ON THE AGENDA Here are some items...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are some items to be considered tonight by the Newport Beach

City Council.

DRUG-TREATMENT HOMES

Some of the most controversial topics to be covered tonight will

take place in the study session before the regular meeting. Beginning

just after 4 p.m., council members will continue their talks on drug-

and alcohol-recovery group homes in the city. Neighbors of a

peninsula group home prompted the action with complaints of noise and

litter from the home. Council members agreed to examine laws to look

for ways to control problems.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Tonight’s discussion is the second installment of a two-part study

session that began two weeks ago. At issue is the question of when

city ordinances are preempted by federal laws, especially

fair-housing rules. Last time, the discussion was heavy on legal

jargon and surprisingly light on emotional rhetoric. Tonight could

again turn into a level-headed inquiry into the laws and the rights

of group homes, their neighbors and city leaders.

GREENLIGHT GUIDELINES

Three years ago, city leaders sat down with proponents of the

just-approved Measure S, or Greenlight, Initiative to set guidelines

for understanding where, when and how to apply the new law of the

land. Now it has become clear that more gray area needs to be

examined. In their study session tonight, council members will

consider how to improve the language.

WHAT TO EXPECT

This one may get contentious. The direction of the talks tonight

could hold important implications for the upcoming vote on the

Marinapark resort and other projects.

NEWPORT COAST COMMUNITY CENTER

Members of the Newport Coast Advisory Committee have voted to

support creation of a $7-million community center and is asking the

council to support them.

WHAT TO EXPECT

It’s hard to tell which way the council might go on this item.

While many Newport Coast residents support creating a community

center, some don’t. What’s more, the two councilmen who are part of

the advisory committee were not invited to vote during that

committee’s decision. And a suggestion by some residents to put up

story poles to show how tall the community center will be had been

dismissed by the committee as well. Those facts could come back to

haunt them.