keeping the analysis in line with Mr. Beek's request, Mayor Pro Tem
Adams withdrew his suggested additions to the study.
Council Member Glover stated that Council's responsibilities are to every
resident in the City and that they will live with whatever decision the voters
make. Further, it is also Council's responsibility to inform the citizens on
what the initiative will do to their quality of life. She stated that Council
will be remiss in their responsibility if they do not get information to the
citizens.
Jennifer Frutig, 1715 Marlin Way, stated that she was surprised to read in
the Daily Pilot about how the initiative would handcuff Council and
eliminate the review process, believing that giving voters oversight over
major amendments would not handcuff Council. Regarding the independent
analysis, Dr. Frutig pointed out that the cost was one of the reasons Council
did not want to hold a special election and noted that Council did not feel the
initiative would pass anyway. However, Council is now willing to spend
$11,500 on an independent analysis whose data could easily be manipulated.
Mayor Noyes clarified that the reason Council did not hold a special election
for the initiative was because they wanted time for the public to be well
educated on the subject and not have it rushed.
Council Member Ridgeway emphasized that everyone is working towards the
same goal of determining a vision of what the City is all about. He indicated
that Council is trying to create solutions and noted that Council made a
motion for a GPA, Land Use update, and Circulation update that will have a
vision. He expressed the opinion that doing this is more important and will
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City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
13.
also allow the City to revisit fair share fees and transient occupancy tax fees.
He reported that there is a project near the airport that would only pay the
City $1 million, but would pay $6 million if it were in Irvine. He believed
that $11,500 is money well-spent to evaluate if the City is losing $5 million
and to create solutions.
Mayor Noyes emphasized that Council is not the opponent and noted that
Council makes daily decisions based on the same things Greenlight is
talking about.
Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated that he is an opponent of the initiative, but is
a proponent of stopping too much traffic in the City. He clarified that The
Irvine Company did not back out from their project because of the initiative.
The Irvine Company knew it did not have enough votes because Council
cares enough about the City to keep traffic from growing too much.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
REGARDING SIGNAGE.
In response to Council Member Glover's questions, Assistant City Manager
Wood stated that one of the Economic Development Committee's (EDC) focus
was on image enhancement, specifically signage. She indicated that EDC is
recommending that Council include funding for a comprehensive review of
the commercial sign code and development of a coordinated Citywide signage
program in next year's capital budget. She reported that the cost would be
similar to the Balboa Peninsula signage program ($50,000), but that an
actual estimate will be conducted if Council wants to include it in the budget.
Regarding simple coordinated signs, Ms. Wood indicated that the idea is to
replace some of the existing signs with new ones and reduce the number of
signs throughout the City. This would simplify and clean -up the entire look.
Mayor Pro Tem Adams expressed his support, believing that this is the
direction the City should be headed.
Don Glasgow, 2620 East Coast Highway, business owner, Chairman of the
Corona del Mar Business Improvement District, member of the Economic
Development Committee, stated that the recommendation is a way to get
started on a sign program. He reported that the current signage ordinances
are cumbersome and old, and that time is needed to figure out where the
City wants to go, where it should be, and how it wants to look. He stated
that everyone in the community agrees that the City has a sign problem.
Motion by Council Member Ridgeway to direct staff to include the
following two projects in the 2000 -01 Capital Budget: 1) comprehensive
review of commercial sign code; and 2) development of simple, coordinated
Volume 53 - Page 195
INDEX
Economic
Development
Committee/
Signage
(68)
City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
public and visitor signage throughout the City of Newport Beach.
Council Member Glover believed that the City needs better sign restrictions.
She indicated that Mariner's Mile will be coming to the City with a sign
program that was put together by the businesses in which they discipline
themselves.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
18. APPEAL OF PARKS, BEACHES AND RECREATION COMMISSION
DECISION.
Mayor Pro Tern Adams stated that he tries to oppose tree removals; however,
in this case, the City needs to remove two parkway trees to preserve the
sight lines to a stop sign that is in a school area. He noted that he would
love to see the trees remain, but believed this is one case in which the City
cannot compromise safety and the safety of school children.
Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Adams to 1) overturn the decision of the
Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission of 211/2000 to continue a tree
removal request by the Traffic Engineer; and 2) approve the removal of two
city parkway trees located at Eastbluff Drive and Vista del Oro.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
PUBLIC COMMENTS — None.
19. COAST HIGHWAY RELINQUISHMENT IN CORONA DEL MAR.
City Manager Bludau cautioned Council that this would be difficult to back
out of once the City secures a legislator to sponsor legislation for the
relinquishment without losing favor of that legislator. He believed that the
process should begin but just wanted to make Council aware that
relinquishment from Caltrans is an unusual process to undertake.
Public Works Director Webb stated that the City and the Corona del Mar
Business Improvement District (CdM BID) have had many meetings with
Caltrans. He reported that it is Caltrans District 12's preference that the
City request a relinquishment for either all of Coast Highway or the portion
from the easterly City limits to Newport Boulevard, and not just a small
piece. He indicated that Corona del Mar may have some differences in
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INDEX
Tree Removal/
Eastbluff Drive
and Vista del Oro
(62)
Coast Highway
Relinquishment
(74)
City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
INDEX
which a case can be built that the section through the business district is
different from the roadway on either side.
