Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/28/2009 - Study SessionCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH City Council Minutes City Council Study Session April 28, 2009 — 2:00 p.m. I. RECONVENED.AT 2:00 P.M. FOR AN ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING II. ROLL CALL Present: Council Member Henn, Council Member Rosansky, Mayor Pro Tem Curry, Mayor Selich, Council Member Webb, Council Member Gardner Excused: Council Member Daigle III. CURRENT B L I_NESS 1. AB1234 ETHICS TRAINING - No Report 2. CLARIFICATION OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. Public Works Director Badum clarified for Council Member Gardner that Item 9 (Big Canyon Creek Restoration Project) will not impact the irrigation program and explained how funding will be handled. Regarding Item 14 (Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment), Council Member Gardner commended staff for writing a concise and informative staff report. S. OCEANFRONT WALK SAFETY STEERING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS. Public Information Manager Finnigan utilized a PowerPoint presentation to highlight the December 10, 2008 community meeting in which excessive speeding, motorized conveyances, and enforcement were discussed. She also reviewed the Oceanfront Safety Steering Committee's objectives. Police Captain Johnson discussed current regulations and what is permitted and not permitted on the oceanfront walk. He stated that the committee recommended that the Police Department enforce unsafe operation and prohibited uses; not change the speed limit; continue to prohibit surreys, skateboards, and motorized devices; and seek more community input regarding Segways. Regarding enforcement, he discussed the use of saturation patrols which are similar to DUI checkpoints, displayed a map of where personnel would be located, reported the possible schedule for the targeted enforcement, and reviewed current bicycle patrol duties. In response to Council questions, Captain Johnson stated that Segways are considered personal mobility devices, similar to motorized wheelchairs, and noted that municipalities are allowed to regulate what can be permitted on sidewalks. He indicated that users of the oceanfront walk would be able to see their speeds through the use of a radar board; however, it is unlikely these devices would qualify to uphold a citation in court. He pointed out that people did slow down when the boards were Volume 59 — Page 136 City of Newport Beach City Council Study Session April 28, 2009 being tested and stated that the boards do not pick up running speeds. He discussed the issues related to surreys and reiterated that they are not permitted on the oceanfront walk, and are only allowed in bike lanes on the street. He noted that very few surrey accidents are reported to the Police Department. Council Member Henn added that the primary surrey vendor on the Peninsula committed to not rent the 6 to 8 passenger surreys. City Traffic Engineer Brine reviewed the suggested new signage and striping improvements developed by the committee. He clarified that the proposed signs would only replace existing signs, not the street end signs, and discussed how the signs could be sequenced on the oceanfront walk. He also highlighted the possible long term solutions of widening the oceanfront walk, creating a separate bike lane, and re- routing bike traffic around McFadden Square. Mike Johnson expressed support for the picture signs since it removes any language barrier. Palmer Laughlin, Segway owner, asked if anyone from Balboa Island was involved and if anyone will be located on Balboa Island during the saturation patrols. Marian Parman, Segway owner, noted that Segways are considered to be pedestrians and believed that Segways are safe and can be limited to 8 mph. She stated that only a handful of people own Segways and that it is probably the Segway tour groups that cause problems. Michael Smith, Segway owner, requested that Council not ban Segways on the oceanfront walk. Scott McGilroy, Director of the Balboa Village Business Improvement District and Store Manager of Segway Orange County, discussed the training requirement in order to purchase a Segway or take one of their guided tours. He offered suggestions to minimize Segway congestion on the oceanfront walk and noted that the maximum speed can be set between 4 to 12 mph. Jack O'Brian, Segway owner, believed that enforcing the speed limit is the key to minimizing problems on the oceanfront walk. Patricia Litten encouraged the City to begin strict enforcement of the speed limit. Danny Sullivan, committee member, believed that people should not be allowed to rent surreys on the Peninsula because renters ignore the rules on the oceanfront walk signs and the stickers on the surreys. Further, he believed that most of the issues are created by the bicyclists and rollerbladers not observing the speed limit, and the pedestrians and dog walkers not paying attention to their surroundings. W.R. Dildine indicated that he has been knocked down by a surrey and hit by bicyclists, and took issue that a surrey business is operating its business on the public sidewalk. He expressed support for what the committee is attempting to do. Wendy Franco commended the committee and the signage suggestions, and believed that enforcement needs to take place and citations need to be issued. Laura Cain stated that she has observed bicyclists traveling 20 mph and that there has been an increase in the number of motorized bicycles on the oceanfront walk. Volume 59 — Page 137 City of Newport Beach City Council Study Session April 28, 2009 Joe Reiss, committee member, commended staff on the staff report and believed that Council will struggle with making a decision about Segways. He agreed that not many people own Segways but expressed concern about seeing a Segway tour on the oceanfront walk with up to 30 people. Kim Christy, Segway owner, discussed her Segway training and believed that Segways are safe. She added that during tours, the operators are behind and in front of the group to ensure safety. Council Member Henn noted that the committee's suggestions relative to signage and striping could occur at minimal cost, and reported that the committee is seeking guidance relative to surreys and Segway tours on the oceanfront walk. Council commended staff and the committee for their hard work. It was the consensus of Council to encourage better enforcement on the oceanfront walk and more outreach and education about the issues and possible solutions. Council also suggested possibly looking into prohibiting the rental of surreys, especially the larger sized surreys since there is no safe location to operate them in the City; continue to monitor issues and potential solutions that may arise with Segways and look into some type of regulation for Segway tours; and purchase radar boards. IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None V. ADJQVRNMEPIT - 5:20 p.m. The agenda for the Study Session was posted on April 22, 2009, at 4:20 p.m. on the City Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of Newport Beach Administration Building. Mayor 4yu;, a+', City Clerk Volume 59 — Page 138