Newport council newcomers ready to take seats
Newport Beach’s four new City Council members will be sworn in during Tuesday’s council meeting.
Scott Peotter (District 6), Marshall “Duffy” Duffield (District 3), Diane Dixon (District 1) and Kevin Muldoon (District 4), collectively dubbed “Team Newport” during the election campaign, won four-year terms on the seven-member council Nov. 4.
The new council will select a mayor and mayor pro tem for the next year. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.
Here are brief profiles of the new council members:
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Diane Dixon
Age: 62
Occupation: Businesswoman
Marital status: Married 40 years, with one daughter and two grandsons
Time as Newport Beach resident: Four years
Previously elected or appointed city positions: None
Plans for the next four years: Address the public safety and security issues on the peninsula and continue the economic revitalization of Lido and Balboa villages.
Quote: “Balboa Village is really where my sights are right now. I want to ensure that the community grows in a way that we can all rally around and support.”
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Marshall “Duffy” Duffield
Age: 62
Occupation: Boat designer and manufacturer
Marital status: Married with three children
Time as Newport Beach resident: 56 years
Previously elected or appointed city positions: Served on Harbor Commission (appointed) for 10 years
Plans for the next four years: Establish a comprehensive dredging plan for the harbor, repeal new harbor permit fees, reduce the city’s long-term debt and maintain the recreation marine commercial zones on the city’s waterfront.
Quote: “With each rain event, you get sediment brought down and it deposits in the harbor. Over my lifetime they have waited 20 to 25 years before they dredge. Therefore, the cost of dredging is millions instead of a smaller figure that would be easier to get our hands around.”
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Kevin Muldoon
Age: 35
Occupation: Vice president and general counsel for a technology company
Marital status: Single
Time as Newport Beach resident: Three years
Previously elected or appointed city positions: None
Plans for the next four years: Reduce the city’s long-term debt and create a more efficient government.
Quote: “I want to make sure that the expenditures that are incurred are logical, needed and benefit the community.”
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Scott Peotter
Age: 57
Occupation: Architect
Marital status: Married with three grown children and one grandson
Time as Newport Beach resident: Nine years
Previously elected or appointed city positions: Planning commissioner (appointed) from 2006 to 2010
Plans for the next four years: Reduce unnecessary government spending, deal with traffic and parking problems and try to find a way to maintain the fire pits on the beaches.
Quote: “We have some of the highest fees in Orange County and have amassed a budget surplus that indicates the city government charges far too much for the services it provides.”