April 23, 2024, City Council Agenda Comments
The following comments on items on the Newport Beach City Councilagendaare submitted by:
Jim Mosher ([email protected]), 2210 Private Road, Newport Beach 92660 (949-548-6229) Item 1. Minutes for the April 9, 2024 City Council Meeting Thepassagesshownin italicsbeloware fromthe draftminutes with suggested corrections shownin strikeout underline format.Thepagenumbersrefer to Volume66.
and Jim Hughes, Underwriting Solutions ISO Field Representative, utilized a presentation to discuss the ISO public protection classification, 503 Class 1 graph departments countrywide, fire suppression rating schedule, items evaluated and how the information affects insurance policies. He concluded by presenting a plaque to Fire Chief Boyles and the City.” [Seevideo:thegraphplotted38,000departmentscountrywide,ofwhichonly503were Class1.]
Proposal 2 from Basin Neighborhood Partners, LLC, Assistant City Manager Jurjis relayed that the lease structure would be between the City and the homeowner for each parcel, the developer would sell the ten units, the City would gain the rights to own the offices and the Galley Café buildings, the Galley Café and offices would have a lease with the City, and the 40 units of dry storage on the 40 units will belong to the City.” [?]
Committee meeting that was schedule scheduled for April 15, 2024, is postponed” Item 3. Ordinance No. 2024-8: Approving Newport Place Planned Community Development Plan Amendment; and Ordinance No. 2024-9: Approving Development Agreement for the Residences at 1400 Bristol Street (PA2022-0296)
Inthefirstsentenceofits“Discussion,” thestaffreportsaysthat“On April 9, 2024, the City Council conducted a noticed public hearing on the proposed Project,” a“fact” recited inmore detail inthetwoordinancesproposedfor adoption.The publichadalsobeen puton noticethat theCouncil wouldbeholdingahearingonApril 9toconsider overridingafindingof inconsistencybythe County’sAirportLand UseCommission.
Whileahearingmayhavebeentechnicallyheld,theApril 9 videoindicatesitdidnotfollowthe protocol for administrativeandquasi-judicial hearingssetforthon page6 ofCityCouncil Policy A-1.Inadditiontotherebeingnooral announcementofwhatthehearingwasabout,nor a staff report(bothofwhichappear to beoptional),thepresidingofficer didnotinvitetheapplicantto makeapresentationor respond topublictestimony(bothofwhichdoseemtoberequired).
Regardingthesubstanceofthe presentactions,designatingthislocation aspartofthe residential portionoftheNewportPlacePlannedCommunityDevelopmentPlanseemsunwise, Received After Agenda Printed
April 23, 2024
Written Comments
April23,2024,CityCouncilagendacomments-JimMosher Page2of5 bothbecauseitisdirectlyundertheCity’srequestedflightpathforpiston-poweredaircraftdepartingJohnWayneAirport,andbecausethenoiseimpactonpotentialresidentsfromthe73Freeway(whichitislessthan200feetfrom)doesnotappeartohavebeenconsidered.Itdoesnotsoundlikeapleasantplaceforpeopletolive.
ItalsodoesnotappeartobebeingaddedinsuchawayastoadvancetheCity’svisionofcreatingresidentialcommunitieswalkablyconnectedtoneededservicesintheAirportAreawithassociatedtrafficcalmingmeasures.Onthecontrary,thepedestrianbridgeconnectingthiscomplextothesamedeveloper’sadjacentandpreviously-approvedresidentialcomplexat1300Bristolcontributestoasenseofisolationandself-containmentandnotusingthestreets.Inshort,wedonotseemtohaveaplannedcommunity.
Astothedevelopmentagreement,asIattemptedtopointoutinoraltestimony,the$2,893,383publicbenefitfeeseemsunexplainedandarbitrary.With153baseunitsitfiguresto$18,911perunit,orwith229totalunits,to$12,635perunit.ThiscomparestoAgendaItem4,forwhichthepublicbenefitof$1,628,400for52baseunitsand67totalcomputesto$31,315or$24,304perunit.Tothebestofmyknowledge,noonehasexplainedwhoproposedthesenumbersor onwhatbasis.
Astotheotherimpactfees,IwasundertheimpressiontheCouncilthoughttheAirportArealackedparks,soitissurprisingtoseereliefbeingofferedontheparkfeewhichwouldgotowardcreatingthem.Astothefeesingeneral,IassumetheCityismindfuloftheU.S.SupremeCourt’sApril12decisioninSheetzv.CountyofElDorado,openingthemtonewchallenges.
