City Council Approves Fire Contract, Delays Vote on Seawalls

The Newport Beach City Council met Tuesday night. Here are some of the highlights from the meeting.

• The City Council voted to adopt the controversial Banning Ranch development in a 6-0 vote, with Councilman Rush Hill abstaining due to a potential conflict of interest. Supporters and opponents of the project voiced their opinions during a lengthy meeting in July, where the council voted to approve the development. The project includes building 1,375 homes, a 75 room hotel, commercial space and open space on a 401-acre field in West Newport. The project's next step is to gain approval from the California Coastal Commission.

• The council delayed voting on a contract to design new Balboa Island seawalls. Councilman Ed Selich requested the council hold off on its vote in order to get some questions answered including how residents would access their docks during the construction period. Because the seawalls were built in the 1930s and are aging, cracks have surfaced in some areas. New seawalls are needed to protect Balboa Island from storms and high tides.

• The City Council approved a new contract with the Newport Beach Fire Management Association for the July 1,2012 to June 30,2014 term. Fire department managers currently contribute 3.5 percent of base pay to the city to offset retirement costs. The new contract would roll this deduction into a permanent contribution of 3.5 percent of compensation toward the Employee Share of the 3 percent at 50 Pension program for current employees. The amount paid and reported as Employer-Paid Member Contribution would reduce from 9 percent to 5.5 percent. City officials say the contract will allow the city to save $15,000.

• Councilman Steve Rosansky voiced their pleasure with the Costal Commission’s approval of the Marina Park and Sunset Ridge Park. “After nine years on I'm proud to see the City Council achieve what I thought was an impossible dream which it to get Coastal Commission's approval of Sunset Ridge Park,” Rosansky said. The Sunset Ridge Park project in West Newport includes a baseball diamond that overlaps in an area with two soccer fields, a children’s playground, a grass warm-up field, pedestrian paths around the the park, view areas, a shade structure, and a restroom/storage facility. When its finished, Marina Park will include a 23,832-square-foot multi-purpose community and sailing program building, public bay front beach, Girl Scout building, public marina with 23 slips and a 200-foot-long side tie area and various park amenities like basketball courts, a children’s play area and 157 public parking spaces. It will also include a 71-foot lighthouse.

• The City Council agreed to fully comply with the Brown Act rather than follow in Governor Jerry Brown’s 2012 decision to suspend provisions of the Brown Act for three years to conserve state resources. The city intends to continue its current practice. “This is reaffirming our commitment to continue to comply with provisions of the Brown Act,”  Mayor Pro Tem Keith Curry said.

• The City Council approved City Manager Dave Kiff’s recommendation for the adoption of a manager pro tempore, or a person to serve in place of the city manager if he/she is temporarily absent or disabled. The line of succession to serve in the manager’s position during any temporary absence is as follows: assistant city manager; public works director or municipal operations director; police chief or fire chief; finance director; community development director, human resources director, library director, or recreation and senior services director.