Community Members:

Thank you to the members of the public and the law enforcement community who joined us on Sunday, February 19, at Marina Park to unveil a memorial plaque honoring the late Huntington Beach Police Officer Nick Vella. It was an emotional ceremony, with heartfelt remembrances and remarks from Officer Vella’s colleagues and public officials. The memorial plaque will be on permanent display at the Marina Park seawall, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd.  

Officer Vella died in a police helicopter crash during a call for service in the City of Newport Beach in 2022, exactly one year before Sunday’s ceremony.  The location of the memorial plaque was chosen because it overlooks Newport Harbor, where Vella’s helicopter lost altitude and crashed.

Officer Vella was a 14-year veteran of the Huntington Beach Police Department, who previously served with the Laguna Beach Police Department and was well known throughout the Newport Beach Police Department. Earlier this month, Huntington Beach dedicated a 3-mile portion of Beach Boulevard, from Pacific Coast Highway to Talbert Avenue, as the Officer Nicholas Vella Memorial Highway.

We are honored to recognize Officer Vella’s service and sacrifice in Newport Beach.

City Manager, Grace K. Leung

Residents are invited to attend a City Council study session on February 28 at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Dr., on Newport Beach’s Western Snowy Plover Management Plan. City staff will provide an update on the status of a Coastal Development Permit application for management of the Snowy Plover habitat on the Balboa Peninsula between B Street and the Wedge, which includes a restoration plan and monitoring program for the threatened shorebirds. For more information, please visit: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/projects-issues/snowy-plover

The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and EMTs, and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.

This week the Be Well team:

• Transported a person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
• Transported three people to the Be Well sobering station for treatment. 
• Coordinated a ride to a mental health appointment through a client’s health insurance.
• Provided mental health and wellness resources to several families.
• Transported seven people to services, shelter intakes, and appointments.

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, February 28. Items of interest are highlighted below. The entire agenda and reports can be viewed here.

A study session will begin at 4  p.m.:

• The Council will hear an update on Newport Beach’s Western Snowy Plover Management Plan. City staff will discuss the status of a Coastal Development Permit application for management of the Snowy Plover habitat on the Peninsula between B Street and the Wedge, which includes a restoration plan and monitoring program for the threatened shorebirds.

The regular meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Agenda items include:

• Consideration of an agreement with the State of California for a regional sand replenishment project. If approved, the City will participate in a project led by the Army Corps of Engineers to replenish beach sand between the San Gabriel River in Seal Beach and the Newport Beach Harbor entrance.
• Approval of Cultural Arts Grants for the fiscal year 2023-24. The Council will consider approving grant recipients who have been selected and recommended by the City Arts Commission.  
• Receipt of the financial statement audit results. The auditors found that the financial statements were presented fairly, in all material aspects, and conformed with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Approval of the City’s legislative platform. Newport Beach’s legislative platform summarizes the City’s core legislative principles and positions to support advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels. The document includes general advocacy principles such as support for local control and property rights, as well as specific issues such as aviation, homelessness and public safety.