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