Mr. Webb reported that it is Caltrans' policy that local agency
relinquishment requests be done through the legislature. As part of a
relinquishment, Caltrans agrees to bring the roadway section up to a state of
good repair (having a ten year life). He reported that Caltrans has recently
done a major overlay and reconstruction project, so there may or may not be
the ability to receive large sums of money for improvements. He indicated
that negotiations will still be needed after the legislative process to define
"state of good repair ".
Mr. Webb reported that the relinquishment will be good for the Corona del
Mar area because everything requires a Caltrans permit that is currently
done to the storefronts of the entire right -of -way. If the City were
controlling that area, the permit process would hopefully be quicker. He
stated that Caltrans does not allow certain activities, like sidewalk sales or
outside dining; and are reluctant to allow extensive improvements in median
landscaping and paving. The community indicated that they would like the
ability to conduct upgrades that are not normally allowed by Caltrans.
Council Member O'Neil reported that there is a phenomenon in old Corona
del Mar in which both the business and residential communities are in total
agreement on one thing, and that this motivates him to do whatever he can
to support it. He believed that, if the City accomplishes the relinquishment,
it will create a lot of landscaping possibilities, a more village -like character, a
more pedestrian- friendly area, and more parking opportunities. He noted
that the CdM BID has been working on this and will continue to work on
this, and has looked at the maintenance issues and liability exposure.
Motion by Council Member O'Neil to propose a relinquishment to
Caltrans of the one mile stretch through the Corona del Mar business
district; authorize the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District
representatives to meet with Caltrans officials and staff to discuss all the
issues (i.e. long term maintenance and liability) and come back to Council
with their findings; Council reserves the right to secure legislator to sponsor
legislation to accomplish the relinquishment; and direct staff to negotiate
with Caltrans a "state of good repair" settlement.
Don Glasgow, 2620 East Coast Highway, business owner, Chairman of the
Corona del Mar Business Improvement District, stated that he has been
working with some incredible volunteers on this project for about three
years. He stated that the CdM BID hopes to move ahead with the
relinquishment at the same time their Corona del Mar plans move ahead, so
that momentum is not lost. He emphasized that they do have momentum,
cohesiveness, and ideas for the area. He reported that they need to get
Caltrans out of the way if they want to add more trees, improve pedestrian
circulation, improve parking management, add more medians, fix sidewalks,
add more landscaping and paving, add street enhancements, add more and
better park benches, add bike racks and water fountains, improve building
facades, improve signage, clean up alleys, improve lighting, add more
planter boxes and flower pots, add hanging plants, add more decorations,
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City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
and add more monuments at the City's entrance. He emphasized that they
need to deal with one agency, the City, and then they can work with the City
to figure out how to get everything done to make Corona del Mar one of the
most special places in Southern California. Mr. Glasgow stated that they
understand that things cost money but that they are getting creative and
researching funding sources.
Council Member Ridgeway applauded the CdM BID on all their goals, but
cautioned them of the downsides to relinquishment (long term maintenance
costs after ten years and the liability risks). He stated that Council needs to
evaluate the cost and tort risks to the City prior to proceeding forward.
Council Member Glover stated that there will be a cost to the City because it
will be handling all the lawsuits that occur there, but noted that the City
always ends up being one of the parties affected anyway. She pointed out
that, although the cost will be spread throughout the City, this is a real
positive thing for the City. She indicated that the City needs to concentrate
on improving all the older areas and agreed with Mr. Glasgow that Corona
del Mar can be taken to another level.
The motion carried by the following roll call vote
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
20. BALBOA PENINSULA PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN.
Council Member Ridgeway reported that this item has been reviewed both
by Council and by Promote Revitalization of Our Peninsula (PROP).
Tom Hyans, President of the Central Newport Beach Community
Association, stated that they have done considerable work with Council
Member Ridgeway on the peninsula parking plan and that this plan deals
entirely with commercial areas. He believed that the determination of what
will work best for the businesses is for the businesses to explore and that
options can be tried at relatively little expense to the City. Regarding
residential areas, the Association does not feel there should be meters in
these areas. Additionally, they are also not supportive of higher fees or
raising the parking permit program in the residential areas. Mr. Hyans
indicated that he reviewed the Balboa Inn plans but expressed concern
relative to parking buses near this business.
Council Member Ridgeway reported that the Balboa Parking lot will be
reviewed at a later date. Regarding Option 4 (implement Business Parking
Permit Program), he indicated that the City will be watching very closely as
to whether businesses impact residential areas.
Motion by Council Member Ridgeway to approve the following options
and direct staff to implement as soon as possible:
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INDEX
Balboa Peninsula
Parking
Management
(85)
City of Newport Beach
City Council Minutes
February 8, 2000
Option 1 - Increase Meter Fees
Option 2 - Modify Meter Time Limits
Option 5 - Create Visitor Parking Guide
Option 9 - Implement Bus Layover Area
Option 15 - Improve Red Curb and Intersection Visibility
Option 16 - Develop Pier Lot Validation Program
Option 17 - Implement Electronic Meter Pilot Program
The motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Glover, Adams, Ridgeway, O'Neil, Mayor Noyes
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Thomson, Debay
- None.
ADJOURNMENT - 8:35 p.m.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++
The agenda for the Regular Meeting was posted on February 2, 2000, at
3:15 p.m. on the City Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of
Newport Beach Administration Building. The supplemental agenda for the
Regular Meeting was posted on February 4, 2000, at 2:10 p.m. on the City
Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of Newport Beach
Administration Building.
City Clerk
Recording Secretary
Mayor
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