News: Council Member Nancy Gardner

city council district 6 v corona del mar & newport coast

Nancy Gardner

council member v newport beach, california

newsletter: august 2014

EQAC
One of the roles of the city's Environmental Quality Affairs Committee is to advise the council on "policies, programs and projects that improve or detract from the environmental quality of the city." EQAC will be meeting August 28 to formulate its wish list for the coming year. Members of the public are welcome to contribute their suggestions, either by attending the meeting or by sending an email to me or to the city clerk (lbrown@newportbeachca.gov) for distribution to EQAC members.

ALL BOW DOWN
Jack and Nancy Skinner have done so much not just for the city but for the whole state when it comes to water quality. I was delighted to see them lionized by the Chamber of Commerce as Citizens of the Year. Following on the heels of last year's selection of Jean Watt, it's a real run for the greenies and a very nice recognition of this segment of our community by the Chamber.

WATER REGS
Just so that everyone's on the same page, the city's water conservation and supply level regulations (Chapter 14.16 of the Municipal Code) state that at all times (not just when a drought is declared), there is no washing down of hard or paved surfaces, no irrigation during rain, no excessive water flow or runoff. If you have someone in your neighborhood who is a regular violator, if you're on good terms mention it. If you think the reaction might be less than positive, you can call Code Enforcement. Just for your information, if the dry years continue (let's all hope for El Nino), the city has four levels of restrictions that would gradually kick in. Usage cuts begin with level two and by level four we are all using lots of deodorant.

GENERAL PLAN LAND USE AMENDMENT
We had a spirited couple of meetings on this subject--lots of comments and updates including a revised fiscal analysis. The amendment proposes exchanging the development of hotel rooms in Newport Coast for development in Newport Center and includes the consideration of a CdM bypass, among other things. I thought that a little more time would be useful, but my colleagues felt comfortable with what was proposed, so it will be on the November ballot. For further information, go to the city's website and click on Projects and Issues, then Land Use Amendment, and you will find the EIR and other material.

SHERLOCK
I left one of my cryptic notes-to-self for this newsletter: dog. Was I irritated with dog owners who still, after all these years, don't pick up after their pets? Was it--ah, I remember. It was a dog park. We get regular requests for another dog park. In response, I have suggested that the council ask PB&R to look at the issue, but I don't know if the impetus is there. We get so many complaints about the current dog park--everything from the ground surface to the gates--that I wouldn't be surprised if there was a general "why bother?" reaction.

TAKE THAT
I thought rats were the worst offenders when it came to crop predation, but they don't compare to squirrels. Before the squirrels invaded, during the season we ate fresh nectarines, nectarine ice cream, nectarine tarts, nectarine preserves. It was a bonanza of fruit. This year it was a race to get a few fresh nectarines before the squirrels did. I finally got so mad at the marauders I stripped the tree of every nectarine, ripe or not, just to thwart them. And by the way, all those sprays and granules that promise to keep away the pests? Ha! That is all I have to say to their manufacturers. Ha!

FUTURE TOPIC SUGGESTIONS

This is a two-way process, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with your ideas and opinions. My email address for city business is: NGardner@newportbeachca.gov. Don’t worry if you forget it. I’ll still be using the AOL one, too.

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Council Member Nancy Gardner

QUALITY OF LIFE ADVOCATE FOR NEWPORT BEACH

City of Newport Beach | 100 Civic Center Drive | Newport Beach, CA 92660

Phone: 949.644.3004 | EMAIL: ngardner@newportbeachca.gov