Rush Hill

Rush Hill
District 3 (Dover Shores, Westcliff, Mariner’s Mile)
Running against Edward Reno

Name: Rush Hill

Age:65

Birthplace: St. Joseph’s Hospital, Orange (second generation from Orange County)

How long have you lived in Newport Beach? 35 Years

Occupation: architect/local business owner

Education: Tustin High School class of 1962; Orange Coast College cllass of 1964; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, bachelor’s degrees in architecture in business administration class of 1969

Previously elected or appointed positions: Elected student body president, Cal Poly, SLO; appointed education advisory staff to Gov. Ronald Reagan; appointed board member California Advisory Council on Vocational Education and Technical Training; appointed committee member West Newport Beach Study Group; appointed founding chairman, Newport Beach Economic Development Committee; appointed board member Hoag Hospital 552 Club; appointed chairman of Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce (two terms); appointed founding treasurer, Newport Beach NJB Basketball League; appointed to Newport Harbor High School Oversight Committee; appointed to Newport Harbor High School Educational Foundation Board of Directors; appointed to Newport Harbor High School DaVinci Academy Oversight Committee; elected Newport Beach Citizen of the Year, 1997

Community organizations you belong to: Hoag Hospital 552 Club, Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, Civic Affairs Committee, member of the Board of Directors of the Orange Coast College Foundation, chairman of OCC Foundation Finance Committee, member of the OCC Foundation’s Marine Committee, Planetarium Fund Raising Committee, Dean’s Advisory Council chairman, Orfalea College Of Business, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Vanguard University Foundation Development Committee chairman, trustee, St. Mary’s School, Aliso Viejo, Seven Seas Assn. Executive Board, Newport Beach Civic Center Design Oversight Committee, Newport Beach Charter Update Commission

What do you think are the biggest issues facing Newport Beach right now? extending the John Wayne Airport Airport Settlement Agreement that expires in 2015; continuing to achieve a balanced city budget without tapping reserves or raising taxes to cover operational cost; continuing to work with our city employee collective bargaining units to achieve changes in public employee retirement benefits that result in fair compensation and an affordable benefit cost for the city while not vilifying our high quality public employees including police, fire and marine; achieving responsible renewal balancing public benefit and improved property values in important areas of the city including Marines Mile, the existing City Hall site, Lido Village and Banning Ranch; improving safety and reducing policing cost on the peninsula and in West Newport Beach; dredging the Back Bay, Newport Shores canal and Newport Harbor waterways, addressing the eel grass issue and keeping our harbor water clean.

With the John Wayne Airport Settlement Agreement up for renegotiation in 2015, what should the city ask for to limit the environmental impacts to Newport Beach residents?

The shortest response is the mantra of AirFair: “10.8 and shut the gate”! Except for the curfew, which expires in 2020, many of the key provisions of the agreement expire in 2015, most notably, the annual cap of 10.8 Million Air Passengers (“MAP”) and the number of Class A departures capped at 85. Retaining these limits must be our goal. Equally important to retaining these limits by extending the agreement with the county is the need to maintain a favorable working relationship with the county, the proprietor of the airport, so that they can work effectively with the Federal Aviation Administration, the federal body which has sole jurisdiction of the nation’s airspace, so that the FAA is as responsive as possible to our resident’s concerns regarding operations at JWA.

How do you envision the future of Banning Ranch, and what should the city do to accomplish that?
Our primary goals for the Banning Ranch should be to achieve the maximum amount of replenished natural open space accessible to the public while supporting responsible development that funds the necessary expensive environmental cleanup and restoration of the land, provides public access and improves surrounding property values. The city should serve as a “deal maker” in bringing all the stakeholders to the table to identify issues and opportunities that will facilitate the attainment of these goals.