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NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Staff Report
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
CITY OF
January 14, 2025
Agenda Item No. 4
ABSTRACT:
For the City Council’s consideration is the adoption of resolutions to amend the Rules of Procedures for the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) to include a requirement for members to be appointed and/or reappointed annually . The number of GPAC members would also be revised to include a range from no less than 20 to a maximum of 30.
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; b) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-2, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Amending the General Plan Advisory Committee to Update the Membership and Provide for Annual Appointment of Members at the First City Council Meeting Held in February; and
c) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-3, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Amending the General Plan Update Steering Committee’s Term of Membership, Responsibilities and Provide for the Annual Appointment of Members at the First City Council Meeting Held in February.
DISCUSSION:
On November 19, 2024 , former Mayor Will O’Neill requested to amend the resolutions governing the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) to provide for the annual appointment of members at the first meeting in February of each year, pursuant to City Council Policy A -1. The City Council voted unanimously, via a straw poll, in favor of staff returning with an item.
At the suggestion of then Mayor Pro Tem Joe Stapleton, it was determined that the item should come back for the City Council’s consideration at the first meeting of 2025.
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Seimone Jurjis, Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director - 949-644-3232, [email protected]
PREPARED BY: Benjamin M. Zdeba, AICP, Planning Manager - 949-644-3253, [email protected]
TITLE: Resolution Nos. 20 25-2 and 202 5-3: Amending the General Plan Advisory Committee and the General Plan Update Steering Committee
Amending the General Plan Advisory Committee and
the General Plan Update Steering Committee
January 14, 2025
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For the City Council’s discussion and consideration are resolutions to revise the Rules of Procedures for the GPAC and the GPUSC , requiring annual reappointment of members for those committees. If the City Council adopts the resolutions, t he City Clerk would publish the Notice of Vacancies for the GPAC and GPUSC to allow for new applications to be filed . As drafted, if a current GPAC or GPUSC member is in good standing with an application on file that is no more than two years old at the time of City Council’s appointments, there would be no need to submit a new application.
To further streamline the appointment process and to ensure GPAC membership is confirmed at the first City Council meeting held in February, the resolutions also remove the GPUSC’s recommendation of members from the selection process. The mayor or mayor’s designee will have discretion to determine the process for selecting GPAC members for the City Council’s confirmation.
Since the GPAC is a large group consisting of up to 30 members, it has had a challenge in keeping all members engaged and in good standing. In addition to the annual reappointment, staff is recommending that the GPAC’s membership be revised to include a range of between 20 and 30 members. This will serve to clarify that the GPAC can operate wit h a lesser number of members and will remove the need to constantly fill vacant seats.
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 Secti on 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).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Resolution No. 2025-2
Attachment B – Resolution No. 2025-3