Newport Beach City Manager Week in Review for May 28, 2021

By Newport Beach City Manager Grace Leung

Orange County’s COVID-19 metrics continued to improve this week. The County will remain in the Yellow Tier until June 15, when the state plans to fully reopen all business sectors and activities (if current trends continue, which now seems nearly certain).

The County’s seven-day average daily case number (per 100,000 people) decreased from 1.5 to 1.3 this week. The test positivity rate (the percentage of positive tests among those tested) improved slightly, from 0.9 percent to 0.8 percent. The health equity metric decreased from 0.9 percent to 0.7 percent.

Here is additional vaccine information and resources as of May 28:

• The County’s Super POD vaccination sites will close at the end of the day on June 5. The County will shift to a network of mobile and community-based vaccine clinics. The Othena.com platform will continue to be used for scheduling.
• If you have been vaccinated at a County POD and lose your Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) card, you can request a replacement card by calling the COVID-19 hotline at (714) 834-2000 or emailing the OC Health Care Agency’s Immunization Assistance Program (IAP) mailbox at IAP@ochca.com.

COVID-19 Cases in Newport Beach

As of May 27, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Newport Beach was 3,913 and the total cases in Orange County was 254,919. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients countywide as of May 27 was 248,775. These figures are provided to Orange County by the California Department of Public Health.

Balboa Peninsula and Newport Shores Street Repairs Complete; Regular Street Sweeping to Resume June 7

The City of Newport Beach will resume regular street sweeping throughout the Balboa Peninsula and Newport Shores neighborhoods on Monday, June 7, following the completion of slurry seal street repairs. Street sweeping was temporarily suspended to avoid damaging fresh slurry seal.

As street sweeping resumes, please observe all regular parking restrictions. Vehicles parked in the “No Parking” areas will be cited beginning June 7.

City staff would like to thank residents in the impacted areas for their patience and cooperation during this project. If you have questions or concerns, please call the City’s project manager, Ben Davis, at (949) 644-3317.

Compost Giveaway Event

In collaboration with CR&R Inc, the Public Works Department will be holding a compost giveaway event for our residents on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Two free 30 lb. bags of compost will be given out with proof of Newport Beach residency. The event will be held at the OASIS Senior Center parking lot located at 801 Narcissus Avenue, between 9 and 11 a.m. or while supplies last. For additional information, please call CR&R at (949) 625-6735.

Grant Howald Park Rehabilitation Project

After nine months of construction, the Grant Howald Park ribbon cutting was held on May 25. The playground, multi-use synthetic turf field, and the new teaming area are now open for the community’s enjoyment. The Fifth Avenue streetscape beautification will continue as utility poles are removed in the next few weeks. Staff would like to thank the community for their patience and cooperation in making this a successful project.

Homelessness Update

People experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach can now find temporary shelter and support services in the new Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter. Through a partnership agreement with Costa Mesa, the new shelter at 3175 Airway Avenue provides up to 72 beds for individuals experiencing homelessness in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. The shelter is operated by Mercy House, which provides case management to locate appropriate permanent housing, assist with job searches, and provide other on-site services.

City staff works closely with our contractor City Net, and our regional partners throughout the county and state, to address homelessness. The City Net helpline number is (714) 451-6198. Those who call the hotline may leave a detailed voicemail message for themselves or others in need and City Net staff will respond within 48 hours. For immediate assistance, call the County’s Crisis Prevention Hotline at (877) 7-CRISIS or (877) 727-4747.

Success Stories

• The City’s Homeless Coordinator successfully reunited a man with his estranged family in Indiana. The man had been living in his car in Newport Beach for several months.
• City Net placed an elderly disabled man into a permanent, supportive housing unit in Stanton that is part of a converted motel. The man has lived in his car for several years by the Newport Pier. The County of Orange and the City of Stanton secured funding through the state’s Project Homekey program to convert two motels into 132 units of permanent, supportive housing. The City of Newport Beach may place qualified people into the Stanton housing through the County’s system of care.
• 15 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the new Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter. One of them transferred from the shelter to a residential psychiatric facility for long-term treatment and reunification with her family. Another, an elderly man, underwent surgery and plans to live in a skilled nursing facility after he recuperates.
• Two honorably discharged veterans were placed in the new Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter after experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach. City Park Patrol officers encountered one of the men, a 76-year-old, in a remote area of the City. The man experienced homelessness for five months after his housing voucher expired.
• Four people in Newport Beach experiencing homelessness were enrolled into City Net services. City Net staff completed Vulnerability Index Intake Assessments for each. The assessments are used to screen clients to determine proper placement in the County’s Continuum of Care system. Some assessment factors include age, health issues, and length of time being unsheltered. Case managers will follow up with the clients to provide housing assessments and prepare documentation for housing.
• City Net staff continues to provide food gift cards, support, and case management to an honorably discharged veteran sheltering in a motel while he awaits placement into permanent, supportive housing.

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Source: Newport Beach Independent