NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

Here are some of the decisions coming out of the Newport Beach City

Council meeting on Tuesday.

CITY OIL AND GAS FIELDS

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members agreed to extend the city’s contract with Sampson Oil

Co. to continue operating the oil and gas fields on the city’s behalf.

Sampson Oil has been doing the job since 1984, and the new contract will

extend the relationship for another five years and increase the monthly

fee the city pays the company from $4,800 to $5,040 for three years. Then

another 3% fee hike would apply for the last two years of the contract,

raising it to $5,200 per month.

In a separate action, the council also approved a revision to its

agreement with the company that used to dispose of all the waste water

generated from the oil and gas fields. Since the city started sending

this waste water into its own, recently installed system, West Newport

Oil Co. now serves just as backup for times when the city system is down

for maintenance or repairs. Partly for this reason, the company will now

get 20 cents per barrel of waste water it discharges instead of the

previous 10 cents per barrel.

Vote: 5/0

BAYFRONT REPAIRS

WHAT HAPPENED:

Damaged sidewalks along the bayfront on Balboa Island and Little

Balboa Island will soon be in step with the times. Council members

approved a $198,810 contract with GCI Construction Inc. to make the

repairs.

Vote: 5/0

IN FAVOR / AGAINST

JAMBOREE MEDIAN LANDSCAPING

WHAT HAPPENED:

An agreement between the cities of Newport Beach and Irvine will allow

them to landscape the median on Jamboree Road between Campus Drive and

Bristol Street. The roughly 23,400-square-foot area to be landscaped

includes about 5,900 square feet that are in Irvine’s city limits.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Newport Beach will begin work on the $286,000 project, which involves

landscaping the area, installing planters, irrigation systems and setting

up other amenities to beautify the medians. Irvine will reimburse Newport

Beach $10,530 for its share of the construction, administration and other

costs.

SOUNDING OFF

“I think Challenge Day is a tremendous day and a tremendous

opportunity for many families.” -- Mayor Tod Ridgeway, on the upcoming

Challenge Day event that teaches students about tolerance and diversity.

NEXT MEETING

WHEN: 7 p.m. May 28

WHERE: City Council chambers at City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.