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Home My WebLink About00 - Insider's GuideReceived After Agenda Printed April 14, 2015 Insider's Guide From: Kiff, Dave Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2015 8:17 PM Subject: Insider's Guide - Extra Special Drought Edition (along with City Council Meeting stuff for April 14th, 2015) A happy Thursday evening to you! Let's start off with some drought stuff. Newport Beach has been in the news! Again! Um, but not in a good way! It's been a bit unfair, but as a colleague would tell me, "fair is where you take your hogs." Why unfair? At least one major media source used a water use gallons - per -day number for Newport Beach that wasn't normalized with the rest of the California city numbers (lots of cities calculated that number many different ways, so the State later adjusted /normalized the submittals so that they were all counted consistently). Anyway, instead of Newport folks using 162 gallons per day per resident (referred to as R -GPCD or Residential Gallons Per Capita Day) in January 2015, the normalized number is 87 R -GPCD. Yes, 87. A bit higher than the state average of 70 R -GPCD, but not as high as folks asserted in the papers and credited this to "the social (and moral) isolation of the rich." Argh. We asked for a correction, but the reporter said "hey, you sent it to the State" (that's true, but we also were told it would be normalized before being released). Anyway, some impolite back - and - forth snark may have commenced after that. Besides the media swarm, did this lead to the State preliminarily assigning us a "Tier 4" (35%) reduction requirement versus Tier 3 (25 %)? Actually, no. The State assigned us Tier 4 based on residential gallons per day usage for one month — September 2014. We indeed were high then — at about 208 R -GPCD. During that same month, as part of our normal water system management, we were adding water to our supply system. Not an unusual thing, but it may have skewed September 2014 numbers high. We still used that water— but over the course of several months. We will be working with the State to discuss how this storage addition should be counted. What fun that will be. Meantime, what can you do and what can you expect to see? • We have a conservation hotline for help and questions — 949 - 644 -3388. Please call this number and rp ess 2 if you want us to look at possible excessive water use in your area. We will respond in a friendly way — much of the time, your good and kind neighbors you're turning in anonymously are unaware of the problem. • Our general Drought Response web page is here: www.newportbeachca.gov /water. That page will let you know which day(s) you should be watering. • Go to www.watersmartnewport.org for incentives, rebates and more information about how to cut water use. • Participate in the 4th annual Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation — link is here: http: / /newportbeachca.govZindex.aspx ?page =99 &recordid =4068 • Join us on Thursday evening, April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. at the Civic Center for a free CA- Friendly Landscape training class — details are here: http:// www .newportbeachca.gov /index.aspx ?page =914 • Check out Roger's Gardens' web pages about California - friendly plantings - http://rogersgardens.com/california- friendl • Learn more about improving timing on your irrigation timers - htti)://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=444 • Ask for help, or invite us to speak at your HOA or community or social group — call 949 -644 -3214 or e -mail Conservationlnfo(@newportbeachca.gov. • As to what to expect to see in the community from the City, expect: o Further education in the mail and in social media about water conservation, along with some enforcement /warnings (and eventually fines) for waste. • Removal or "browning" of a lot of public street medians that are watered with potable water. Most turf medians are road kill in the Governor's Order. Jamboree is the only one watered with reclaimed water. • New codes for new homes that require specific irrigation systems (drip systems, primarily). • Additional discussions about bringing reclaimed water closer to more neighborhoods. It's only available in some places in Newport Beach — we don't "make" reclaimed water here, so we have to import it from nearby sources where they do make it (such as IRWD), and the piping systems aren't cheap. Ok, enough drought. Backto the Council meeting on Tuesday, April 14`" .... The City Council meeting is held on the 2 "d and 4`h Tuesdays of most months, with study session starting this coming Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. and the regular session at 7:00 p.m. The Council meets in the Council Chambers at 100 Civic Center Drive. There is plenty of parking - you are always welcome to attend! But you can also watch on TV (Channels 3/31) or on your computer. I do not summarize every item on the Agenda —to read the full agenda, click here sometime tomorrow: http: / /newportbeachca.gov /mod u les /ShowDocu ment.aspx ?docu mentid =4414 If you are so inclined, please weigh in on these issues by contacting the entire City Council with one