NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL PREVIEW

Here are some items the council will consider tonight.

COUNCIL GOALSAt a special “retreat” in March, the council created a list of priorities members want to accomplish in the near future. Some are the usual suspects: minimize impacts from John Wayne Airport, provide more public recreation facilities and improve water quality. Others have been the talk of the city in recent months, like finding a city hall site and addressing issues with drug and alcohol recovery homes.

The council will vote on a list of goals and timelines for steps to get some of them resolved.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Council members may want to tweak the list a little, but they’ll probably end up approving it.

SCIENCE CENTERThe multi-million dollar Back Bay Science Center on Shellmaker Island would be maintained by the city and run by several entities, including the state, county and UC Irvine, under the proposed lease and operating agreement the council will consider.

The facility will house offices, labs and educational space for the state Department of Fish and Game, Orange County Health Care Agency, and UC Irvine. Construction was delayed last year when a pair of ospreys nested near the project, but it’s close to completion now.

The building should be finished in June. An administration wing that wasn’t part of the original project is expected to be done in September.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council probably will approve the lease and operating agreement, unless the staff comes up with last-minute changes.