Mayor’s Memo: November 2026

November 2, 2026

Lauren Kleiman

Mayor of Newport Beach

Grateful for Our City Crews, Staff, Volunteers and Residents

I am so grateful for city crews, staff, volunteers and residents who have been working together to protect our community from the highest water levels on record. I called a special meeting of the City Council to declare a state of emergency, and approve a contract to move up to 200,000 cubic yards of sand to our beaches from the Santa Ana River mouth. The city acted swiftly to build a sand berm, reinforce public sea walls, and activate our EOC (Emergency Operations Center).

We took our Congressional Representative on a tour of problem areas to advocate for expedited funding and Army Corps project permitting. I am also having parallel conversations with county and state representatives to ensure that we have access to all the resources and support available to us, residents and business owners.

In briefings I have been having with experts at NOAA (National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the expectation is that levels will continue to rise through this El Nino season, peaking over the Thanksgiving and December holidays, and flooding risk could be compounded by rain and wind caused by storm events.

The city is urging residents and business owners to take precautionary measures to protect properties from water intrusion, and are distributing free sandbags at a number of locations. We are interconnected and in this together. If you need assistance, please reach out to me.

Drone Update

The Council just approved a plan to expand our drone program to ten first responder nests throughout the city. They have already been installed and are fully-operational, allowing us to have eyes on any area in the city in under a minute. They have also been an extremely helpful flood survey and response tool, and in monitoring high fire risk areas during red flag warning days.

Carnival del Mar Brings 3rd Thursdays

Carnival del Mar brought record numbers of attendees through the doors of our businesses, library and Fire Station 5! PCH was bookended with steppin’ to a live 80’s band on the south end, and a photo op with the city’s new open-air red trolley at the north end – with plenty of action in between! As we close-out our second year of CdM’s 3rd Thursdays, I am so proud and thankful for the work our little volunteer team has done to bring our community together in this way. We’re already planning more surprises for you when we return on April 15th next year!

Election Day is November 3rd!

Vote Center locations are Newport Beach Civic Center Community Room, Marina Park Community Center, Newport Coast Community Center, OASIS Senior Center, Coastline College, and St. Mark Presbyterian Church. Ballot drop locations are Bob Henry Park, Newport Beach Civic Center, OASIS auxiliary parking lot, and the corner of Avon and Riverside.

Annual Tree Lighting at VEA Newport Beach

Date: Friday, November 20, 2026; Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Hot cocoa, seasonal treats, a visit from Santa, and complimentary valet parking

Safety Spotlight: NBFD Fire Engineer Andy Hopper

Fire Engineer Andy Hopper has given 25 years to NBFD! He chose this profession knowing it would challenge him mentally and physically and allow him to work in a team environment where he would be constantly learning. Andy is currently at Fire Station 8 in Newport Coast, but has worked on every fire engine and truck in the city. He has been assigned to Strike Teams responding to fires outside the city and county, and spent many years training rookies, which led to him being nominated for the City’s Dorothy Palen award, as well as receiving the TIP’s “ Heroes With Heart” award.

“We not only have very high standards of competence and performance, we also only retain great people. This is not true of all fire departments.”

He says he does his part to perpetuate a culture of treating others the way we would want to be treated when dealing with colleagues in the Department and the public. In his free time you’ll find him enjoying time with his wife of 25 years, Tara, their five children, and two grandchildren.

Safety Spotlight: NBPD Lieutenant Court Depweg

Court Depweg is the newest member of the NBPD team to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He joined our department in 2001 as a police recruit and graduated from the Police Academy in December that year, and was named sworn supervisor of the year in 2019. He has a lot on his plate, serving as the Area 1 Commander, but is certainly up to the task! He has already forged strong relationships with the community, given his commitment to communication (gift of gab) and the strong enforcement posture needed on the Peninsula.

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