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Community Members:
The City and Newport Beach Public Library Foundation celebrated the completion of the first phase of construction of Witte Hall, the civic auditorium being built near the Central Library, on Tuesday, November 12.
City Council members, Foundation board members, City officials and major donors to the Beyond Books campaign signed a steel beam that will "top off" the steel superstructure. The beam will be lifted into place early next month.
The event is a key milestone in the construction of Witte Hall, which was first proposed 10 years ago and broke ground in February. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2026.
The 9,814-square-foot building, designed to complement the Central Library and City Hall architecture, will include tiered, stadium seating for nearly 300 people. The new auditorium will host a variety of authors, speakers, lecturers and other events.
The $23.4 million lecture hall is being financed through a cost-sharing agreement between the City and Foundation. The Foundation has secured 80% of the funds needed for its share, and recently announced a $500,000 challenge grant that will match new and increased contributions.
The facility will be managed by the City's Recreation and Senior Services Department and available for public rental. The building is named Witte Hall in recognition of a donation from Bill Witte and Keiko Sakamoto.
For a short video on the event, visit our Youtube channel.
City Manager, Grace K. Leung
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Along with donors, Library Foundation members and City officials, City Council members Lauren Kleiman, Brad Avery, Robyn Grant, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Stapleton and Council member Erik Weigand (L-R) signed the steel beam that will "top off" the superstructure of Witte Hall next month. |
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Marilyn Krahe, Chair of the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation, updates supporters on the status of fundraising efforts that have secured 80% of matching funds needed for the new civic auditorium, Witte Hall. |
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 The City will begin its biennial inspections of Newport Beach's two ocean piers on November 19.
Every two years the City conducts in-depth inspections of the Balboa and Newport piers to identify repairs needed to keep the two structures in a safe condition.
SCUBA divers will inspect underwater components of the piers. An specialized bridge inspection vehicle called a snooper will be used to access above-water areas that are hard to reach.
During SCUBA operations, fishing will be restricted for the divers' safety. The piers will remain open during these inspections.
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 Join us on Friday, December 6 as we welcome Santa to Newport Coast Community Center at our “Breakfast with Santa” event.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast, create crafts, play games, take a ride on a trackless train, and smile for a photo with Santa!
Registration is required.
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 Experience a fun family event for all ages with dinner and amazing views of the 113th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade on Friday, December 20 at Marina Park, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd.
Activities will include crafts, games, and photos with Santa.
Tickets are limited. Registration is required.
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 The Newport Beach Fire Department (NBFD) welcomed three new members following their successful completion of a 12-month probation.
The department recognized firefighter-paramedics Brandon Harrison, Andrew Dunkle and Trent Cozza with badge-pinning ceremony earlier this week.
Their hard work and achievements through a rigorous probationary period mark the beginning of promising careers with the NBFD.
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Youth ages 4 to 12 are invited to join a reading challenge sponsored by In-N-Out Burger, now through November 16.
Read five books or read for 300 minutes by November 16 and earn a free hamburger or cheeseburger at In-N-Out (up to 3 burgers).
Visit any Newport Beach Public Library location to sign-up.
If a child is unable to read on their own, a parent or guardian may read to them.
For more information, visit the library website at: www.newportbeachlibrary.org
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 Join us on Monday, November 18 at 7 p.m. at the Central Library Friends Room, 1000 Avocado Ave., for a free forum by Dr. Crystal Jicha from the UCI Health Department of Neurology. She will present "Understanding Headaches: Identifying Triggers and Mastering Relief Strategies." Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Register for this free event here.
The presentation is part of the 2024-25 season of Medicine in Our Backyard, presented by the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation in collaboration with UCI Health. The series features an extraordinary group of renowned doctors and researchers speaking on a wide range of topics.
For more information click here.
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 This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Placed a person into a skilled nursing facility from a hospital.
- Placed a person in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter after treatment at a hospital.
- Enrolled one person into services.
- Continued to shelter people. 26 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City's homeless response.
Click here for information on the City's Good Giving program.
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The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, November 19. Items of interest are highlighted below. The entire agenda and reports can be viewed here.
The City Council meeting will begin at 4 p.m. with presentations, followed by a closed session. The regular meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. after the closed session. Agenda items include:
- Acceptance of a $450,000 wildfire prevention grant from the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). The grant funds would be used to reduce fire risk in a portion of the Buck Gully Reserve.
- Approval of a $5.6 million construction contract with Asplundh Construction, of Buena Park, for underground utility assessment district No. 124 (Central Balboa Island, Phase 2). This final phase of construction includes the central area of the assessment district between Grand Canal and Sapphire Avenue and North Bayfront and Park Avenue. The underground placement of utility transmission lines is funded by the property owners through the assessment district.
- An agreement with LAZ Parking Services for the operation of the Balboa Peninsula Trolley and vehicle procurement services. The $3.9 million contract would continue Peninsula trolley operations for seven years and purchase five new trolley vehicles on behalf of the City. The new trolleys would be open-air vehicles reminiscent of Orange County’s historic electric red-car trolleys. The new trolleys are not available in 2025 but would be ready for operation in summer 2026. The 2025 season would continue to operate on summer weekends and holidays with the van shuttle buses that have been in use for the past seven years. A large portion of the contract cost, nearly $3.3 million, would be funded through grants from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).
- Discussion of the original City seal from the former City Council Chambers. The Council will provide direction to City staff on where to place, or continue to store, the original wood seal.
- Appointment to fill an unscheduled vacancy on the Civil Service Board. The Council will consider appointing one of two nominees for a Civil Service Board member term ending in June 2027.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18
BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES MEETING
5 p.m.
City Council Chambers
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
4 p.m.
City Council Chambers
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
GPAC ARTS & CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING
2 p.m.
Virtual and in the Harbor Island Conference Room, Bay 2C
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING FOR SNUG HARBOR SURF PARK PROJECT
6 p.m.
Civic Center Community Room
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21
HEARING OFFICER MEETING
8 a.m.
Corona del Mar Conference Room, Bay 1E
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
6 p.m.
City Council Chambers
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP: COASTAL RESILIENCE AND SAFETY
6 p.m.
Civic Center Community Room
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
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WWW.NEWPORTBEACHCA.GOV | 949-644-3309 | 100 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660
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