Election Recap
This midterm election cycle, like few others in the past, was marked by amazing voter engagement –77% voter turnout in Newport Beach! In addition to record-breaking voter turnout, Line in the Sand supporters attended candidate forums, walked for candidates, displayed yard signs and banners, contributed financially and endorsed candidates with their personal stamp of approval.
Line in the Sand-endorsed candidates Joy Brenner, Tim Stoaks and Roy Englebrecht ran strong and voter-oriented campaigns. While their campaign methods were unique, their philosophies were very much in sync: engage voters, respect what they have to say and commit to an ethical and transparent government if elected to office.
Joy Brenner defeated Scott Peotter for the District 6 seat and will be sworn into office on Tuesday, December 11. Details can be found on our Events page.
The results of the District 3 race between Tim Stoaks and Marshall Duffield hang in the balance. Tim seized a comfortable lead on election night and held it until near the end of the vote count, losing by 36 votes. Newport Beach voters have just mounted a recount effort, as is their right. So we will all need to be patient for a few more weeks for a more certain outcome of this race.
Roy Englebrecht captured 32% of the votes in his run against Kevin Muldoon in District 4. Roy, a campaign-reform advocate, ran a lean campaign which reflected his desire to focus on personal voter interaction rather than stuffing voter mailboxes with flyers.
Your engagement during this election season was an important benchmark for all council members to consider in the coming term. And your message was loud and clear: you expect your city leaders to be open, ethical and respectful. Together we will assess their actions and commitments as we count the days to our next city election on November 3, 2020.
Financial Disclosures
A periodic review of our council members’ financial disclosures may provide insights into decisions they make which impact our lives in large and small ways.
Our council members have committed to an open and ethical government that we can trust. A review of their financial disclosure statements (money they personally receive and spend) sheds a light on how they are keeping their promises. Financial disclosure statements available here.
On the Horizon for 2019
General Plan Update
The candidates Line in the Sand endorsed pledged to get the General Plan Update (GPU) process moving with maximum input from the community. And now that appears to be happening as the GPU is on the agenda for three meetings in January:
- City Council Study Session – Tuesday, January 8
- Community Development Meeting – Tuesday, January 15
- City Council Goal-Setting Session – Saturday, January 26
Details about these meetings can be found on our Events page.
Development
In addition to participation in the GPU process, there are important development projects that we need to monitor.
Koll Center Residences, a high-rise complex spanning across three towers in the Airport Area near Jamboree and Birch, will be coming back again for a Planning Commission Study Session redo. The initial study session was abruptly halted mid-meeting as several commissioners identified their financial conflicts of interest in this project.
Many of you drive by Shopoff’s Uptown Newport project, growing by leaps and bounds, in the very same Jamboree office complex as the planned Koll Center project. Residences, retail shops and more are being jammed in between several high-rise commercial centers
And just a block or two away, our neighbors in Irvine keep building more and more high-density projects from our shared boundary line to its northernmost city limits.
Our Goal – Effect Positive Change Together
We are all in this together, and together we can effect positive change. Line in the Sand will continue to monitor development projects, participate in the General Plan Update process to the fullest extent, and encourage our council members to foster an open, transparent and inclusive city government which includes active citizen engagement and a respectful dialog with voters of varying points of view.
Your Participation
You can help by engaging with your neighbors on these issues, and scheduling time with your council members and key city staff for meaningful conversations about your vision for our city’s future. This is especially important if the General Plan Update process officially kicks off this year.
To stay informed: visit our website, follow us on social media, and encourage your like-minded friends and neighbors to subscribe to our E-News updates.
We thank you for your past support and willingness to talk about and tackle the big, important issues.
This Needs to Change
Join Us in the Conversation
Enough
We need to draw that line in the sand that says “this far and no farther”?
Disregard for the Public
Why are our City officials chipping away at the very things that are important to those who chose them to lead? Why is this happening?
Ignoring Policies & Guidelines
Why do our City officials allow never‐ending exceptions and modifications to our planning policies and guidelines, effectively allowing developers to dictate height and density allowances?
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We’ll keep you in the know about upcoming plans and activities on the topic of high-rise and high-density solutions for Our Town.
This is especially important as the City is preparing to embark on its General Plan Update process which will formalize the vision of Our Town for years to come. We cannot afford to overlook or underestimate this opportunity. We must work together to find common ground on the vision of Our Town.
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