February 25, 2025
Agenda Item No. 12
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
David Miner, Chief of Police - 949-644-3701, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Eric Little, Lieutenant - 949-644-3660, [email protected] TITLE:
Ordinance No. 2025-3: Designating a Portion of Corona del Mar as a Safety Enhancement Zone and Expanding West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone to Include Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day Holidays ABSTRACT:
For the City Council’s consideration is the introduction of an ordinance designating a portion of Corona del Mar as a Safety Enhancement Zone during the Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day holidays. The ordinance also proposes expanding the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone to include Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The Newport Beach Municipal Code grants the City Council the authority to designate areas of the city as Safety Enhancement Zones. These zones are established to enhance public order and safety during periods of high activity, such as holidays or special events. Within these zones, the City of Newport Beach implements stricter fines to address issues such as large gatherings, noise disturbances, and unruly behavior. Infractions and citations of the Newport Beach Municipal Code within a Safety Enhancement Zone are subject to triple the standard fines.
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) Waive full reading, direct the City Clerk to read by title only, and introduce Ordinance No. 2025-3, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Designating a Portion of Corona del Mar as a Safety Enhancement Zone During the Memorial Day, Fourth of July Independence Day, and Labor Day Holidays and Expanding the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone to Include Memorial Day and Labor Day Holidays by Amending Section 1.04.060 (Safety Enhancement Zone), Chapter 10.58 (Police Services at Large Parties, Gatherings or Events on Private Property), and Section 10.66.060 (Violation-Penalty-Civil Fine) of the Newport Beach Municipal Code, and pass to second reading on March 11, 2025.
DISCUSSION:
Newport Beach Municipal Code Section 1.04.060 allows certain areas of the city to be designated as Safety Enhancement Zones to further deter municipal code violations during specific times of the year. Within these zones, fines for infractions and civil fines are tripled.
For example, a first-time infraction that typically carries a $100 fine would increase to $300 in a Safety Enhancement Zone. Civil fines triple from $500 for the first violation to $1,500 in Safety Enhancement Zone; and $1,000 for the second violation increases to $3,000 in the Safety Enhancement Zone.
Existing Safety Enhancement Zone
In 2003, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2003-5, designating the West Newport area a Safety Enhancement Zone on the Fourth of July. This designation has proven to be an effective tool in maintaining the safety and security of both residents and visitors.
On December 10, 2024, pursuant to Council Policy A-1 and at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Kleiman, the City Council considered whether to direct City staff to return to the Council with a recommendation regarding designating a portion of Corona del Mar as a Safety Enhancement Zone for the Fourth of July and other times as deemed appropriate. The Council voted, via a straw poll, in favor of staff returning with a recommendation.
The City receives a large influx of visitors to Corona de Mar on major holiday weekends, including Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. These crowds, along with large parties and gatherings, often require officers to make frequent return visits to the same locations, straining resources and creating a significant safety hazard for both officers and the public.
These conditions create an immediate risk of major disturbances that could result in serious injury or death to members of the public and law enforcement personnel. The table below highlights the calls for service in Corona del Mar, arrests made, and citations issued over the holidays.
Corona del Mar (RD44)
Calls for Service
Arrests
Citations
Memorial Day 2023/2024
98 5
12 Fourth of July 2023/2024
79 3
18 Labor Day 2023/2024
122
9 23
Additionally, in 2024 there were 297 Code Enforcement violations related to short-term lodging permits in Corona del Mar.
Proposed Boundaries – Corona del Mar Safety Enhancement Zone The proposed Safety Enhancement Zone in Corona del Mar includes the area bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the south, San Joaquin Hills Road to the north, MacArthur Boulevard to the west, and Hazel Drive to the east. This area corresponds to Newport Beach Police Department Reporting District 44 of Area 4. The designation includes Pirate’s Cove, Corona del Mar State Beach, and Little Corona.
Expanding West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone
Staff believes that expanding the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone to include Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays is appropriate given the number of arrests and citations issued during these periods. The expansion will enhance the quality of life for residents and improve the experience of visitors to the city.
The attached ordinance extends the Safety Enhancement Zone in West Newport to cover Memorial Day and Labor Day in addition to the Fourth of July.
The table below highlights the recent calls for service, arrests made, and citations issued over these holidays in West Newport, providing for justification for extending the Safety Enhancement Zone to include Memorial Day and Labor Day.
West Newport
Calls for Service
Arrests
Citations
Memorial Day 2023/2024
423
41 14
Fourth of July 2023/2024
646
48 228
Labor Day 2023/2024
440
27 41
Communication to Residents
The City will notify residents within the Safety Enhancement Zones before the three holidays. Letters outlining the designation, associated fines, penalties, and affected provisions will be sent, on or before April 15, June 15, and August 15 to each address and each owner of property (ownership determined based on the most recent property tax information available to the City) within the Corona del Mar and West Newport Safety Enhancement Zones.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of providing notices to residents three times per year in two locations of the City will increase from $5,611 to approximately $36,000 per year. This cost will be expensed to the City Manager’s Office budget account number: 01020201-811008. Costs for Memorial Day noticing will be absorbed in the current budget and the full cost for the three holidays will be included future budgets.
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).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Ordinance No. 2025-3
Attachment B – Redline of NBMC Chapter 1.04.060
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Designating a Portion of Corona del Mar as a Safety Enhancement Zone and Expanding West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone to Include Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day Holidays
February 25, 2025
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