You Must Remember This: A little history lesson on water

By NANCY GARDNER

When it comes to water, Newport has been – I was going to say quite progressive, but given the conservative nature of our community that might not be viewed as a compliment. A quick check of Roget, and I will say that in water issues, Newport has been forward looking.

The topic of water often brings up Los Angeles and images from the movie Chinatown, and certainly L.A. threw a lot of elbows in gaining control of that area’s main water supply. Once it had mastery it was the 500-pound gorilla. If surrounding communities wanted water the only way they could get it was by annexing themselves to L.A., a significant factor in the way the city grew.

Newport has been far more genteel in its pursuit of water security. For many years the city well met residents’ needs, but the well fell victim to saltwater intrusion and the alternative, imported water, was expensive, so in 1993, the council (Hedges, Sansone, Watt, Turner, Hart, Cox, DeBay) approved the Groundwater Development Program to find a new local source. Attention immediately turned to Fountain Valley which, as its name suggests, sits on a lot of water. Fountain Valley was leery at first. They didn’t want Newport doing to them what Los Angeles did to the Owens Valley, but eventually an agreement was reached. Four wells were drilled, Fountain Valley didn’t turn into a desert, and Newport could import less water, thus lowering water bills.

That wasn’t the only effort at water security, however. In 1999, the council (Adams, Glover, Ridgeway, Noyes, O’Neil, Debay, Thomson) proposed that Newport become part of the Groundwater Replenishment System. As a reminder, this is a program between the Orange County Sanitation District and Orange County Water District which takes wastewater and treats it to drinking standards. It seems like a no-brainer now, but at the time it was hardly a slam dunk. The popular name was Toilet to Tap, and it was much easier to develop a snappy negative sound bite (“Do you want to drink someone’s pee?”) than to get people to read about reverse osmosis, microfiltration and the like, but the council persisted and eventually prevailed. Another layer of water security was procured for the city, and since people must urinate, etc., this was one that wouldn’t dry up.

When it came to water quality in the coastal waters, the city was pretty blasé for a long period, but so was every other coastal entity. Nobody understood just what an impact all this population growth would have on the ocean, and even when reports began to appear, the city wasn’t that concerned – until someone made the connection, “It’s the economy, stupid.” It was one thing if some surfers were coming down with things. It would be completely different if the outside world began to view the water in the harbor and the beaches as unsafe. That could affect PROPERTY VALUES! At that point, Newport shed any former indifference and became a leader in handling urban runoff and other water quality issues.

Water will continue to be an issue, but hopefully current leaders will take a lesson from past councils and continue to ensure that the city remains progressi–oops. I mean forward thinking when it comes to water, both in terms of supply and quality.

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Nancy Gardner, former Mayor of Newport Beach, long-time resident and daughter of Judge Robert Gardner, and past Citizen of the Year, is a regular contributor to Stu News Newport.

Letter to Newport Beach City Mayor and City Council

Subject: Encouraging Comprehensive Resident and Business Communication on Emergency Preparedness

Dear Mayor Stapleton and Members of the Newport Beach City Council,

Good Neighbor Newport (GNN) commends the City of Newport Beach for its proactive approach to emergency preparedness.  We encourage the Council to take additional steps and ensure all residents and businesses are informed of and prepared for potential fire threats and other natural disasters.

At the recent January 14th Council meeting, the presentations by the Fire Department and Public Works Department highlighted the extensive measures the City has taken to prepare for disasters. Newport Beach’s Fire Department has been particularly commendable in providing detailed guidance to homeowners on topics ranging from evacuation routes to strategies for enhancing the fire resilience of our homes. These efforts have undoubtedly enhanced the safety of our community. However, to achieve optimal success, it is crucial to extend this vital information to every resident and business within Newport Beach.

While digital platforms like social media and the City’s website are valuable communication tools, they do not reach everyone. Many residents, including renters, employees of local businesses, and those not actively engaged online, may remain unaware of the critical resources and guidelines available. To address this gap, GNN urges the Council to implement a direct mail campaign targeting all Newport Beach residences and businesses.

GNN suggests that this mailing be a standalone direct mail campaign (rather than bundled with utility bills) to ensure every household and business receives the information. The content need not be extensive, but should prominently direct recipients to the City’s website and resources, including:

• Emergency notifications in case of natural disasters

• Evacuation routes and maps

• Fire and earthquake preparedness guidelines

• Contact information for relevant City  departments

Furthermore, the City should consider coordinating with apartment complexes and multi-unit housing managers to ensure tenants receive this essential information. Engaging with local businesses will also help ensure employees working in Newport Beach are prepared in case of an emergency.

