City Council needs to hear from the public on plans for city

hall

By: JOHN HEFFERNAN

I want to take this opportunity to address recent important issues in

Newport Beach.

First, with regard to St. Andrew’s, I offer my apologies to both

the proponents and the applicant for the unkind remarks I made near

the end of the hearing on Aug. 11. It was wrong for me to have used

harsh and judgmental words against each group at the hearing. I

regret doing so and also any offense that might have resulted.

Second, with regard to the city hall project, I am appealing to

residents to give the City Council your input, either at upcoming

City Council meetings or at my e-mail address,

o7nbcityhall@yahoo.comf7.

These are some of reasons your City Council needs your assessment

of this important and costly project: The current schedule calls for

the City Council to vote on whether to proceed with the city hall

project and the related city borrowing at the Oct. 11 City Council

meeting.

At our City Council meeting on Aug. 9, when we first reviewed the

site location, interior layout and overall exterior appearance for

the proposed new city hall, we had only three public speakers --

which to me was both surprising and unsatisfactory.

At the Sept. 13 regular City Council meeting, which starts at 7

p.m., we are scheduled to review the borrowing options.

At this stage of the process, the estimated total city hall

facility cost (new city hall, new parking structure, replacement fire

station and interim relocation of City Hall staff during

construction) is between $43.3 million and $47.7 million, plus added

reserves and fees to borrow those building costs.

If the council needs more time to acquire and then assess more

project planning information, and even more importantly to hear and

then assess more input from our residents regarding this important

and costly project -- beyond the above meeting schedule that city

staff has proposed -- then the City Council will take the time to do

so.

It is critical that your City Council make a fully informed,

pragmatic, reasoned and correct decision for our residents on this

new city hall facility, which is so large in size, cost and

importance.

But first your City Council needs much more input and comment from

you.

We work for and represent your interests.

Please give us more to work with so we end up making the right

decision that properly reflects your interests and objectives.

* JOHN HEFFERNAN is the mayor of Newport Beach.