NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members extended a deadline to replace old refuse containers.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Residents have until Oct. 2 to get new containers. The original

deadline was Sept. 1. The city adopted new requirements for containers to

protect trash collectors from injury and allow for faster collection. New

containers can’t exceed 35 gallons in capacity and must be made of

plastic or a similar, nonmetal watertight material. Fixed handles must be

located below the top edge of the container. It must also have a

watertight cover that isn’t permanently attached.

Veterans Charities of Orange County offers to pick up the old cans and

deliver a new one for $12.50. The price includes the cost of the new can.

Call (714) 547-0615 to arrange delivery. The city will no longer collect

trash from residents who don’t have a new container after Oct. 2.

VOTE: 7 IN FAVOR / 0 AGAINST

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members set up a Web site review ad hoc committee.

WHAT IT MEANS:

The committee will review current links to the city’s Web page and

establish a policy that sets criteria for acceptable links. The committee

will become defunct once the policy is adopted by the council. Council

members Norma Glover, Tod Ridgeway and Tom Thomson will serve on the

committee. Ridgeway abstained from the vote.

VOTE: 6 IN FAVOR / 1 AGAINST

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members renewed the Corona del Mar business improvement

district and levied assessments for the 2000-01 fiscal year.

WHAT IT MEANS:

The 4-year-old district will continue to exist for at least another

year. Anyone with a business license in the Corona del Mar area pays the

assessment, which is used to promote and renovate the village. The amount

paid by each business equals the money it pays for the business license.

Last year, the district received $62,900 this way.

The city has three other such districts, which are governed by an

advisory board that sets the assessment levels. Balboa Village and Marine

Avenue have improvement districts and Newport Beach restaurants have a

citywide district as well. The council must approve a renewal annually.

WHAT THEY SAID:

“These people have the dream, the talent and the energy and they’ve

got a plan. I am very supportive of what they’re proposing to do. It can

only benefit everyone that lives in the Corona del Mar area.”

-- Councilman Dennis O’Neil, who represents the village.

Vote: 7 IN FAVOR / 0 AGAINST

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members approved a General Plan amendment and pre-zoning of

Santa Ana Heights.

WHAT IT MEANS:

This allows the city to file an application for annexing about 240

acres of East Santa Ana Heights. The application will go to the Local

Agency Formation Commission, a group that includes representatives from

cities in Orange County as well as the county itself. Residents of the

area are worried that Santa Ana Heights would be split between Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa.

Costa Mesa includes West Santa Ana Heights in its sphere of influence.

Although city officials said Newport Beach would not be opposed to

annexing the entire area, it will leave it up to the commission to make

that decision. All documents for an annexation application should be

ready by the end of September and city officials expect to file it with

the commission at that time.

VOTE: 7 IN FAVOR / 0 AGAINST

SOUNDING OFF

“I thought we were going dark in August.”

-- O’Neil, jokingly referring to his suggestion to look into a summer

break for the council. He later withdrew the idea after protests from

residents.

NEXT MEETING

7 p.m. Sept. 5, City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.