Community Corner

Newport Beach Wins Innovation Awards

Newport Beach receives two Golden Hub of Innovation Awards for its Lower Newport Bay Dredging project and its Art and Cultural Facilities.

The Lower Newport Bay Dredging project and the city's Art and Cultural Facilities program have earned Newport Beach two 2013 Golden Hub of Innovation Awards, the city announced.

Newport Beach officials received the two Golden Hub of Innovation Awards, plus an honorable mention for its technology and e-government efforts, from the Association of California Cities Orange County at an awards ceremony on Thursday. Mayor Keith Curry accepted the awards.

"“I am very proud of the recognition by our peers and community leaders of the innovations underway in Newport Beach,” Curry said.

The Lower Newport Bay Dredging project was a joint effort between Newport Beach, the Army Corps of Engineers and the County of Orange which resulted in the dredging of more than 600,000 cubic yards of material to improve navigation for boaters and Newport Harbor users, according to the city.

“The recently completed bay dredging project was done at a savings of more than $10 million through our partnership with the Port of Long Beach," Curry said.

The project included years of sediment studies, sampling and analysis to determine appropriate disposal locations for the sediment and securing federal funding, city officials reported.

Through Newport Beach's Art and Cultural Facilities program, the city took steps including establishing a Public Art and Cultural Facilities Fund to acquire, install, and maintain public art throughout the city.

Through its technology / e-government efforts, Newport Beach has reduced wasteful, paper-based workflows and implemented web-accessible ways to view files and conduct city business including online payments.

The city also reduced the number of printers used at City Hall from 94 to 22 to cut paper use and maintenance and toner costs, city officials reported. According to Tara Finnigan, city spokeswoman, the reduction equated to 72 fewer printing devices to maintain, repair, troubleshoot, order toner for and replace and reduced maintenance costs by more than $25,000 per year.

“Our efforts to reduce the number of printers in the new city hall from 94 to 22 demonstrates our commitment to reducing costs and working more efficiently.”
Curry said.

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