Newport Beach has one of the most restrictive group home ordinances in the state, one that's intended to thwart the proliferation of homes. The city has paid upward of $2 million drafting and defending its laws.
"While we do try to spend our money judiciously, it's very complex litigation, it's very fact-intensive and there's a lot of passion on both sides of the issue," Mayor Mike Henn said. "That's a recipe for large legal bills."
Hunt's office exceeded its outside counsel "specialty litigation" budget by more than $300,000 during the first half of the fiscal year, which runs from July through June, according to a city staff report.
He will ask council members to shift that amount, mostly from reserves, into the legal account.
The majority of that cost-overrun was due to the group-homes litigation, which has cost nearly $600,000 so far this fiscal year, which ends June 30. The report estimates that for the remainder of the year, the city could spend an additional $325,000 in legal fees, for a total of $925,000.
Newport is fighting many legal battles at once. At issue is the 2008 ordinance and how it was implemented. It requires most recovery homes to go through a public hearing process and, for the ones already operating, to obtain permits.
The city won a partial victory in October when a federal judge declared that the law didn't discriminate against disabled people. But the plaintiffs in that case, including Pacific Shores Recovery, have pressed forward with their suit claiming the city violated the federal Fair Housing Act.
"This case is far from over," said Steven Polin, the attorney representing the group-home operators, after the ruling.
The city is also defending similar claims from Pacific Shores Recovery, Yellowstone Recovery and Newport Coast Recovery.
