NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members approved plans for a temporary fire station in the

city’s airport area.

WHAT IT MEANS:

City officials will hire nine new firefighters and spend about

$608,860 to set up a fire station in the area. Previously served by the

Orange County Fire Authority, emergency response times had increased

after the county’s fire station was damaged in a fire in December and the

fire engine was moved to another location.

Because Newport Beach expects to annex Santa Ana Heights by early next

year, council members decided to set up a temporary fire station to keep

services up to standards. City officials said they would have set up a

station in the area anyway, but they added that the closure of the county

fire station had forced them to move quicker than expected. The temporary

fire station will replace a makeshift station at the Radisson hotel. The

city’s firefighters have been responding to calls from the hotel for the

last two weeks.

WHAT THEY SAID:

“Staff recommends that we bite the bullet and work on this station two

years in advance,” City Manager Homer Bludau said.

Vote: 7 / 0

IN FAVOR

WHAT HAPPENED:

In a divided vote, council members approved an appeal by Starbucks

Coffee Co. to expand its Corona del Mar store.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Starbucks may now expand into an adjacent store and add separate

restrooms for men and women. While approving the project, the city’s

planning commissioners had required Starbucks officials to set up binding

parking agreements with property owners. City Council members decided to

require the company to work out parking arrangements with nearby

businesses but set no specific parameters.

WHAT THEY SAID:

“I expect you to be a responsible citizen, but I’m not going to tell

you how to run your business,” said Councilwoman Norma Glover, talking to

a company representative.

Vote: 4 / 3

IN FAVOR

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members returned the Buzz restaurant revocation hearing to the

Planning Commission.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Planning commissioners will review new plans the restaurant’s managers

have submitted to the city. The commissioners had revoked the

restaurant’s permit in November after deciding the establishment had

fundamentally changed and no longer met the conditions of the permit.

Buzz officials had appealed the decision to council members.

Vote: 7 / 0

IN FAVOR

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members authorized the hiring of a public information officer

for the city.

WHAT IT MEANS:

The new staff member will primarily deal with informing residents

about the general plan update process, set to begin in the next few

months. City officials said the new spokesman or spokeswoman would also

deal with residents’ complaints and work on other issues, such as the

airport, depending on direction from council members. The salary range

for the new position will be $54,996 and $77,388. City officials said

they’d start recruiting right away, adding that the process would take

two to three months.

Vote: 7 / 0

IN FAVOR

SOUNDING OFF

“Life itself is what quality of life is really about,” said community

activist Barry Eaton, honoring Brad Anderson and Bob Searles for saving

Eaton’s wife, Susan, after she had a cardiac arrest. The incident

occurred in the airport area a few days before Newport Beach firefighters

began responding to calls from the Radisson hotel.

NEXT MEETING

7 p.m. Feb. 27, Newport Beach City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.