Newport Beach City Council to discuss apparent e-mail leak with city attorney

The Newport Beach City Council apparently has a leaker.

City Atty. Aaron Harp is requesting that the council waive attorney-client privilege “in regards to two E-mails between the City Attorney and an individual Council Member because the two E-mails have been shared with a third party,” Harp wrote in a memo to the council ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

Waiving privilege would allow city officials to discuss the alleged leak in an open meeting. Because the council as a whole is Harp’s “client,” a majority of the council needs to approve sharing the information with the public even though one member has allegedly already shared information with an outside person.

The subject matter and council member in question, or how the alleged leak was discovered, were not revealed. The staff report attached to the agenda, released Thursday, was brief and offered no further detail.

Harp said Friday he couldn’t add to it.

Tasting room ordinance

In other business, the council could give initial approval of a zoning code amendment to allow craft breweries, wineries and distilleries in the industrial area on Newport’s west side to offer small tasting rooms for onsite consumption.

The city Planning Commission approved the amendment in March.

Harbor issues

The council will also hear several harbor-related issues.

Harbor Commissioners will discuss charters, boat operations and potential changes to paddleboard safety regulations with the council during a study session. In a separate item, the council will consider passing along proposed exceptions to the 5-knot harbor speed limit for races and practices to the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways for review.

The city must consult the state before it can change the speed limit.

The Harbor Commission gave a thumbs-up to the speed exception, a longtime off-and-on issue, in April.

Budget preview

Also at the study session, city staff will go over several key items in the proposed fiscal 2019 budget and construction plan.

The fiscal year starts July 1.

The city plans to hold at least one more meeting for community input on the budget later this month.

Tuesday’s council meeting starts at 4 p.m. with the study session, followed by the regular session at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

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