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HomeMy WebLinkAbout00 - Insider's GuideMay 22, 2018 Insider's Guide From: Kiff, Dave Sent: Monday, May 21, 2018 8:33 AM Subject: Insider's Guide for the Newport Beach City Council Meeting of Tuesday, May 22, 2018 A good Monday morning you. The Guide was exceptionally lazy this weekend and is reaching near -peak tardiness, having spent the weekend not thinking much about the upcoming Council meeting'til about now (shame on all who just whispered "short -timer's syndrome..."). This Insider's Guide is not an attempt to summarize every item on the agenda —just the ones that seem of specific interest to me. I encourage you to read the full agenda if you wish. Those of you who read the agendas regularly might be a little confused as you do, because you have to click on two links - one for a Joint Meeting and one for the regular meeting/study session side of things. So then, here's a summary of what's on the agenda of the next City Council meeting (set for Tuesday, May 22nd): Speaking of the afternoon session, our second 2018 budget session is lined up for Tuesday starting at 4:00 p.m., in a Joint Meeting with the City's Finance Committee. During this session, we will go over the expense side of the ledger (last time was the revenue side) and will highlight a few key issues, including our pension approach. For those who will miss the meeting, our pension approach is basically this - pay more now than we need to pay, without cutting today's services or programs. Could we pay less? Yes, but that could negatively amortize the pension liability. Could we pay more? Yes, but that could lead to some reductions in other actions that hopefully protect and enhance the quality of life in Newport Beach today. Case in point: we will also talk about more police staff to link to CdMHS and NHHS. I wish we didn't have to even think this way, but we do. One other Study Session item involves how wireless telecom antennas are installed on City -owned street lights, for those interested in that issue. The Regular Session at 7:00 p.m. has these items worthy of note: While the item itself is a bit minor, the program it will introduce isn't. We are soon to embark on an effort to modernize all 20,000+ water meters in the community that receive City water, probably including yours. That means a couple of things -- first, a big expenditure item ($9.2 million!) that is built into the rates you pay. Over the long term, it saves money because it automates the reading. Second, it gives you more information - it allows you to track water use almost real-time, as well as whether you have a leak in the house or yard. Third, it should allow for all of us to save more water, because some of these older meters actually aren't sealing correctly all the time, and where this involves irrigation it can mean water loss. A notice of completion associated with a water main on Balboa Island, at least Phase I of it. I just mention this to note my sincere appreciation and thanks to both our staff who worked on this project as well as the very, very patient residents of Balboa Island and Little Balboa Island, who have put up with an awful lot in recent months. Or years. With a sea wall cap, a new bridge to Little Island, this water main, and the pending possible re -do of Marine Avenue, the Island is enduring a lot of construction. Please know that the patience you have exhibited is appreciated very much, Islanders. Thank you for reading. Please forward this Guide to family, friends and members of your HOA if you represent one always like hearing from you, too, so please don't hesitate to ask a question or offer a comment. Sincerely, Dave Kiff City Manager dkiff@newportbeachca.gov 949-644-3001 City Council Meeting Information: The Newport Beach City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of most months (the exceptions are August and December). Typically, there is a Study Session that starts at 4:00 p.m. Study sessions are times for the Council to take a deeper look at a specific issue, or hear a presentation, that might eventually lead to a specific and more formal action. A closed session often follows the Study Session. Closed sessions are typically to address legal, personnel, and other matters where additional confidentiality is important. The Regular (evening) Session typically starts at 7:00 p.m., and often has a specific listing of 20-40 different items ready for formal votes. Items on the "Consent Calendar" are heard all at once, unless a Council member has removed (aka "pulled") an item from the Consent Calendar for specific discussion and separate vote. If an item on the agenda is recommended to be "continued", it means that the item won't be heard nor voted on that evening, but will be pushed forward to another noticed meeting. Public Comment is welcomed at both the Study Session and the Regular Session. The public can comment on any item on the agenda. If you want to comment on a Consent Calendar item that was not pulled from the Consent Calendar by a Council Member, you will want to do so at the time listed on the agenda — right before the Council votes on the entire Consent Calendar (it's Roman Numeral XIII on the posted agenda). If an item is pulled, the Mayor will offer that members of the public can comment as that specific item is heard separately. Additionally, there is a specific section of Public Comment for items not on the agenda, but on a subject of some relationship to the city government. If you cannot attend a meeting and/or want to communicate with the City Council directly, this e-mail gets to all of them: CityCouncil@newportbeachca.gov. Please know that I get a copy of that e-mail, too, because in almost all cases it's something that the City Manager follows -up on. It's my head -start. The Council meets in the Council Chambers at 100 Civic Center Drive, off of Avocado between San Miguel and East Coast Highway. There is plenty of parking in the parking structure behind City Hall. You are always welcome to attend in person, but you can also watch on TV Time Warner / Spectrum 3 and Cox Channel 852 or stream it on your computer.