INSIDE CITY HALL Here are some...
INSIDE
CITY HALL
Here are some decisions coming out of Tuesday’s meeting of the
Newport Beach City Council.
VEHICLE LICENSE FEES
City Council members on Tuesday agreed that the city should take a
stand against Gov. Gray Davis’ plan to stop subsidizing vehicle
license fees for taxpayers. The governor’s move would mean that the
state would cancel its plan to pay about $500,000 to the city of
Newport Beach through the end of fiscal 2004. The state collects
vehicle license fees and distributes the money to cities. To spread
late-1990s wealth to taxpayers, the state in 1998 reduced the fees
charged to people registering their autos. To assure that cities
would not lose revenues, the state began paying the difference. But
part of the deal was that, if hard times hit, the state might stop
subsidizing the difference.
WHAT IT MEANS
The city will send a letter to the state legislature urging
lawmakers to oppose the governor’s plan. Originally, city officials
planned to include in their letter the city’s opposition to raising
the vehicle license fees for taxpayers. Councilman Gary Adams
suggested scrapping that portion of the letter, arguing that it’s not
the city’s place to take a position on how the state would get the
money to pass along to cities.
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES
A section of the city’s Bayshores area will have its utilities
lines moved underground to remove unsightly poles and equipment,
council members decided Tuesday. After tabulating votes from
residents of the area, council members voted to create an assessment
district in the area bordered roughly by Waverly Drive, Circle Drive
and Bayshore Drive.
WHAT IT MEANS
The estimated cost of the work, just under $2 million, will be
divided up by the residents at about $10,000 each and paid off over
time. Eventually, this will fund the removal of 51 utility poles now
in the neighborhood.
CABLE AGREEMENTS
Cox and Adelphia cable companies got a second one-year extension
to their current contract with the city.
WHAT IT MEANS
The extension will give city staff members time to negotiate what
they hope will be a better deal for residents, some who have
complained about poor service and high rates. Next year, the city
will negotiate long-term contracts with the two cable companies. The
contracts could include increased community programming and
broadcasts of school sports, in-classroom learning programs and
better Internet access.
-- Compiled by June Casagrande
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