Here are a few items the council...

Here are a few items the council considered Tuesday.

SAFE SURRENDER PROGRAM

Following the example of Los Angeles County, the council voted to

designate the city’s fire stations as places where people can drop

off babies safely. California has had a “safe surrender” law since

2000 that allows parents to hand over newborns they can’t care for

without risk of prosecution for abandonment.

Current drop-off sites in Orange County include Orangewood

Children’s Home and hospital emergency rooms, but some local fire

officials wanted to include fire stations as well.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Orange County Board of Supervisors officially designates safe

drop-off sites, but once other municipalities show their support as

Newport has, the supervisors are expected to add fire stations to the

county’s list.

Councilman Tod Ridgeway was absent.

NEW RECORDS SPECIALIST

If you want to find out when your house was built or see a copy of

plans for a new business, the city’s new records specialist will be

able to help. The building director requested a new position be

created because building and planning employees have been swamped,

between increasing construction in the city and trying to speed up

the plan check process.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council approved the records specialist position, which will

earn a salary between $40,892 and $57,512 and will develop systems to

manage documents, maps and plans and help city employees and clients

research plans and records.

COMMITTEE TO REVISE CODE

A new ad hoc committee will look at ways to revise the city’s

zoning code so employees can get through required building plan

checks faster than the month or so it generally takes.

The committee will include a council member, two planning

commissioners, two design professionals, a builder or developer and

two residents.

WHAT IT MEANS

The mayor is expected to name the committee members March 8 and

the council will vote on them.

-- Compiled by Alicia Robinson