ON THE AGENDA Here are a few...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are a few of the issues the council will consider tonight.

PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCY

The council will choose among three finalists to fill the vacancy

on the commission left when Leslie Daigle was appointed to the

council: Robert Hawkins, Michael Henn and Roberta Jorgensen.

Hawkins has lived in the city for nine years and owns his own law

firm, which deals with issues such as water law, eminent domain and

environmental law. He is a member of the city’s Environmental Quality

Affairs Citizen Advisory Committee.

Jorgensen has lived in the city for 14 years and is the president

of Robbins Jorgensen Christopher Architects in Cannery Village. She

is a member of Orange County Coastkeeper, a water-quality watchdog

group.

Henn has lived in the city for 10 years and is the president of

the Roger & Lilah Stangeland Foundation, a charitable foundation.

WHAT TO EXPECT

One of these three will be appointed.

MARINERS BRANCH LIBRARY PROPOSAL

The council will consider rejecting the sole bid received from a

contractor to build the Donna & John Crean Mariners Branch Library.

This item is on the consent calendar, which is usually approved

without discussion.

The one bid received was more than 29% higher than the city

engineer’s estimate of $4.8 million. A second bid was rejected

because it was submitted after the deadline.

Because of the lack of competition and the lack of available

funds, the Mariners Library Ad Hoc Committee unanimously recommended

the council reject the bid and start the bidding process over. Staff

members agree.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council almost certainly will follow the suggestion of the

committee and staff members and reject the bid.

CHANGE IN PERMIT PROCEDURES

The council will consider a code amendment that would replace the

modifications committee with a zoning administrator. The committee is

made up of staff members from the Planning, Building and Public Works

departments and has the authority over small zoning code issues.

The zoning administrator would be a qualified Planning Department

staff member who would be appointed by the planning director.

Making the change would improve communication between the city

departments and enhance decision-making, according to the staff

report.

The council will also consider increasing the evidence someone

would have to present to get a modification permit.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council probably will approve both changes.

TIME LIMITS ON PIERS

The council will consider a second reading of a law increasing the

time limits for docking at the city’s 10 public piers in the harbor.

There are now 20-minute time limits on all four sides of the piers.

The law would increase these limits to two hours on two sides of the

pier, 12 hours on the side closest to land and keep the bay side at

20 minutes.

The first reading of this law was on Oct. 26.

SISTER CITIES PRESENTATION

The council will host a ceremony celebrating 20 years of

friendship between Newport Beach and its sister city of Okazaki,

Japan at the start of the meeting. During the ceremony, a contingent

visiting from Okazaki will be introduced. There will also be gift

exchanges between the mayors of the two cities.

WHAT TO EXPECT

A heartfelt celebration commemorating 20 years of friendship.

PARK RULES

The council will consider adding a new chapter to the city’s code

that would expand the enforcement capabilities of park-patrol

officers in city parks.

In 2003, the council approved the park-patrol program, giving

these officers the authority to write administrative citations for

code violations.

The addition would also establish “safety zones” for the city’s

after-school programs that are connected to park sites. To protect

children in these programs, the park patrol and the Police Department

need the authority to ask people to leave the play area if it is

perceived that they pose a threat, staff members say.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The council probably will approve adding the new chapter to the

city code.