*Newport Beach’s new City Hall … is in or near this photo of Fashion Island! Or….this photo may have been taken before it opened … in which case it’s in this terrain! Or near it! Just to be safe … if it turns out to be an old photo…..we’ll put in in sepia tone! Had their first Council meeting in it today!
The new Newport Beach City Hall, with a price tag of $130 Million dollars opened for their first City Council meeting at the Big Elephant – in Fascist Island tonight. OK, we make light of these things. Let’s start again: The Newport Beach City Council met tonight at their new chamber location in the soon to be Newport Civic Center Complex, located just east and north of the City Library and right next to the where there will be a dog park….just for starters. The Council Chambers had a few glitches, but it is open, bright and seats 150 folks comfortably, instead of the 100 folks – squeezed together at the Peninsula location. The sound system is also superior…..so what can you say?
Councilman Keith Curry was elected unanimously as the new Mayor of Newport Beach for 2013. Councilman Rush Hill took the Mayor Pro Tem spot. Steve Rosansky went out on Term Limits and was replaced by Tony Petros….who ran unopposed along with Keith Curry and Ed Selich – who both also ran unopposed for their council seats.
The new City Hall and Civic Center Complex is scheduled to open officially on May 4th, 2013. There will be an open house from 10am to 2pm…….but we will all have to wait and see.
The turnout was good and all but a few seats were filled. The city staff was in major attendance naturally. Lot’s of picture taking, lot’s of back slapping, lots of politicing……
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade came up a few times…..and Councilman Mike Henn asked that everyone turn out and support the Boat Parade. The people that are boycotting the parade were not mentioned. The rumor is….that the new charges for docks, piers, cans and whispers for commercial and privately owned yachts….is now settled and the ordinance implemented. We will see!
Anyway, the parking facility was lovely – huge. Thought we were at the Dorthy Chandler Pavillion, Getty Museum or the Kodak Center….or something. Don’t exactly know who will be filling up that huge parking area in the future – maybe developers with huge warchests to unload? In any event, Newport Beach Opened the Big Beach Elephant tonight…….and we help launch a new moment in history. Congratulations Mayor Curry……do a great job in 2013!
Newport Beach has no culture to speak of.
with the exception of lovely sun and surf.
Support Downtown Santa Ana.
Greedy city council needs to tax themselfs and see how they ike it
*Your stealthy comments make us believe you stand against the recent “market pricing” for both Commercial and Private Piers, Docks, Cans & Whisper hook ups on Federal, State, County or City Tidelands? The realities are that it is the very very cheap owners of bayfront and waterfront properties…..that either rent, sell or loan these pieces of “Publically Controlled Property”…..and in fact are known to laugh that those that have been standing in the cue for the last 20 to 30 years…..for another open spot…they can get from the City.
Our good bud Jack Wu (an Accountant by trade) was concerned that by raising the rates on these various pieces of property….the Assessed Valuation of the Property might rise and force Home Owners to pay higher County Taxes. The concern was….that a waterfront home might well be worth $2 million dollars plus without the Pier. You might have to add $1 million more with the Pier. Webster Gullory our County Assessor…..has already thought of that and has been charging the correct rate for many years.
What is different is: The City now allows the owners of these Piers and Docks, Cans and Whispers…..to lease, sell or charge monthly fees – legally. In order for that to happen – .52 cents a foot will be charged by the city for each “:cash cow” created by the owners of these properties that extend into the various iterations of tidelands. Face it, these owners have had it great for over 40 years. This issue came up as far back as we can remember in 1971….
No one had the political will…..to fight the richy rich – very cheap guys. Finally, someone has!
There is little doubt that the Newport Beach City Council has made some real “wrongheaded decisions” over the years. This just so happens – not to be one of them! Go down to Balboa Island and celebrate the Christmas Boat Parade in front of your best buds……waterfront home!
Excuse meJust because somebody owns a piece of real estate doesn’t mean that the government can tax someone to promote there idea of. government