Council to look at redistricting

Santa Ana Heights would switch council districts if the Newport Beach City Council approves a redistricting plan under consideration.

The council will review that plan during a study session Tuesday before its regularly scheduled meeting.

Every 10 years, to coincide with the release of U.S. Census data, a special committee recommends new council district boundaries to evenly divide the city in seven parts.

This year, the city’s roughly 85,000 residents would be split into groups between 11,000 and just over 13,000 people, while the previous maps had more lopsided districts.

One of the major boundary changes would designate the Seashore Drive homes near the Santa Ana River in Council District 1 instead of District 2. District 1, represented by Mayor Mike Henn, already represents the Peninsula and Lido Isle.

Another change would bring the airport area and Santa Ana Heights into District 3, which includes Dover Shores. Also, Newport Coast would be split into Districts 6 and 7, while today it is all in District 6, along with Corona del Mar.

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City manager, sober living

In other action, City Manager Dave Kiff would accrue less time off if the council approves a new contract Tuesday. The action would reduce the maximum time he could accrue from 1,000 hours to 400, among other changes to similar limits. Also, the contract amendments would make official Kiff’s contribution of 8% of his salary to the state retirement system.

Sober Living by the Sea, one of the city’s registered drug and alcohol recovery home operators, will be up for its annual review. City staff members recommended that the council renew its agreement, which allows Sober Living to operate its 15 homes.

A staff report says that the operator had some minor complaints and violations, but it otherwise complied with city regulations concerning parking, noise second-hand smoke and other issues.

The council is also set to renew its contract with Visit Newport Beach, the city’s destination marketing organization. In recent years, the city has funneled an average of $2.7 million in bed taxes to the group to brand and promote Newport for business and leisure travelers. It also receives more than $1 million per year in public business improvement district funding. The contract would run through 2016.

The study session will begin at 4:00 p.m. and the regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m., both in Council Chambers at City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.

mike.reicher@latimes.com

Twitter: @mreicher