The Week in Review 052323

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The Week in Review

A weekly newsletter from City Manager Grace L. Leung

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Courtesy of City of Newport Beach

Newport Beach City Manager Grace Leung

Community Members:

The City of Newport Beach’s proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2023-24 will be presented to a special joint meeting of the City Council and Finance Committee at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, in the Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Drive.

I’m pleased to report that the proposed budget is balanced, fiscally responsible and reflects community priorities such as:

–Providing the high-quality municipal services our residents expect.

–Maintaining the safety and security of our neighborhoods.

–Keeping Newport Beach beautiful.

–Supporting a prosperous, fiscally sustainable and economically viable city.

–Improving and enhancing infrastructure.

Our General Fund revenue projections continue to be strong. General Fund revenue is projected to be $304 million for Fiscal Year 2023-24, which is 8% higher than the prior year’s adopted budget. This growth is supported by a diversified and financially solid local economy, especially the continued strength of the Newport Beach real estate market (property tax revenue is the city’s largest source of General Fund revenue).

General Fund expenditures are projected to be approximately $294 million, with about half of the budget devoted to public safety services. The proposed budget also includes:

–Funding to maintain and enhance vital programs and services while maintaining and improving public assets such as beaches, streets, parks, and water and wastewater systems.

–About $1.7 million for an additional ambulance unit and six firefighter paramedics to meet the higher community need for emergency medical services.

–An additional $500,000 in funding for homeless services, most of which will fund additional shelter beds.

–A continuation of the city’s aggressive pension paydown strategy, with the goal of eliminating pension liability in 2032. Elimination of this debt will help the city’s long-term fiscal sustainability.

The budget is a reflection of our community’s priorities, and we welcome your input. I encourage residents to attend Tuesday’s special meeting, watch it livestreamed through the City’s website, or watch a recording on our YouTube channel.

City Manager, Grace K. Leung

“Field of Honor” Tribute Began May 19 at Castaways Park

The Field of Honor, now in its 14th year, is being presented by the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor in recognition of Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day and in honor of our country’s servicemembers and first responders. The event continues through May 29 at Castaways Park, 700 Dover Drive. There will be an Armed Forces Day recognition on May 20, a student program for Newport-Mesa 5th graders on May 26 and a Memorial Day ceremony on May 29 (Memorial Day).

Along the pathways of Castaways Park, 1776 large American flags greet visitors. The public is invited and encouraged to dedicate one or more of the Field of Honor flags to a servicemember and/or to a first responder. Each dedicated flag carries a ribbon with the name of the individual to whom the flag is dedicated. There are also photos of those individuals along with narratives on many of the dedicated flags.

The Field of Honor is open to the public at no cost from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. The event benefits the 1:1 (First Battalion, First Marines) Foundation, to assist Camp Pendleton Marines and their families. For dedication and donation information, go here.

Opening of Junior Lifeguard Building Delayed Until 2024

The opening of the highly anticipated Junior Lifeguard Building will be delayed by several months after city project managers determined that the building’s concrete walls do not meet specifications established in the construction contract. Additional time is needed to rectify the issues.

Originally set for a Memorial Day weekend grand opening, the Junior Lifeguard Building is now expected to be completed by early 2024 and operational for next year’s summer program. For safety reasons, all construction activity will be halted during the upcoming busy summer months.

The facility, located near the base of the Balboa Pier, is being funded through a partnership between the City of Newport Beach and the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Foundation. City officials and foundation leaders expressed disappointment over the construction delay, but emphasized Newport Beach’s commitment to providing a well-constructed facility on behalf of residents and private donors to the Junior Lifeguard Foundation.

Free Compost Giveaway, Document Shredding on May 27

After an overwhelmingly successful Earth Day event last month, the city will host a follow-up event on Saturday, May 27, for residents who were not able to participate.

Newport Beach residents are invited to bring documents for shredding and can also pick up free bags of compost from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (while services and supplies last).

The event will be held at 3300 Pacific View Drive in the Harbor Day School overflow parking lot.

Residents can bring up to 10 standard file boxes for shredding and/or receive up to five, 30-lbs. bags of free compost. Residency will be verified; please bring identification.

March Treasury Report Now Available

The March 2023 Treasury Report is now available on the city’s website.

As of March, the city’s investment portfolio totaled $384.8 million when measured at amortized cost. The current market value of the city’s portfolio of $375.4 million incorporates price fluctuations due to the changing interest rate environment that is typically irrelevant, since the city typically holds its securities to maturity and receives the full principal value at that time.

The city’s Liquidity Portfolio is sized to meet the city’s cash flow needs over the next 12 months. Approximately $69 million or 18% of the portfolio was invested in liquid investments available for day-to-day operating expenses and the costs associated with ongoing construction projects. An additional $42.9 million or 11% of the overall portfolio was invested in a portfolio of securities with targeted short-term maturities, which earns a higher yield than the city’s more liquid investments.

