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Home My WebLink About07 - Airport Working Group and AirfairCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY ATTORNEY STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. I February 13, 2007 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Robert Burnham, Contract Attorney; (949) 644 -3131; rburnham@)city.newport- beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Resolution Supporting'the Airport Working Group (AWG) and Airfair ISSUE: Should the -City Council adopt a resolution supporting AWG and Airfair and committing ,to immediately commence discussions with both groups in the .ongoing effort to protect Newport Beach residents from the impact of John Wayne Airport operations? RECOMMENDATION: • Staff recommends the City Council adopt the draft resolution attached as Exhibit A. DISCUSSION: In July 2006, the City Council adopted an "Airport Policy" (Policy) that contains a comprehensive strategy to protect Newport Beach residents from the adverse impacts of aircraft operations at John Wayne Airport (JWA). The Policy. recognizes "that .any plan or strategy to control JWA impacts requires support and assistance from community-based groups concerned about airport impacts" such as AWG and Airfair. AWG is a non - profit tax - exempt educational organization founded in 1982 for the purpose of controlling the expansion of JWA, is one of four signatories to the JWA Settlement. Agreement and has a 25 year history of active involvement in efforts to control JWA impacts. Airfair was formed in 2002 with the stated purpose of preventing the expansion of JWA and, while the organization is relatively new, many of its members have worked for more than 20 years, individually or with other organizations; (such as Stop Polluting Our Newport — another Settlement Agreement signatory) to protect Newport Beach residents from JWA impacts. The draft resolution recognizes the contributions of these groups and their members, supports their efforts to the extent consistent with the law and expresses the intent to immediately commence a dialogue with each group as part of the City Council's ongoing effort to do everything possible to protect Newport Beach residents from JWA impacts. Resolution Supporting the Airport Working Group (AWG) and Airfair February 13, 2007 Page 2 The Aviation Committee has reviewed the draft resolution and unanimously recommends City Council approval. Environmental Review: CEQA does not require any environmental documentation. Exhibit A — Draft Resolution C, J • RESOLUTION NO. 2007- • A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CONFIRMING ITS INTENT TO WORK WITH AIRFAIR AND THE AIRPORT WORKING.GROUP TO ACHIEVE OUR MUTUAL OBJECTIVE OF PREVENTING THE EXPANSION OF JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT AND PROTECTING NEWPORT BEACH RESIDENTS WHEREAS, people who live and work under or near the John Wayne Airport (JWA) approach and departure corridors, including many Newport Beach residents, experience the vast majority of adverse impacts related to air carrier and.general aviation operations at JWA; and WHEREAS, the City Council, in conjunction with approval of the new updated General Plan, recently revised its long- standing "Airport Policy" that is designed to protect Newport Beach residents from JWA impacts; and WHEREAS, the revised Airport Policy contains a comprehensive strategy to protect Newport Beach residents from JWA impacts and in this policy: "The City Council recognizes that any plan or strategy to control JWA impacts requires support and assistance from. community -based groups concerned about airport impacts. These groups, such as the AWG, have volunteered thousands of hours pursuing strategies and plans designed to minimize airport impacts and were instrumental in past successes "; and WHEREAS, the revised Airport Policy also commits the City Council to support the efforts of •any group or individual that is striving to achieve the City's primary objective, understands the legal, political and economic factors that are relevant to the control of airport impacts and seeks to achieve the City's primary objective in a manner that reflects full consideration and understanding of those factors; and WHEREAS, Airfair is a "political action committee" formed in 2004 to "create a strong and broad citizen -based opposition to expansion of JWA and is premised on the belief that residents throughout the JWA flight path must unite and actively work together" to achieve the maximum possible control over JWA impacts; and WHEREAS, while Airfair is a relatively new organization, many of its members have been actively involved for more than 20 years, individually or as members of other organizations such as Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON - one of the signators to the Settlement Agreement and amendments), in efforts to protect Newport Beach residents from JWA impacts; and WHEREAS, Airfair has asked the City Council to approve a resolution of support; and WHEREAS, the Airport Working Group of Orange County Inc. ( "AWGI is a non - profit tax - exempt educational. organization, founded in 1982 for the purpose of controlling the expansion of JWA, is one of the four signatories to the original JWA Settlement Agreement and subsequent amendments; and WHEREAS, during AWG's 25 years of involvement in efforts to protect Newport Beach residents from JWA impacts, its members have devoted thousands of hours to constructive solutions •of airport issues and, because of their profession and involvement in local and /or national airport and aviation issues, are well informed of the factors and considerations relevant to the strategies best calculated to protect residents from JWA; and WHEREAS, the City Council supports the efforts of Airfair, the Airport Working Group and other community -based organizations involved in controlling JWA impacts as specified in the recently revised and approved Airport Policy; and • WHEREAS, the City Council agrees with, and supports to the extent consistent with applicable law, the positions adopted by AWG and Airfair including: (a) that JWA is, and will continue to be, Incapable of serving all of Orange County's air transportation demand; and (b) protecting Newport Beads residents requires, among other things, cooperation between the City, AWG and Airfair as well as other public and private agencies to find and implement opportunities to serve the region's air transportation demand that do not involve the expansion of JWA; now, therefore be it RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Newport Beads hereby fully supports those efforts of Airfair and the Airport Working Group to achieve the maximum control over JWA impacts as specified in the recently approved Airport Policy and the updated General Plan; and be it further RESOLVED that the City Council expresses its appreciation of those many Newport Beach residents, including members of Airfair and the Airport Working Group, who have devoted thousands of hours towards developing and implementing strategies to control JWA Impacts and to solve Orange County's air transportation problem; and be it further RESOLVED that the City Council commits to immediately commencing discussions with Airfair and the Airport Working Group to ensure that the ideas and opinions of everyone are reflected in the ongoing effort to control JWA impacts. ADOPTED this 1S' Day of February, 2007. STEVEN ROSANSKY Mayor of Newport Beach ATTEST: LaVONNE HARKLESS Newport Beach City Clerk • •