News: Council Member Nancy Gardner

city council district 6 v corona del mar & newport coast

Nancy Gardner

council member v newport beach, california

newsletter: may 2011

JWA TRAFFIC PATTERNS
The city focuses tremendous effort and energy on maintaining the controls at JWA. We have a committee that meets monthly, a consultant who works closely with us, and we have built a coalition of cities that support our efforts. Unfortunately, unlike Teddy Roosevelt, when it comes to the airport we don’t have a big stick since the county owns the facility and the FAA determines flight paths. As a result, when we get complaints that planes are not flying the path they are supposed to, we cannot march into the FAA and shout “Off with their heads!” like the Red Queen. Well, we could, but we would either be tasered and carted off to a regimen of thorazine or, worse, aggravate the FAA, making them look less kindly at our requests. Instead, when we get complaints, we look at the flight path data. If the data don’t support the claims, we don’t just abandon the issue. We speak to the powers-that-be (not as obsequiously as Uriah Heep but very nicely indeed) to see if we can discover what else might be generating the complaints. If you feel that you are experiencing a difference, you can go to www4.passur.com/sna.html, type in your address, and it will show you the flight paths.

FROM WEEDS TO WHATEVER
Much of our basic enforcement is complaint-driven. Whether it’s a neglected property with a weed-infested yard, a suspected illegal unit, construction runoff or other issue, it’s easier than ever to make a confidential complaint. Go to the city’s website —www.newportbeachca.gov. In the right hand corner you’ll see “I want to . . . ” Scroll down to “Report a Code Violation” and there you are. And don’t forget the 24-hour graffiti hot line, 644-3333, easy to remember when you’re out walking and see something on city property.

FAMILY FUN RIDE
May is National Bike Month, and to celebrate, come along on a Family Fun Ride, Sunday, May 15, leaving at 8 am from the Oasis parking lot and taking a family-friendly route to the ferry (bring money for your fare) and down to the Wedge and back. For more information, go to BikeNewportBeach.org

WATER AND ENERGY
You probably already know that a major energy use in California is to move water. We move approximately 21 million tons 400 miles from Northern to Southern California every year. That’s like moving 6,000,000 Cadillac Escalades and costs about $474,000,000, one more reason our Ground Water Replenishment System is so valuable. That is an Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) system where water is filtered through the ground into the aquifer and then, before it is piped into homes, undergoes further treatment. At a recent all-day water seminar (and you think council people don’t have fun), I heard about DPR or Direct Potable Reuse, the thinking being that since the water’s treated anyway, why not eliminate that first slow step. A big challenge is convincing people that it would be safe—the same challenge that had to be met with IPR. Meanwhile, two plans for the delta are being prepared, and if you want to know more, go to
www.deltacouncil.ca.gov and www.baydeltaconservation.com

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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.

Council Member 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