Trash outsourcing on council agenda

The Newport Beach City Council will return from a brief hiatus Tuesday to discuss outsourcing the city trash service, waiving the bond requirement for the AERIE condominium development project and removing a protected eucalyptus tree.

Trash Pickup

Newport Beach is the only city in Orange County that uses city employees to pick up residents’ trash. In an ongoing discussion of whether this service should be outsourced, city staff will present to the council the proposals solicited in May from outside companies willing to do the work instead.

One company’s proposal projects that it could save the city $17 million over the next seven years.

But many city employees and residents are dubious of the stated amount and contend that the current service is of higher quality regardless.

The council can request that city staff pursue a contract with one or several of the seven outside companies. The council could also dismiss the issue or request more information.

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Eucalyptus Tree

The Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission voted in July to remove a eucalyptus tree at 300 Poppy Ave. that neighbors believe endangers residents because its roots have pushed up the sidewalk.

Councilwoman Nancy Gardner asked staff in July to bring the issue to the council. On Tuesday, staff will recommend that the council consider the approval of the tree’s removal.

The tree had previously been designated a “special tree,” a protective category reserved for those trees that “have historical significance and/or contribute to and give character to a location or to an entire neighborhood.”

But city staff found that the tree creates a “hazardous situation” that warrants it be taken away.

Many skateboarders enjoy riding over the sidewalk at night, according to a letter submitted by resident Mary McCarthy, who raised the initial concern. This practice is an “an accident waiting to happen,” she wrote, also sharing concerns that people walking without fully paying attention could trip and fall.

The cost to remove the tree and repair the sidewalk is about $3,000, according to the staff report. A replacement tree would also be planted.

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AERIE Project

Because the AERIE condominium project at Carnation Avenue and Ocean Boulevard has been downsized, Brion Jeannette Architecture requested a waiver of the city requirement to provide the city with a performance bond to “ensure timely completion.”

The project, which was initially imagined to extend more than 50 feet below street level and include an excavation of more than 32,000 cubic yards of material, has since been reduced. As such, the applicant wishes to waive the bond requirement, known as “Condition No. 8.”

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Arts Commission

The council will select two people from a field of five applicants to replace City Arts Commission members Gilbert Lasky and Carole Boller, who resigned their seats in August. Their terms were set to expire June 30, 2014, and June 30, 2017, respectively.

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Pier Encroachment

When a woman bought her property on Balboa Island, she understood that the pier extending from her neighbor’s land had the right to remain.

But she didn’t think it would stay there forever. She believed a new permit would be required for the encroaching pier, which stretches from her neighbor’s home to the front of her property, when ownership of the property changed.

The property owner wishes to sell the property with an understanding that the pier will stay in place. As such, the city plans to revisit the specific terms of these transfers.