News: Councilwoman Nancy Gardner

city council district 6 v corona del mar & newport coast

Nancy Gardner

councilwoman v newport beach, california

may update

SIDEWALK REPAIRS
I got an email from someone wondering why the City was going to the expense of replacing the perfectly good sidewalk in front of his house. Here’s the answer: It wasn’t perfect, not to the eye of an attorney specializing in personal injuries. It seems that 3/4" is the magic number that turns a safe sidewalk into an outrageous public hazard, so any time something starts to hover in the ½" range, General Services goes out, grinds the lip and fills in the perilous gap. After a period, the repair falters, and then it is necessary to replace the offending area so that we can walk and talk without stumbling.

WATER WATER
The City will be looking at a new water ordinance shortly, and it is much stricter than what we have been used to. The Metropolitan Water District and State Water Resources Board are requiring cities to stiffen their water regulations if they wish to get their allotted share of water. Hosing off driveways, ignoring broken sprinklers and other leaks, sprinkling while it is raining and other water-wasting practices will bring an admonition, and if they continue, a fine. The peculiar thing is that this specific ordinance will not apply to those neighborhoods in Newport where water is provided by an agency other than the city. However, those areas do come under other runoff requirements which should result in many of the same restrictions.

SPREADING THE WORD
As we all know, our bay and ocean are impacted by activities that take place way beyond our city’s boundary. People in Tustin, Anaheim, Corona have no idea that what they’re doing at home can affect the beaches they visit, and educating them has been an ongoing challenge. Now MiOcean has approached the City with a proposal that could help. It’s a TV-sized screen that would cycle relevant beach information in a static format–no sound and no moving images to be disruptive. It would be displayed in an area like the food/concession stand at Big Corona so people could read it while they’re waiting. Council will be presented with the idea for consideration at a future meeting.

OC MARATHON
Everyone in the impact zone should have received notice of the various street closures. Here’s additional information. For those who live on streets that will be no-parking for the duration of the race and who have more cars than garage space, alternate parking is being offered at Big Corona, Sherman Gardens, Newport Beach Yacht Club, Five Crowns, Honey Baked Ham, and 3800 and 3801 PCH. A special thanks to the businesses who have offered their lots.

BANNING RANCH
For those of you who have not had an opportunity to listen to both sides of the Banning Ranch issue, the Newport Beach chapter of Surfrider Foundation will be hosting a panel with the Banning Ranch Conservancy telling how the area can be saved for open space and the Banning Ranch owners explaining the benefits of their plan to develop. Wednesday, May 20, 5:30pm-6:45pm at the Environmental Nature Center.

NEW TECH
HFCV (Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles, for the non-cognoscenti) have come to Newport Beach, or at least they’re on their way. At this point they’re too expensive to sell, so they are leased, and at least one person in Newport has one, a Honda Clarity. Newport, Santa Monica, Irvine and Torrance are all targeted for an initial wave of hydrogen fueling stations, with one proposed as part of the Shell station at the corner of San Joaquin Hills Road and Jamboree. Dave Kiff and I went for a ride in an HFCV, a Mercedes, although I don’t think anyone would recognize it as such. The car has a quiet hum and plenty of pick up, and once it gets into the realm of having a sales price will provide another alternative to gasoline-powered engines.

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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