News: Councilwoman Nancy Gardner

city council district 6 v corona del mar & newport coast

Nancy Gardner

councilwoman v newport beach, california

march update

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES – OR NOT
The City has a ban on smoking on public beaches. EQAC (Environmental Quality Affairs Committee) has asked the City to look into expanding the ban to all public places–parks, streets, alleys. If you have an opinion (“Another infringement on my personal liberties!” “Why should I be exposed to secondhand smoke when I’m walking my dog!”), the Council will be discussing the issue at our study session on March 10. You can also weigh in via email, etc. EQAC will also be asking the City to explore the prohibition of leaf blowers in residential areas, but that one is not on the agenda yet.

BANNING RANCH
Any effort to purchase Banning Ranch as open space requires us to have some idea of the value of the property. We asked an appraiser to give us a bracket (suggested high and low ends) and ended up with a figure of approximately $185 million, excluding cleanup costs. There were quibbles from the open space proponents as to the methodology, and we haven’t yet received the owner’s appraisal, but it gives us a starting point. Our consultant has had time to contact only a few funding agencies at this point. Nobody has started throwing bushels of money at us, but he will continue to look for the pot of gold. We have also asked him to meet with members of the Banning Ranch Conservancy to share information on his funding efforts and to get their ideas on potential sources of gelt.

PARKING
The Business Improvement District hosted a meeting for its members on the subject of parking. The businesses attending were asked whether they would prefer strictly enforced time limits on PCH or some form of paid parking. They opted for paid parking since that provided more flexibility for the various businesses, some of whose customers stay for ten minutes, others who stay for two hours. This happened to be the recommendation of the parking consultants, also. We will continue to study, study, study and talk, talk, talk and eventually come up with a pilot program.

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION – AND NO UNFUNDED MANDATES!
The California Constitution requires the State to reimburse cities for state-mandated costs, but it has set up a byzantine recovery process that can take seven years before the claim is ever heard by the Commission on State Mandates. That’s a long time to be fronting the money. In 2007, AB 1222 was passed which created an option for cities to bypass the Commission and deal directly with the appropriate department. Newport Beach has taken the lead, successfully negotiating reimbursement from the Department of Finance and the Franchise Tax Board last year for one such mandate, and this year we’re pursuing a second one. The city staff deserves kudos on this one.

HORSES
I grew up living in Corona del Mar, riding horses and surfing. My riding places, first at the stable replaced by Irvine Terrace, then at the pasture which is now Crystal Cove State Park, no longer exist, nor do most of the horse establishments that were then prevalent in Costa Mesa. Now one of the few remaining, the Equestrian Center at the Fairgrounds, is in jeopardy. That’s a shame. I think kids get some great lessons working with animals. I know you can’t generalize from one person’s experience, but none of my horse friends ever got in trouble, and while I think surfing is a terrific pastime, also, I can’t make that same blanket statement about my beach mates.

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FUTURE TOPIC SUGGESTIONS

This is a two-way process, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with your ideas and opinions.

Councilwoman Nancy Gardner

QUALITY OF LIFE Advocate FOR NEWPORT BEACH

City of Newport Beach - 3300 Newport Blvd - Newport Beach, CA 92663

Phone: 949.644.3004 - EMAIL: gardnerncy@aol.com