Lepo named permanent planning head

Newport Beach interim Planning Director David Lepo has been named to head the city’s planning department permanently, City Manager Homer Bludau has announced.

Lepo, 54, took over temporarily in November because Planning Director Patricia Temple was planning to retire after more than three decades with the city. She officially retired in January.

Before coming to Newport Beach, Lepo was working in the Irvine office of private sector planning consultant Hogle-Ireland. He also has worked for the cities of Los Alamitos, Signal Hill and Bellflower.

“He’s got a great customer service ethic,” Bludau said of Lepo. “He now knows the personnel and knows the city very well.”

Lepo said the biggest jobs on his plate in the near term will be reorganizing the planning department to speed up customer service and putting in place changes called for in the new general plan. He officially takes the post March 5 with an annual salary of $140,000.

— Alicia Robinson