HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 - General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) Bi-Monthly Update to the City CouncilQ �EwPpRT
CITY OF
s NEWPORT BEACH
`q44:09 City Council Staff Report
April 9, 2024
Agenda Item No. 10
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Seimone Jurjis, Assistant City Manager/Community Development
Director - 949-644-3232, sjurjis@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Benjamin M. Zdeba, AICP, Principal Planner - 949-644-3253,
bzdeba@newportbeachca.gov
TITLE: General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) Bi-Monthly
Update to the City Council
ABSTRACT:
Since the previous update to the City Council in September 2023, the General Plan
Update Steering Committee has held three public meetings, the General Plan Advisory
Committee has held five public meetings, and various subcommittees have held three
public meetings. This report provides an update to the City Council on the discussions
and actions taken.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because
this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly;
and
b) Receive and file the report.
DISCUSSION:
The General Plan Update Steering Committee (Steering Committee) is chaired by Nancy
Gardner with Phillip Brown and Kimberly Carter as members. The primary purpose of the
Steering Committee is to guide the 30-member General Plan Advisory Committee
(Advisory Committee) and to report to the City Council. The City's dedicated website for
the General Plan Update is found at www.newportbeachca.gov/gpupdate and provides
information on the progress and upcoming events, as well as opportunities for community
input and engagement.
Attachment A to this report was prepared by Steering Committee Chair Gardner and
summarizes some of the notable recent progress made by the Steering Committee and
Advisory Committee. Below is a list and recap of each Steering Committee and Advisory
Committee meeting held since the previous, September 12, 2023 update to the City
Council.
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General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC)
Bi-Monthly Update to the City Council
April 9, 2024
Page 2
Recap of the October 4, 2023 Advisory Committee and Steering Committee Meetings
• The Advisory Committee reviewed and accepted the proposed "Outreach and
Engagement Plan" prepared by the Dudek and its subconsultant, Kearns & West,
and reviewed by the Advisory Committee's Outreach Subcommittee. This action
included support for Social Pinpoint to be the City of Newport Beach's platform
service provider for the General Plan Update's project website. The Advisory
Committee also received updates from the City's consultant, Dudek, on the
progress of the background analysis reports to help kick off the outreach efforts,
as well as an overall schedule.
• The Steering Committee reported the direction received from the City Council at
its September 12, 2023 meeting regarding Banning Ranch, reviewed updates from
Dudek on the progress of the General Plan Update as well as the schedule moving
forward, discussed potential future speakers that might be of interest to the
Advisory Committee, and reviewed the Advisory Committee's outreach and
engagement efforts, including the identification of Social Pinpoint as the City's
website platform.
Recap of the December 6, 2023 Advisory Committee Meeting
• At this meeting, it is important to highlight that the Advisory Committee was tasked
for the first time with coming to a consensus to support receiving and filing two of
several existing conditions and background analysis reports to be prepared by
Dudek. These reports are intended to share the existing conditions of the various
general plan elements and topical areas in Newport Beach, as well as
opportunities for improvement, and best practices in California and beyond. The
reports are not setting recommended policy, rather, they are intended to provoke
thought and exploration of each element or topic — they are a conversation starter
to begin outreach with the community.
• The Advisory Committee reviewed existing conditions and background analysis
reports on the Vision Statement and the Advisory Committee's desired topic of
resilience. It was evident that the reports were challenging for the Advisory
Committee to review as a whole, and that they needed to first be brought through
the appropriate subcommittee. No action was taken by the Advisory Committee at
this meeting and City staff committed to bringing the reports to the Vision
Statement Subcommittee and to the most appropriate subcommittees to discuss
resilience.
• The Advisory Committee also received an update on preparation for outreach and
engagement with the community. The Advisory Committee expressed concern
about the pace of the outreach and that the intended plan was not shared with the
Outreach Subcommittee beforehand.
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General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC)
Bi-Monthly Update to the City Council
April 9, 2024
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Recap of the December 20, 2023 Steering Committee Meeting
Based on the December 6, 2023 Advisory Committee meeting's outcome, the
Steering Committee reviewed a memorandum from City staff recommending a new
workflow moving forward. This new workflow was proposed to help course -correct
and ensure more effective engagement and use of the Advisory Committee's time
and effort. The key procedural recommendations outlined in the memorandum
included the following:
o Appointing chairpersons of each subcommittee of the Advisory Committee,
preparing action minutes for each subcommittee meeting, and having each
chairperson report back to the Advisory Committee on the discussions had
and actions taken.
o Filtering draft documents through the appropriate subcommittee first before
bringing it to the full Advisory Committee for consideration.
o Scheduling subcommittee meetings during regular business hours and
making them hybrid for remote attendance as an option resulting in greater
meeting flexibility.
o All outreach and engagement events and materials will be shared with the
Outreach Subcommittee to ensure City staff's efforts align with the
Subcommittee's objectives and direction.
The Steering Committee unanimously supported moving forward with the
proposed framework and directed City staff to share it with the Advisory Committee
at its next meeting in January. The Steering Committee also provided feedback on
how the update process progressed in 2023 and set expectations for 2024.
Recap of the January 10, 2024 Advisory Committee Meeting
As directed by the Steering Committee, City staff brought the memorandum to the
Advisory Committee for consideration. The Advisory Committee unanimously
supported moving forward with the outlined improvements to the workflow, and
provided additional feedback on progress made in 2023, as well as expectations
for 2024.