View the latest Treasury Report

OASIS Building Exterior to Get Refresh

Beginning next week, the OASIS Senior Center exterior will be refreshed as part of a citywide facilities improvement project. OASIS is the sixth of eight city locations to undergo improvements. A contractor will prepare the existing surfaces and re-stain the exterior wood.

The work is expected to be completed by late June.

Newport Beach Art Exhibition Submissions Due May 26

Artists who would like to participate in the 2023 Newport Beach Art Exhibition are invited to submit entries by Friday, May 26.

Presented by the City Arts Commission, the Newport Beach Art Exhibition is a one-day juried art show on Saturday, June 24, from 12-6 p.m. This event is a great opportunity to showcase, sell and celebrate art.

Entry guidelines are on the city’s website at www.newportbeachca.gov/culturalarts.

To apply, create a free account here and submit your entries by Friday, May 26.

Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update

The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and EMTs, and works closely with the city’s police and fire departments.

This week, the Be Well team:

–Attended the Public Safety Day event to engage with the community and discuss services.

–Transported a person to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for an intake appointment.

–Transported a person to the Be Well crisis stabilization unit for treatment.

–Transported a person to the sobering station at the Be Well campus.

–Transported a person to Share Our Selves for services and food.

–Transported a person to the hospital to obtain a prescription for mental health treatment.

–Arranged transportation for a person to return home to another county.

–Collaborated with the Newport Beach Fire Department to treat a person in need of medical care.

–Provided mental health and wellness resources to businesses and residents during community outreach.

TO REACH BE WELL: The mobile crisis team is dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request service, dial 911 or call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 949.644.3717.

Homelessness Update

This week the city’s homeless outreach and response teams:

–Assisted an older adult with a new apartment lease. The person has been receiving treatment at an assisted living facility.

–Filed a report with Adult Protective Services for a disabled older adult to enter assisted living.

–Completed an intake at the Yale Navigation Center.

–Completed three referrals to the Yale Navigation Center.

–Enrolled four new clients into services.

–Provided a client with an ID voucher form to obtain a new photo identification card.

–Continued to shelter people. Twenty people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.

Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the city’s homeless response.

On the Agenda: May 23 City Council Meeting

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, May 23. Items of interest are highlighted below. The entire agenda and reports can be viewed here.

A special joint meeting of the City Council and Finance Committee will begin at 4 p.m.:

–The Council and Finance Committee will review the city’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 operating budget, including revenue assumptions, expenditure requirements, and program enhancement recommendations.

A study session will begin at 4 p.m. Agenda items include:

–Review of the proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget. Staff will present the proposed $74 million budget along with planned public improvements, special projects, ongoing maintenance programs and more. CIP projects include streets, alleys and highways, storm drains and water quality, harbor, piers and beaches, parks and facilities, water and wastewater systems, transportation safety, traffic signal improvements, and planning programs and studies.

The regular meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include:

–Conversion of the Police Department’s Boardwalk Ambassador program to the “Boardwalk and Quality of Life Enforcement Program.” The conversion would use existing funding, $200,000 a year, to deploy police officers and parking control officers on overtime to work directed enforcement assignments dealing with boardwalk safety issues and quality-of-life issues. The program would replace the Boardwalk Ambassador program, launched in 2021, which utilized contractors to address bicycle speeding and other unsafe behaviors on the Oceanfront Boardwalk.

–The Council will consider a Harbor Commission recommendation for a pilot program that would reconfigure Newport Harbor mooring field “C” to improve navigational safety and optimize space. The Harbor Commission’s recommendation, which followed extensive study and public input opportunities, would allow for a more efficient arrangement of the offshore moorings by opening waterways between rows within the mooring fields and on the boundary edges, and create a process by which requests for mooring length extensions can be effectively accomplished without compromising the efficient arrangement of moorings within a field.

–An ordinance requiring owners of short-term lodging properties to reinvest and improve their units, to help ensure that visitors to Newport Beach enjoy a high-level guest experience and that residential neighborhoods are not burdened by unkept short-term lodging units. The proposed ordinance, if approved, would require owners of short-term lodging units to reinvest, at least once every three years, a minimum of 10% of the rent collected from a lodging unit over the preceding three years back into the unit for improvements including structural and/or facade maintenance and repairs, finishes and fixtures, landscape maintenance, or other repairs to the exterior or interior. Newly constructed lodging units would be exempt from the requirement for the first five years following receipt of a certificate of occupancy from the city.

This Week’s Events

Tuesday, May 23

City Council Meeting

City Council Chambers

100 Civic Center Drive – 4 p.m.

Special Joint Meeting of the City Council and Finance Committee

City Council Chambers

100 Civic Center Drive – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, May 24

Hearing Officer

Corona del Mar Conference Room, Bay 1E

100 Civic Center Drive – 9 a.m.