email address — that's CityCouncil @newportbeachca.gov. They appreciate hearing from you, especially about any agenda item. Study Session is at 3:30 p.m. After a number of fun presentations, the three items of policy are a review of the 2014 Arts and Culture Master Plan, how and when the City seal can be used in commercial or political activities, and an update on the drought (but you now know a lot of about that. You can fast forward!!). Quickly: • the Arts Master Plan has not been reviewed by the current City Council yet, so we thought it appropriate to allow the new members to offer their thoughts on steps forward there. The City seal has been in the news a tad because of excessive barking at night in the harbor .... oh, wait, I am being told it's not that seal — that was a sea lion anyway (anyone know the difference? I only recently learned it...). The City seal has been in the news because there are questions as to how folks use it — can you take a photo of it on a building and have a commercial or political message with that photo? That's really the main issue versus folks using an actual artwork of the seal in publications. Finally, drought at 5:30 for a short update. The Regular Session starts at 7:00 p.m. The items folks will want to be aware of are: • We will ask the Council to reaffirm a participatory, voluntary approach to working with establishments that sell alcohol on the Balboa Peninsula. You will recall that a recent study session discussed problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption in a confined area. Several club operators stepped up to voluntarily convene a group of other owners to work on "best practices" with the City and with Mayor Pro Tern Diane Dixon. This is the approach that the Council preferred, and an item on the 4 -14 agenda simply ratifies that. • Following a hearing at the Planning Commission, the Council will consider a change to the code in how a commissioner or Council member calls -up or appeals a decision of a lower body or official. This change comes about due to a court decision in recent months where the court found that the City's process wasn't acceptable. • At the last Council meeting, several Council members offered items for future agendas (we call this the "A -6" policy). Council Policy A -6 says that, if a Council member wants something considered by the full City Council, they ask for it during Meeting #1 to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting. Then, at that next meeting (Meeting #2), they attempt to convince their colleagues to ask the staff to provide a fairly robust staff report and analysis about the issue in question. If a majority agrees, then the item is brought back with options at Meeting #3. It's an ordeal and a little convoluted, but it ensures that a majority of the Council is interested in discussing something versus having the staff work a long time on something that didn't have legs in the first place. Anyway, the issues for this meeting (Meeting #2 in the process) are: o Setting up a matching fund for the Balboa Angling Club's dock repair. o Consolidating certain committees. o Updating the sign code for real estate open house signs. o A charter amendment that would require a 2/3 affirmative vote of the Council before a tax increase is placed before the voters. o Changing the funding for Phase II of the Civic Center Sculpture Garden. The Public Works staff will bring forward the results of the past several meetings' review of planned capital projects, showing which ones should be in the budget, which should wait, and which might have a big change in course (such as a sale of the Balboa Theater). This would be a good staff report to read if you've been following a beloved (or not beloved) capital project. The link is here: http: / /novusagendapubIic. newportbeachca .gov /CoverSheet.aspx ?Item ID= 5468 &MeetinglD =670 Council will consider formalizing and funding the faSade improvement program for the Balboa Village. Foryou Pier to Pier peers (and you know who you are), the Council will consider adding a new parking meter zone along Balboa Boulevard near the new Marina Park Project. We think this is important to do to be consistent with other areas. If you have a permit, you can still park there. The enforcement and metering hours would end at 6:00 p.m., so you can still park there for free after 6 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m. Anyway, you will want to review this and weigh in if you feel strongly about it. one calendar note — free CR &R compost giveaway this Saturday (April 11) at the Corporate Yard! Get there early so that you can receive your two bags (starts at 9:00 a.m., ends when the bags run out or 11:00 a.m., whichever is earlier). More details are here - http:// www .newportbeachca.gov /index.aspx ?page =72 &record id= 9606 &return U RL= %2findex.aspx I think that's it. Please remember to forward this e -mail to family, friends, enemies, insomniacs, and members of your HOA if you represent one. I always like hearing from you, too, so please don't hesitate to ask a question or offer a comment. Even a snarky one full of free compost. Sincerely, Dave Kiff City Manager 949 - 644 -3001 dkiffCc newportbeachca.gov