Council to see new city budget

A $208.9 million budget will be on the table tonight for the Newport Beach City Council, with highlights including the opening of two new facilities and planning for others.

The Santa Ana Heights fire station and Newport Coast Community Center are slated to open this fall, though only the community center will require new employees because the fire station staff now works from a temporary station.

The community center would have someone to work the counter and a maintenance worker, in part because the city is taking on more responsibilities for landscaping and parks in Newport Coast, City Manager Homer Bludau said.

The council’s finance committee — council members Keith Curry, Leslie Daigle and Michael Henn — said earlier this year they want to rein in spending, which has kept pace with the roughly 9% annual growth of revenues. That will be a target for the future, Curry said.

“I think Homer did a good job in restraining requests for spending as the process went forward. I think it’s a good budget,” he said.

The finance committee will be looking at the level of services the city provides, how it compares with other cities of similar size, and how satisfied people are with those services.

The proposed budget is about $3 million more than 2006-07 spending. The city is expected to bring in about $2.5 million more than it spends in the new budget.

Also in the 2007-08 budget year, the city will move ahead with plans to replace the Oasis Senior Center. Conceptual plans are underway, so the proposed budget includes money for final construction documents.

The council also will choose what to fund from a $2 million checklist of items requested by council members or department heads that weren’t put in the regular budget. On the list is about $450,000 for three new firefighter positions, which would allow for a fourth person on the fire truck at the Lido station.

Henn asked for $200,000 to pay for a disaster warning system, which has been discussed as a possible preparation for a tsunami or earthquake.

The council also will have to decide whether to fund a study of when and in what order police, fire and lifeguard facilities will need to be replaced. Bludau said some council members want to do the study, while others prefer to take the needs one at a time as they arise.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Newport Beach City Council meeting

WHEN: 7 p.m. today, with a study session at 5 p.m.

WHERE: 3300 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach

INFO: View the agenda or watch the meeting at www.city.newport-beach.ca.us