Dear Community Members,

On Thursday, I was honored to attend, along with our Mayor and City Councilmembers, the groundbreaking for the renovation of the Sherman Library & Gardens. It’s already a special place, and it’s going to be even more beautiful once the work is complete. I also really appreciated meeting so many residents and having many of you come up to say hello. I’ll admit: one of the hardest parts of my job is remembering everyone’s name on the first try (I’m taking recommendations: sticky name tags, flash cards… maybe Prevagen?).

Now, a quick update on City Council business:

During Tuesday night’s City Council Meeting, the Council approved updates to our Safety Enhancement Zone Ordinance to help ensure our beaches remain safe and accessible during peak periods. On our busiest days, Newport Beach’s population can reach over 100,000 people, creating significant congestion on our beaches – particularly along the Peninsula, near Balboa Pier and across Corona del Mar.

One of the updates establishes a six-by-six-foot size limit for EZ-up tents. I want to be clear: this is not a ban on tents. It’s a practical adjustment designed to support emergency access and improve response times for our public safety teams. Similar size limitations are already in place in Laguna Beach, which faces the same challenge of very large crowds during peak beach season.

Here's the "why": when large tents are placed side-by-side, they can unintentionally create barriers that block our lifeguards’ line of sight or slow paramedic response times. In emergencies, every second matters. Clear pathways allow our lifeguards, paramedics and police officers to move quickly through crowded areas and reach someone in need.

If you’ve been to the beach on a busy summer day, you know how packed it can get. Tents and umbrellas can stretch for blocks, and walking from the boardwalk to the water sometimes feels like a mini-expedition. Now imagine being a paramedic carrying equipment and trying to move quickly through that crowd to reach someone in distress.

Just last year, our Newport Beach Fire Department personnel rescued ten people who were swept out to sea by a rip current. On the Fourth of July alone, lifeguards made approximately 350 rescues, and nearly 700 over the holiday weekend. From water rescues to medical emergencies on the sand, our public safety teams must be able to respond without unnecessary obstacles. This ordinance is one way we’re supporting that goal.

A question I’ve heard is: how will this be enforced? Like most public safety rules, our first approach will be communication and education through signage, outreach and reminders in the field. If staff observe a situation that creates a safety problem, we’ll ask for compliance. And if someone refuses or repeatedly ignores the requirement, citations are an option. Put simply: we’d much rather help you adjust the setup than interrupt anyone’s beach day with a citation.

I know how much a simple beach day can mean to families. These adjustments are about making sure those days stay fun and safe for everyone. I appreciate your understanding and your help in keeping safety a priority.

Warmly,

Seimone Jurjis, City Manager