While direct mail incurs costs, this investment is a prudent and essential step toward protecting the well-being of our community. The advantages of an informed and prepared population far surpass the expenses, particularly in the face of disasters that could have devastating consequences.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to the safety and resilience of Newport Beach. We trust the Council will consider this proposal and take action to expand outreach efforts for the benefit of all residents and businesses.

On behalf of Good Neighbor Newport (GNN),

Nancy Gardner

About Good Neighbor Newport: Good Neighbor Newport is a volunteer group of residents who are involved in and passionate about the City of Newport Beach. Members include former mayors; former and current members of city boards, commissions, and committees; leaders of local environmental and other non-profit groups; and three citizens of the year.  It is a diverse group in terms of age, expertise, and politics. This diversity is fundamental to its mission: to preserve and protect the quality of life of Newport Beach. You can submit comments to GNN at: https://www.goodneighbornewport.org. 

Food For Thought

NEWPORT BEACH POLICE HEADQUARTERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (the Advisory Committee)

What is the Advisory Committee?  Where did it come from?  What is its work plan? As a reminder, in about 2020, the City initiated an evaluation of the Police Department headquarters. That evaluation concluded that the current headquarters no longer meets the Department's operational, technological, space, and infrastructure needs.  

In 2025, City leaders initiated an evaluation of potential sites, along with a preliminary analysis of feasibility, cost, and design considerations of a new facility, and formed an ad hoc committee of three council members, the Newport Beach Headquarters Assessment Committee, which recommended placing a new headquarters in Civic Center Park.

In response to public reaction, at its May, 2026 meeting, the Council dissolved the Assessment Committee and formed the Newport Beach Police Headquarters Advisory Committee consisting of three Councilmembers and four resident members.  The Advisory Committee has met so far on July 2, 2026, July 21, 2026, and September 2, 2026.

The Advisory Committee’s mission is to study several sites and recommend preferred sites to the Council.  So far, the sites considered include the Civic Center Park site, the current headquarters site on Santa Barbara, the 12 Corporate Plaza site (aka the Avocado Site), and the Dove Street site.  At the July 21, 2026 meeting, the Advisory Committee voted to spend no more time and money on the Santa Barbara site.

The Advisory Committee discussed the 12 Corporate Plaza site at its September 2, 2026 meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, and after lively discussion by the public and Committee members, Chair Sara Weber announced that the Avocado Site would be “tabled” at present; i.e., no vote was taken to either move the Site forward as an opportunity site or remove the Site from further Committee consideration. This raised questions from some committee members and also those in the public attending the meeting, including:

 (1)  Shouldn’t the Avocado Site receive the same architectural and environmental analysis as provided to the Civic Center Park Site so that the Committee and the residents could compare “apples with apples” information on both Sites?  The Civic Center Park Site is more challenging in some respects, but that alone does not appear to justify providing less information to the Committee and the public to properly evaluate the pluses and minuses of the Avocado Site.

(2)  Did comprehensive/extensive negotiations with The Irvine Company (as the owner of several parcels contiguous to 12 Corporate Plaza) and Mr. Junkins (a principal with Junkins 12 Corporate Plaza, LLC, the owner of 12 Corporate Plaza) take place?  If so, could the Committee and the public learn more about the negotiations with each property owner?  Some speakers indicated that The Irvine Company may be more interested in receiving future City entitlements to its Newport Beach properties in exchange for its parcels rather than raw acquisition dollars.  Are there land swaps for City-owned properties or other bargaining strategies that may interest the Avocado Site parcel owners?  

(3) One of the handouts for the September 2, 2026 meeting provides that the acquisition cost of the parcels for the Avocado Site totals $80 million.  How was this number determined?  Are there current appraisals available for the parcels supporting this total?

(4)  Has condemnation of one or more of the parcels been considered?

At the September 2 meeting and in past meetings, Committee Member Blom has stated that, in his view, the dollar cost to acquire the Avocado Site parcels was too high for Newport Beach residents.

Good Neighbor Newport will continue to report on the Committee's progress.  The Committee's next meeting is Monday, September 14, 2026, at 3:00PM in the Community Room.