ON THE AGENDA Here are some items...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are some items the Newport Beach City Council will consider

tonight.

COUNCIL MEMBER CONDUCT

Two items on tonight’s agenda call into question the conduct of

Councilman Dick Nichols.

First, the council will consider what to do about Nichols’

suggestion that a Planning Commission decision was so out of whack

that it appeared someone had been bribed. Nichols said later that he

did not believe anyone had been bribed; he had only made the

suggestion to illustrate his point about the proceedings. But some

council members, planning commissioners and City Atty. Bob Burnham

said they believe that Nichols’ comment might warrant action --

including censure or creating a code of conduct for elected

officials.

Then the council will consider whether a single council member

should be allowed to call up Planning Commission decisions for the

council to reconsider them. Mayor Steve Bromberg requested the agenda

item in response what he sees as Nichols’ overuse of the privilege.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Though there’s no telling where the discussion will lead, you can

bet that it will be interesting.

ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH

The first step in what could be a long process to approve

extensive renovations at the church at 600 St. Andrews Road. The

council will vote on a contract with Keeton Kreitzer Consulting of

Tustin to draw up an environmental report on the renovations, which

include 35,000 square feet of new buildings and an underground

parking garage.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Tonight’s consent calendar item, though a precursor to

controversy, could still go smoothly. Once the environmental report

is completed, the matter will end up in public hearings at the

Planning Commission, where neighbors’ concerns about the size and

specifications of the project could come to the surface.

CITY BUDGET

After several study sessions devoted to the proposed city budget,

the extensive spending plan will get its first go-round in a regular

council meeting. The council will hold a public hearing on the

2003-04 budget and, when members of the public have all had their

say, the council will come up with a checklist of changes to the

$156-million spending plan.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The coming year’s budget is status quo: no new capital improvement

projects, no significant cutbacks. Therefore, it’s likely that the

no-frills spending plan won’t create too many opportunities for

disagreement.

-- Compiled by June Casagrande