Community Members:

As this winter's record rainfall and snowpack levels are tallied, they add up to significant drought relief for Orange County and all of California. 

The recent storms have refilled many of California’s major water supply reservoirs. A number of of the largest reservoirs have now reached or exceeded average levels for this time of year, compared to recent years where reservoir levels were far below historical averages.

Locally, the wet winter brought about 25" of rainfall, with 14" being the seasonal average. This local rainfall has increased volume in the Orange County groundwater basin, from which the City pumps nearly 80% of its water. The groundwater basin benefits from rainwater that is captured and percolates into the basin, and from a reduced need for outdoor water, which helps retain more water in the basin.

The rain and snowfall received in Northern California also helps with local supply. The abundant rain has helped fill the state's largest reservoirs, including Shasta, Oroville and San Luis. The state is aggressively moving much of that water south into local reservoirs and treatment facilities, in anticipation of a massive amount of additional water from melting snow (the Northern California snowpack is nearly 200% of normal). This will help reduce the need for Colorado River water, which remains in limited supply.

On April 10, the City will begin repainting the Newport Theatre Arts Center at 2501 Cliff Drive.

This is the third of eight, citywide locations set for repainting in the coming months. A contractor will prepare the existing surfaces and give the Newport Theatre Arts Center a fresh coat of paint. The work is expected to be completed in early May.

Join us on April 22 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Newport Beach Corporation Yard, 592 Superior Ave., for an Earth Day event brought to you by the City of Newport Beach and CR&R.

The event will feature free document shredding, e-waste disposal, and a compost giveaway. Residents can bring up to 10 standard file boxes of documents for shredding and can receive up to five, 30-lb. bags of compost while supplies last. Please note that residency will be verified, so don't forget to bring identification.

Our shredder can accommodate most materials including bank and financial statements, credit card statements or pre-approved credit card offers, old IRS tax forms, checks or bills, old credit cards and plastic/paper membership cards, junk mail, and documents bound with staples or paper clips. Please note that x-rays or larger plastic items such as binders cannot be accepted.

Acceptable items for e-waste disposal include computers, computer monitors, keyboards, televisions, flat panels, other monitors, printers, DVD players, cell phones, and other small electronic devices. Medical waste, batteries and other household hazardous waste will not be accepted.

For more information, please contact our Public Works Department at 949-644-3055.

The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.

This week, the Be Well team:

• Transported one person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
• Transported one person to the Be Well sobering station for treatment.
• Assisted two minors experiencing mental health crises. 
• Transported one person to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for an intake appointment.
• Assisted an older adult with a prescription medication substance use disorder.  Concerned family members called the Be Well team for resources and treatment options.
• Provided mental health and wellness resources to residents during community outreach.

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, April 11. Items of interest are highlighted below. The entire agenda and reports can be viewed here.

The regular meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Agenda items include:

• Extending the expiration date of the Ad Hoc Municipal Code and Council Policy Review Committee. The committee was formed in September 2022 to review the Newport Beach Municipal Code and City Council policies. If adopted, this item would extend the expiration date of the ad hoc committee to June 30, 2024.
• A $680,000 contract award to Corona-based International Line Builders, Inc., for traffic signal improvements on Newport Coast Drive from Sage Hill to Ridge Park Road.
• A 5-year lease agreement with Sailing Fascination for a boat slip rental in the City-owned Balboa Yacht Basin for the below-market rate of $1 a year. Sailing Fascination has operated a nonprofit sailing program for disabled individuals from a boat slip in the Balboa Yacht Basin since 1996, and the most recent agreement is set to expire on May 1.
• Authorizing funds from the Ackerman Trust, reserved for high-tech library equipment, to be used for the purchase of a new projector for the Friends Meeting Room at the Central Library.
  
• Approval of agreements with City employee labor groups, an amendment to the compensation plan for unrepresented employees, and the adoption of new salary schedules designed to improve employee retention and recruitment.