• The Advisory Committee also received a presentation on next steps and planned
deliverables to set clear expectations on future meetings and actions.
Recap of the February 7, 2024 Advisory Committee Meeting
• Between this meeting and the prior meeting in January, the Vision Statement
Subcommittee and the Outreach Subcommittee both convened and identified
chairpersons as follows:
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General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC)
Bi-Monthly Update to the City Council
April 9, 2024
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o Advisory Committee Member Debbie Stevens was identified as chair of the
Vision Statement Subcommittee; and
o Advisory Committee Member Annie Clougherty was identified as chair of
the Outreach Subcommittee.
• The Vision Statement Subcommittee reviewed the Vision Statement Existing
Conditions and Background Analysis Report prepared by Dudek and provided
feedback while generally supporting the report. The Outreach Subcommittee
reviewed results of a survey conducted with the full Advisory Committee to
prioritize certain events as outreach and engagement opportunities, such as the
Mayor's Egg Race or the Newport Beach Farmer's Market. Both subcommittee
chairs reported out to the full Advisory Committee at the February 7 meeting and
received support for their respective efforts.
Recap of the February 21, 2024 Steering Committee Meeting
• The Steering Committee met briefly to review the actions of the Advisory
Committee and expressed support for the efforts and confidence in the new
workflow. The Steering Committee determined it should only meet every other
month, as needed.
Recap of the March 20, 2024 Advisory Committee Meeting
• Between this meeting and the prior meeting in February, the Arts &
Cultural/Historical Resources Subcommittee, the Recreation/Natural Resources
Subcommittee, the Harbor & Bay Subcommittee, and the Safety Subcommittee all
convened and identified chairpersons as follows:
o Advisory Committee Co -Chair Arlene Greer was identified as chair of the
Arts & Cultural/Historical Resources Subcommittee;
o Advisory Committee Member Charles Klobe was identified as chair of the
Recreation/Natural Resources Subcommittee;
o Advisory Committee Member Curtis Black was identified as chair of the
Harbor & Bay Subcommittee; and
o Advisory Committee Member Nancy Scarbrough was identified as chair of
the Safety Subcommittee.
• The Arts & Cultural/Historical Resources Subcommittee reviewed the Historical
Resources Existing Conditions and Background Analysis Report prepared by
Dudek and provided feedback while generally supporting the report. The remaining
subcommittees reviewed the Resilience Existing Conditions and Background
Analysis Report and provided feedback, while providing support to use the report
to help inform outreach efforts. All subcommittee chairs reported out to the full
Advisory Committee at the March 20 meeting and received support for their
respective efforts.
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General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC)
Bi-Monthly Update to the City Council
April 9, 2024
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Outreach and Upcoming Meetings
The outreach and engagement effort launched in early March 2024 and has been
picking up speed with the first pop-up event taking place at the Mayor's Egg Race.
There, the consultant reported engaging with just over 140 adult community
members. Future pop-up events are being confirmed and will take place over the
course of the next two months.
The Advisory Committee's Arts & Cultural/Historical Resources Subcommittee,
Noise Subcommittee, and Recreation/Natural Resources Subcommittees will all
convene in April, with the full Advisory Committee meeting again on May 1, 2024,
and the Steering Committee meeting again on May 15, 2024. The General Plan
Update is on track to conclude in the summer of 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not
result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment)
and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA
Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no
potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A — GPUSC Memo to the City Council
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Attachment A
GPUSC Memo to the City Council
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PROGRESS REPORT ON GPAC
After a somewhat dilatory start, the committee is moving ahead with good speed thanks to an
improved process. Now the basic work is being done in the various element subcommittees, with their
proposals then being presented to GPAC at large for general acceptance. There is an excellent dynamic
between committee members and the consultant. While the consultant prepares introductory
materials, the members are quick to add suggestions to make each element particular to Newport
Beach. What emerges from this process informs the outreach effort, insuring that GPAC gets the
necessary feedback on its efforts.
Some highlights:
Vision Statement Subcommittee --three prongs make up the community: residents, businesses
and visitors, and balance is critical. Outreach and engagement must include business as well as
residents in this regard, and questions should elicit sentiment toward tourism. It's important to
recognize the diversity of the city with casual beach areas and upscale destinations. When it comes to
resilience, this should include a resilient economy and infrastructure.
Arts and Historical Resources Subcommittee --identifying historical sites utilizing phone apps is a
way to provide recognition while minimizing sign pollution. Consideration should be given to forming a
"federation" of city historical groups and resources to provide better coordination while protecting
individual group interests. Consideration should be given to creating an historical resources "master
plan," similar to what was done for the arts.
Natural Resources and Recreation Subcommittee --priorities to address are sea level rise and
bluff erosion. It is important to account for different modes of transportation and to prepare for future
innovation which could also affect parking policies. Since resiliency policies are spread throughout the
General Plan it may be useful to appoint a staff member to serve as liaison for these policies.
Other information: There is also interest farther down the road to evaluate the General Plan as a whole
and see if any of the elements should be combined for greater efficiency.
Nancy Gardner
Chair, General Plan Update Steering Committee
Note: We have moved GPUSC meetings to every other month.
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