NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL PREVIEW

Here are some items the council will consider tonight.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWSUITSCity Atty. Robin Clauson is recommending that the council indemnify the city from legal challenges based on the California Environmental Quality Act. When developers seek to build projects in Newport, the city often oversees the required environmental review and thus could be named in a suit if the review or the council’s resulting decision on the project is challenged.

If the city was on the losing side of a suit, it could be charged legal costs. City Manager Homer Bludau said a number of California cities now require project applicants to indemnify them, and Newport’s move wasn’t prompted by any particular project.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council likely will agree to require indemnification in order to save city taxpayers from any legal costs in lawsuits over non-city projects.

OFFICE TRAILERSWith the existing City Hall bursting at the seams and the debate over where to put a new facility continuing, the council will consider buying two trailers to house new planners and engineers, who are being added to handle a swelling workload.

The council budgeted two new civil engineering positions this year and a consultant in September recommended adding as many as four planners to meet existing demand, but there’s nowhere to put them. Public Works Director Steve Badum is recommending the city spend $94,242 to buy two trailers from Modular Structures Inc.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council probably will agree to buy the trailers, since they could be used for the next few years as the council either builds a new city hall or replaces the current one. The tricky part will be fitting the trailers in at 3300 Newport Blvd., where two trailers for code enforcement and water-quality staffers already reside on the lawn.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Newport Beach City Council meeting

WHEN: 7 p.m. today

WHERE: City Council chambers, City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.

INFO: (949) 644-3005 or www.city.newport-beach.ca.us