By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
This week we were very pleased to begin our partnership with Be Well OC, which provides mobile crisis intervention for several Orange County cities and now Newport Beach. Be Well OC has a dedicated Newport Beach team and van that is staffed with licensed mental health professionals who will work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist those in the community who are dealing with mental health issues.
The new service will work in close partnership with our Police and Fire departments and our homeless response team to provide compassionate first response. The team will assist homeless individuals as well as community members and visitors experiencing a mental health crisis. We are excited to bring this new program to Newport Beach and will keep our residents updated as the Be Well OC team works to address mental health issues in the community.
Office Building Blaze
The Newport Beach Fire Department responded to a structure fire just after 3 a.m. on Thursday, February 17 at 2121 E. Coast Highway, the Coldwell Banker building.
Initial fire units on the scene discovered smoke in an office on the second floor with sprinklers already activated. Upon entry, fire personnel located and confined the fire to the point of origin. Fire crews quickly knocked down and extinguished the fire. Crews ensured there were no occupants inside the structure and that the fire had not spread to other areas of the building.
A total of nine fire engines responded with 23 personnel from the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa fire departments. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Organics Recycling, Street Sweeping, Collection Route Changes
The distribution of new, green-lid carts for recycling organic materials (yard waste, food waste and other biodegradable items) is underway through the end of March. Pickup of organic recycling will begin the week after the organics carts are delivered, on the same day as trash and standard recycling are collected.
For information on the state-mandated organics recycling program, please utilize the following resources:
- A short video on how to separate and recycle organic waste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn6jWR2RK6Q&t=25s.
- The City’s dedicated web page, newportbeachca.gov/recycle, to find out when the organic recycling carts will arrive in your neighborhood (use the search function at the top of the page).
- A Frequently Asked Questions document for answers to common questions and concerns: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/70926/637793182513400000?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
- Collection days have changed for about 14,000 households. To find out your trash and recycling pickup day: newportbeachca.gov/findmycollectionday.
Street sweeping days have also been adjusted in the neighborhoods with collection day changes. These neighborhoods include portions of the Balboa Peninsula (21st Street to G Street) and Corona del Mar (north of Coast Highway), Irvine Terrance, the Port Streets and the north tip of Newport Heights.
These changes will avoid conflicts, address parking conditions, and maintain street sweeping effectiveness. Click here for maps and information: https://newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/utilities/street-sweeping/2022-street-sweeping-changes?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery, or call the City’s Utilities Department at (949) 644-3011.
Registration Now Open for Spring Recreation Programs
This spring brings much to be excited about! Join us for our Mayor’s Egg Race, Camp Newport Expo at the Spirit Run, and Youth Track Meet along with a full lineup of classes and spring break camps. Registration is now open! Be on the lookout for the Spring edition of the Newport Navigator coming soon in the mail or view the digital brochure here: http://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=736983&pre=1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
Maintenance Update
Routine maintenance work continues on various City bridges. The City’s contractor is currently working on the Balboa Island Bridge to seal and repair concrete. Boaters are urged to use extra caution when navigating under the bridge. Starting next week, the contractor will also be working at Jamboree Road over San Diego Creek on concrete repair and erosion mitigation. Brief interruptions to the pedestrian and bicycle traffic under the bridge may be required.
Draft Inclusionary Housing Evaluation
As directed by the recently adopted 2021-2029 General Plan Housing Element, the City is developing an inclusionary housing program that would require developers to provide a minimum percentage of lower‐ and moderate‐income dwelling units within new residential developments. The City is considering several policies, regulations, and incentives to help achieve the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation of 4,845 new housing units that the City must plan for over the next eight years. Of the total RHNA, about 71 percent must be planned to accommodate moderate- and lower-income households.
To help meet that goal, a draft Inclusionary Housing Financial Evaluation has been prepared and is available for public review at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/community-development/planning-division/housing/inclusionary-housing-financial-evaluation-february-17-2022/-utm_medium-email/-utm_source-govdelivery.
Any comments on the draft document can be submitted to Jaime Murillo, Principal Planner, at [email protected].
On March 22 the City Council will hold a study session on the draft inclusionary housing document and provide direction to staff on next steps.
COVID Update
As of February 17, the total cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Newport Beach was 8,774, an increase of 68 cases since February 10. The total number of cases in Orange County as of February 17 was 534,608, an increase of 4,572 cases since February 10. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients countywide as of February 17 was 494,829. These figures are provided to Orange County by the California Department of Public Health.
Self-collection, at-home COVID-19 Test Kits are available at no cost to people who work or live in Orange County, and can be ordered online at www.ochealthinfo.com/covidtest. In addition, free tests are now available from the federal government through www.COVIDtests.gov or by calling (800) 232-0233. You can order up to four rapid tests to be sent to your home address, which will be mailed at no cost through the U.S. Postal Service within 7 to 12 days.
To get vaccinated, you can visit a local pharmacy or healthcare provider, or schedule an appointment at www.Vaccines.gov, www.MyTurn.ca.gov or www.Othena.com. For more information and resources, including case counts, vaccination and testing in Orange County, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/covid.
Homelessness Update
- Harbor Department staff assisted a couple experiencing homelessness on a vessel in the harbor. The couple received medical care and temporary shelter for their pet at the Newport Beach Animal Shelter while they locate housing.
- City Net extended an expired Emergency Housing Voucher to allow a woman to remain housed. Emergency Housing Vouchers are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and allow people to pay affordable rent based on their fixed incomes. Nine people experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach have been awarded vouchers. The voucher program is administered by the Orange County Housing Authority. City Net is assisting Newport Beach clients with completing the necessary paperwork, obtaining bank statements, touring potential rental apartments, and more.
- 17 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- City Net enrolled three people into their services and completed a Vulnerability Index Assessment and a Housing Assessment with one person. City Net utilizes the Vulnerability Index Assessment to screen clients on a number of factors to determine proper placement in the County’s Continuum of Care system. Assessment factors include age, health issues, and length of time being unsheltered.
- City Net met with a couple sheltering in a motel while they reunite with family. The woman completed disability paperwork after her medical appointment for an injury. She is applying for jobs while she recuperates.
To donate to those experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach, please visit our Good Giving Program web page: https://newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