Item4. OrdinanceNo. 2024-10: ApprovingNewport PlacePlannedCommunityDevelopment PlanAmendment; andOrdinanceNo.2024-11: ApprovingDevelopment Agreement for theResidencesat1401Quail Street (PA2023-0040)SeecommentsonAgendaItem3.Again,thepublicwasnotifiedahearingwouldbeheld,butthevideoagainshowspubliccommentbeinginvitedbeforeandwithoutinvitingtheapplicanttomakeapresentation,andwithoutanyoralannouncement(orinthiscase,withoutevenaprintedannouncementonthescreenbehindthedais)ofwhatcommentwasbeingsoughtabout,ortheapplicantbeinginvitedtorespondtothepublic’scomments.
Althoughnotasclosetothe73FreewayasItem3,this,again,doesnotappeartobepartofanycoherentvisiontocreateatrulyplannedcommunityinNewportPlace.
Item9. Central LibraryElevator ModernizationProject –AwardofContract No. 8939-1(24F02)Formonths,theBoardofLibraryTrusteeshasbeenseeingpatroncommentscomplainingaboutthemainpublicelevatorattheCentralLibrarybeingoutofserviceandaskingwhenitwillberepaired.AtthemeetingsIhaveattended,theyhavebeentoldtherepairworkneededaformalcontractandittakestimetocompleteduetoCityprotocols.
April23,2024,CityCouncilagendacomments-JimMosher Page3of5 ThisisthefirstI’veheardthatamoreextensiveCentralLibraryElevatorModernizationProjectwaspartoftheCity’sFacilitiesMaintenanceMasterPlan.
Apparentlythatexplainswhyemergencyrepairswerenotundertaken.
ButitraisesthebiggerquestionofwhatelsemightbeintheFacilitiesMaintenanceMasterPlan.ItisadocumentIhaveheardreferredto,butIdon’tknowwherethepublic(orCouncil)canseeacopyofit.Itisnot,forexample,postedwithothermasterplansunder“Long-TermFinancialPlanning”ontheCity’sFinancialInformationpage.Itis,ofcourse,mentionedintheCIPbudget,where$2.5millionseemstobedevotedtoiteachyear,butwhat,specifically,thatmoneyisexpectedtobespentonisnotclear.
Item11. PlanningCommissionAgendafor theApril 18, 2024Meeting Asindicatedintheagendareport,withtwocommissionersrecusingthemselvesoneach,thePlanningCommissionunanimouslyapprovedtwobusinessitems:approvinga444-unitapartmentprojectin“NewportAirportVillage”andrecommendingCouncilapprovalofamendmentstotheGeneralPlan,ZoningCodeandLocalCoastalProgramrelatedtoimplementingtheGeneralPlanHousingElement.
Theyarerelatedinthatthefirstunderscorestheflawedassumptionsofthesecond,whichissaidtobeneededfortheCitytomeetitsRegionalHousingNeedsAllocationforthecurrentplanningcycle.
However,accordingtostaff’sownassessmentinTableB-1oftheHousingElement,theCityhasenoughprojectsalreadyinthepipelinetomeetits1,409unitabovemoderateincomequota,soitsremainingobligationistoallowfor,atmost,2,048newunitsaffordabletoveryloworlowincomefamilies(withseparatequotasforeach)and659newunitsaffordabletomoderateincomefamilies,foratotalof2,707units.
Instead,therecommendationofthePlanningCommission,goingtotheAirportLandUseCommissionforreviewonMay16,istoprovideessentiallyapermanentblankchecktoallow8,174newunits,spreadoverfivefocusareas.Thereisnoguaranteeanyofthenewallocationwillbeusedtocreatedwellingsaffordabletotherequiredincomecategories.And,despitecleardirectionfromtheCouncilatitsFebruary13,2024,studysession(ItemSS5),noefforthasbeenmadetoincorporateanyprovisionterminatingeligibilityforentitlementoftheseunitswhenandifthecitywideRHNAquotashavebeenmet.
ThePlanningCommissionapprovedNewportAirportVillageprovidedjust37unitsaffordabletoverylowincomefamiliesoutof329baseunits.Evenatthatrate,inanyareawheretheCouncilapprovedPCtext requiredatleast10%affordable,entitlingthefull8,174unitsoftheImplementationPlanwouldproduceonly8,174x37/329=919unitsaffordabletoverylowincometenants.ThatwouldbeinsufficienttomeettheCity’s1,456unitobligationinthatincomecategoryandmakenoprogressatalltowardthelow-andmoderate-incomequotas.
Inotherwords,therecommendedimplementationisnotonlynotcarefullytailoredtoproducenomorethanthestaterequires,asthepublichadbeenledtobelieveitwould,butitappearsdestinedforfailuretomeettherequirementsatall.
