NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL PREVIEW

-- Compiled by June Casagrande

City budget

Tonight’s study session will be devoted to the city budget, a proposed

$142.1-million spending plan that must be approved by the June 25

meeting. During the study session, council members will look at, among

other things, staffers’ top 12 priorities for the 2002-03 fiscal year.

Curbing John Wayne Airport expansion, updating the city’s general plan

and improving water quality are at the top of their list, closely

mirroring priorities City Council members have long made known. The

subject will then come up again in the regular council meeting when a

public hearing on the subject will take place.

What to expect:

Insiders say they haven’t been getting much input from residents so

far about the budget or specific spending priorities. Add to that the

fact that this is a status quo budget, and it seems possible that talks

could go smoothly.

Jamboree Road median improvements

A $250,056 contract could be awarded to Mega Way Lighting Inc. to

improve medians on Jamboree Road between Bristol Street and North Campus

Drive. The improvements are a joint project with the city of Irvine,

which plans to reimburse Newport Beach about $88,000 for its portion of

the job.

What to expect:

Council members are expected to approve the item.

Mansionization

A resolution from the Environmental Quality Affairs Citizens Advisory

Committee will ask council members to take some steps to stop

“mansionization,” the trend toward building very large houses in

neighborhoods where smaller homes define the aesthetic standard. The

resolution asks that the General Plan Update Committee and the General

Plan Citizens Advisory Committee monitor public input on the subject. It

also asks that these groups, using this information, advise the City

Council on whether steps need to be taken sooner to curb the trend.

What to expect:

It’s a hot topic in the city, but tonight’s council action is a

relatively noncontroversial step toward addressing it. The resolution

could pass without much discussion, or people could decide to take this

opportunity to let council members know just how important they feel this

is.

FYI

* WHAT: Newport Beach City Council meeting

* WHEN: 7 p.m. today; budget study session will begin at 4 p.m.

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

* INFORMATION: (949) 644-3000