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By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
During the annual Newport Beach City Council reorganization on Tuesday, December 10, the Council elected Joe Stapleton and Lauren Kleiman to serve as the Newport Beach’s 2025 mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively.
This City also welcomed its first woman-majority City Council. With the swearing-in of newly elected Councilmembers Michelle Barto and Sara J. Weber, who join Kleiman and Councilmember Robyn Grant, the Council majority is comprised of women for the first time since Newport Beach was incorporated in 1906.
Stapleton, who served as the City’s mayor pro tem in 2024, was elected to a first term on the City Council in 2022 representing District 1, which covers the Balboa Peninsula and parts of West Newport. Kleiman, who represents the Corona del Mar area in District 6, was also elected to a first term in 2022.
Outgoing councilmembers Brad Avery and Will O’Neill, who were subject to term limits after serving eight years each on the City Council, were recognized for their service to the community. O’Neill served as Newport Beach mayor in 2020 and 2024; Avery served as mayor in 2021.
Newly elected Councilmembers Barto and Weber were sworn in at the meeting, along with newly re-elected Councilmember Noah Blom.
Stapleton, in his first remarks as mayor, said his “Celebrate Newport” theme will highlight the people and historical events that have shaped the city, while recognizing those who are now contributing to its future.
If you would like to reach out to your City Council members, contact information can be found on Newport Beach’s website: newportbeachca.gov/government/city-council.
Recycle Right Over the Holidays!
The holiday season has arrived, and with it comes an increase in recyclable waste appearing in homes. Here are some tips for recycling right:
- Your black trash cart is for general trash, such as chip bags, pizza boxes, tissue paper, cellophane wrapping, pet waste, and flocked Christmas trees.
- Recyclables go in your blue cart. Many popular holiday waste items can be recycled, such as holiday cardboard boxes, paper gift bags, most wrapping paper (without plastic or glitter flakes), clean cans, glass bottles, plastics numbered 1-7, and paper. To prevent contaminating this cart, empty liquids from bottles, rinse out food jars and only place recyclable items into the blue cart.
- Your green cart is for compostable organic waste, including leftovers, lawn clippings, and unflocked Christmas trees. Food scraps can be placed loose in the green cart or collected in a compostable bag, newspaper or brown paper bag.
A kitchen food scrap pail is an easy way to collect food scraps. Make sure to line your pail with a compostable plastic bag, newspaper, or brown paper bag and properly dispose of them in the green cart. To request a free kitchen food scrap pail, please contact CR&R’s Customer Service Department at (949) 667-4158 or email newportbeach-recycles@crrmail.com.
NBFD Supports Local Family Through “Fire Santa” Program
Nearly two decades ago, Newport Beach firefighters began an annual tradition of delivering gifts and decorations to a local family.
This year, the “Fire Santa” program is supporting the Gallant Family of Newport Beach. Jasmine Gallant is a single mother of four children whose son Silas has arthrogryposis, a rare condition affecting his joints. Silas, a student at Newport Heights Elementary, has undergone 15 surgeries and needs continuous physical therapy and caregiving.
You can learn more about the Gallant family and help support this year’s Fire Santa program here: www.gofundme.com/f/newport-beach-fire-santa-2024-the-gallant-family.
New Utility Bill Schedule to Begin in February
Beginning in February 2025, the City of Newport Beach will transition to monthly utility billing from bi-monthly. This includes charges for water, sewer, recycling and more.
Customers will receive a utility bill, known as the Municipal Services Statement, 12 times a year instead of six. The transition will begin in February and be completed by March (individual transition dates depend on the current billing cycle).
If your account is set up for automatic payments, no additional steps are needed. You will be charged automatically each month, five days before the due date.
To set up or adjust automatic payments, visit onlinebiller.com/newport.
The benefits of monthly billing include:
- Creates consistent payment cycles with most other bills.
- Reduces late payments.
- Helps promote water conservation by allowing customers to more quickly detect leaks or other increased water use.
For questions, please email revenuehelp@newportbeachca.gov or call (949) 644-3141.