Here are a few items the council...

Here are a few items the council considered Tuesday.

CANCELLATION OF JULY 12 MEETING

The council voted to cancel its July 12 meeting because several

council members will be absent.

WHAT IT MEANS

The July 26 meeting will be the only council meeting this month.

However, the council will be busy in August, with two regular

meetings and two special meetings to discuss land use proposals for

the general plan update.

PARK NAMES

A yet-to-be-developed park adjacent to the Newport Beach Central

Library will be called Newport Center Park, the council decided. The

city solicited suggestions and received 425 possible names for the

park, and the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission narrowed those

down to three: Centennial Park, Newport Beach Central Park and

Newport Central Park.

But the council opted for a brainstorm of one of its own.

Councilman Don Webb said “central park” sounds too much like New York

City and suggested Newport Center Park instead.

WHAT IT MEANS

The park will be called Newport Center Park, but another name

could be added later -- city recreation and senior services director

Marie Knight told the council a possible donor may underwrite much of

the estimated $1.2 million it will cost to develop the park. If that

happens, the donor’s name would likely be somehow connected to the

park.

ST. ANDREW’S

EXPANSION HEARING

The controversial proposal to expand St. Andrew’s Presbyterian

Church will finally -- once again -- come before the City Council in

July, and again in August. Church neighbors, who have opposed the

expansion, asked the council not to set a hearing until September

because they’re working on mediation with the church, but a church

representative said the city has considered the proposal for two and

a half years and it’s time for a decision.

WHAT IT MEANS

On July 26 the council will talk about ground rules for the

hearing -- how much time will be allowed for public comment and

whether to have spokespeople summarize the pro and con arguments. The

actual hearing on St. Andrew’s expansion plans will be opened Aug. 9,

but the council will adjourn discussion to a special meeting at 6

p.m. Aug. 11.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

After two inquiries about opening medical marijuana dispensaries

in the city, the council in May voted to put a 45-day moratorium on

the dispensaries. State law allows the medical use of marijuana, but

the Supreme Court recently ruled that a federal ban on the drug

trumps California’s law.

City officials still want to determine the circumstances, if any,

under which marijuana dispensaries might be allowed. But with fallout

possible from the Supreme Court decision, the council on Tuesday

extended the moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries for up to a

year, allowing more time to study the issue.

WHAT IT MEANS

No medical marijuana dispensaries could open in the city for at

least a year. After that year, the council may set conditions for the

facilities or ban them outright.

-- Compiled by Alicia Robinson