April23,2024,CityCouncilagendacomments-JimMosher Page4of5 ItishardtoseewhytheelectoratewouldsupportaplanthatgivestheCouncillicensetoapproveagreatdealofhousingthatisnotrequired,whilefailingtoensurethatanyofwhatisrequiredwillbeproduced.
Item13. ResolutionNo. 2024-28: Appeal of PlanningCommission’sApproval of theOrangeCountySanitationDistrict’sBayBridgePumpStationandForceMainsReplacement Project at 250East CoastHighway(PA2023-0076)CongratulationstoMayorProTemStapletonforhiselevationtothepositionofMayorbytheOrangeCountySanitationDistrict’sattorneyonstaffreportpage12-116! IagreewiththeappellantthatforpeopletravelingalongPCH,theproposedstructuresseemvery,andunnecessarily,visuallyintrusive,bothastosizeandlocation.However,astheapplicantpointsout,theappellantsthemselvesseemtowishtoconstructafour-storyparkinggaragewrappingaroundthepumpstationproperty,sotheeffectisdifficulttovisualize.SeethelastpageofthePlannedCommunityNo.9text:
Regardlessoftheultimatebuildout,asIsuggestedtothePlanningCommission,theconstructionoflong,solid,blankwallsalongPCHalsoseemsunnecessary.Theyservenoobviouspurpose(itseemsunlikelythefacilityneedstobeprotectedfromtrafficnoise)andopenworkfencingwouldseemlessintrusive.
Therealsoseemstobealostopportunitytowidenandimprovethesidewalk,heavilyusedbypedestriansandcyclists,that frontsthefacility.Awidersidewalkseemsabetteruseoflandthanextensivelandscaping.
April23,2024,CityCouncilagendacomments-JimMosher Page5of5 Item14. OrdinanceNos. 2024-12and2024-13, andResolutionNo.2024-29: RevisingCertainFeesWithintheScheduleof Rents, FinesandFees, AuthorizingtheWaiver of VehicleTowFees, AdoptingaCredit CardConvenienceFee, andUpdatingtheMethodologyforAnnual Consumer PriceIndexCalculationsAsmanypubliccommentershavemadetheCouncilaware,itwilllikelyseeaproposalfromtheHarborCommissiontoincreasetherentchargedformooringstheCitypermitsonstatetidelands.ThatrentispartiallytocompensateforprivateoccupationofpublicpropertybutisalsousedtorecovertheCity’scostofadministeringthemooringprogram,forwhichnoseparatefeeischarged.Whiletheproperrenttochargeisdebatable,theadministrativecostsshouldbecertain.ItwouldseemtheCouncilwouldwanttoknowwhatthatcostis,whichwouldrequireafeestudy.
Regardingthecurrentproposal,itwouldhavebeenhelpfultoprovidearedlineofthechangesbeingmadetotheMunicipalCodebythetwoordinances.Asitis,readersseemtobeleftguessingwhatthemodificationsare.
AstothechangestoExhibitAtoSection3.36.030(thecostrecoverypercentagestable),asIpointedouttotheFinanceCommittee,muchinkisspentrepeatingthatonappeals,therecoveryis0%whenanappellantissuccessful,and50%whennot.Sincethisisstatedasageneralruleatthestartofthetable,thesubsequentrepetitionsseemunnecessary.
Astotheproposed2.85%creditcardservicefeetobephasedinstartingwithutilitybills,itisunclearwhenthiswillstart,orhowtheoutreachwillbeconducted.ManyCitycustomerssignedupforonlinebillpayunderstandingtherewouldbenoservicefee.
AstotheFiscalImpact(staffreportpage14-9),itmightbenotedthatthe$581,000ofadditionalrevenuesisoffsetbytheroughly$100,000ClearSourcechargesforconductingthefeestudies(seecontractapproval,Item12fromSeptember13,2022).
Amongitsservices,page14-3ofthestaffreportsaysClearSourcewastaskedwith“revampint”thepresentationoftheScheduleofRents,FinesandFeestoimproveeaseofuseandreference,asreflectedintheproposedresolution.Itisnotobvioustometheyhavesucceeded.
Item15. ResolutionNo. 2024-30: CommunityDevelopment BlockGrant –2024-2025Annual ActionPlanItwouldbehelpfultoidentifythepropertyorpropertiespurchasedwithCDBGfundsthatgeneratethe$305,774ofprogramincomeanticipatedtosupplementtheannualgrant.
Icouldhavemissedit,butIdon’tseethemlistedinthestaffreportAnnualActionPlan.