Newport Beach residents will get their first formal say on a police headquarters project estimated at $150 million to more than $230 million when a newly appointed advisory committee holds its inaugural meeting Tuesday, July 7, at 3 p.m. in the Civic Center Community Room.

The City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday, June 23, to appoint four residents and three council members to the Police Headquarters Advisory Committee, which will solicit public input and evaluate potential sites, costs, and design options for a replacement facility.

Councilmember Sara Weber will chair the committee. Mayor Pro Tem Noah Blom serves as vice chair, and Councilmember Michelle Barto rounds out the council contingent. The four resident members are Thomas Maloney, Sandra Meadows, Robert Olson, and Paul Watkins, chosen from 31 applicants.

The appointments were initially on the consent calendar, but Councilmember Joe Stapleton pulled the item for discussion. Councilmember Erik Weigand then raised concerns about original nominee Ronald Rubino, who served as Orange County's budget director during the 1994 county bankruptcy.

Rubino was charged with two felony counts of aiding and abetting misappropriation of funds. His trial ended in a hung jury, 10-2 to acquit, and he accepted a plea deal requiring 100 hours of community service in exchange for expungement of his record, according to Stu News Newport.

On his committee application, Rubino answered "no" to a question about prior convictions, citing the expungement. Weigand said the omission troubled him.

"Whether or not what happened in that courtroom, what happened when those decisions were made, I just think it's too much for this committee to have somebody on there that has that record," Weigand said at the June 23 meeting.

Blom moved to substitute Watkins for Rubino. The motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Robyn Grant was the only member who said she was comfortable with Rubino's explanation but still supported Watkins.

One speaker during public comment called the removal "totally irresponsible" and "appalling," arguing Rubino's financial background was uniquely suited to the role. Others backed Watkins.

What the committee will do

The committee is charged with evaluating at least two sites for a replacement of the current headquarters, which was built in 1973: a 3.59-acre property at 1201 Dove Street the city purchased in November 2022 for $30.5 million, and a location in Civic Center Park at Avocado Avenue and Civic Center Drive. Cost estimates range from roughly $150 million for Dove Street to more than $233 million for a privately owned parcel near the Civic Center, according to city records.

No site has been selected and no construction has been approved. The project remains in early evaluation.

How to participate

The committee's first meeting is Tuesday, July 7, at 3 p.m. in the Civic Center Community Room. A second meeting is tentatively set for Tuesday, July 21, at 3 p.m.