photo courtesy of Tom Cozad
For over 50 years, the Central Newport Beach Community Association (CNBCA) as been serving Balboa Peninsula members. It is one of the oldest community associations in the City of Newport Beach.
CNBCA is a group of hundreds of member households and businesses between the two piers whose purpose is to keep members informed of local news and events, and act as an advocate for policies that the general membership have voted important to their lives.
CNBCA has one general membership meeting each year as well as a Board of Directors meeting each month. The annual general membership meeting usually occurs in the month of October. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend the annual general membership meeting and the monthly Board meetings. Special general membership meetings (in addition to the October meeting) are held occasionally.
These special meetings usually occur when issues surface that immediately impact members, but the association has not previously established a policy position on the issue.
CNBCA is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization registered in the State of California. Annual membership dues are the organizations' primary source of income. Funds are used to publish and mail/email the Pier To Pier Newsletter, mail special announcements to the general membership, maintain this website, and to further the policies that members have voted as important to their neighborhoods and overall community.
A Brief History
The origins of the Central Newport Beach Community Association (CNBCA) are shrouded in the mists of time (i. e., well before I found my way to this Shangri La). The group was founded sometime between 1940 and 1960 to represent residents of the Balboa Peninsula between the two piers in affairs before the City Council. There are no available records of this early history. In the early 1960s the group was kept alive by its president and secretary, but held no meetings.
In 1965, the organization was reactivated by a group of residents fighting the threats of construction of a road on the ocean beach connecting the Balboa business area with the McFadden business area and creation of a parking lot on the beach East of the Newport Pier. This effort was successful but an ongoing effort was needed to counter re-emergence of these threats. The group conducted monthly meetings to discuss and establish positions on local issues. After initial enthusiasm, attendance tapered off.
In 1966, the active members decided to abandon monthly general meetings. The group agreed to establish an annual meeting of the entire membership to discuss issues and establish formal policies for addressing these issues. A board of directors would be responsible to the members to implement those policies and represent CNBCA positions before local government bodies. A committee led by Mary Ellen Hanley put a great deal of thought and effort into drafting a set of bylaws that gave the membership substantial control over the actions of the Board. Ten CNBCA members could call a special meeting of the entire association at any time on ten days notice to address policies on hot new issues when they arose. Any policies could be changed or new policies initiated by members present at these meetings (a strong incentive to attend). Any or all directors could be replaced at these meetings (You may detect some distrust of the actions of prior boards). The bylaws established annual dues of $20 per member to cover mailing costs (first class postage stamps had been raised to 4 cents).As CNBCA matured, the membership seven times approved bylaws amendments increasing the Board of Director’s flexibility but maintaining membership control. In 1993 the Board incorporated under California and federal law as a 501 (c) (4) tax-exempt entity. CNBCA’s purposes were stated as educational, social and recreational, with its goals being to promote the improvement and civic betterment of Newport Beach in general and of the central portion of the Newport-Balboa Peninsula in particular.
Through the past 45 years the CNBCA membership has taken stands on issues great and small. Reading the CNBCA Policy statement is like traveling through Peninsula history. Issues include ocean front roads, beach sand removal, dogs on the beach (a big one for 45 years), Bay pollution (it spawned SPON), vehicle/skateboard/surrey/bicycle/ pedestrian/Segway traffic on the ocean front and bay front walkways, expansion of John Wayne Airport, residential down-zoning, hotel construction, parking zones, trash collection, infrastructure maintenance and improvement (sewers, water lines, power, etc.), Marina Park improvement, and City control of rehabilitation facilities.
In support of the Pier-to-Pier community, CNBCA members authorized the Board of Directors, to provide moderate financial support for the Balboa Library, the Balboa Theater Foundation, the public schools supporting our residential area, i.e., Newport Elementary, Ensign Middle and Harbor High Schools, and the Wetlands and Wildlife Center of Huntington Beach.
On occasion, the association also sponsored recreational events and neighborhood parties creating an opportunity for locals to get together on a more informal basis. CNBCA provided booths supporting the Newport Centennial and entered teams in the annual Relay For Life walk-a-thons supporting cancer research.
This association is here to support you. Our annual meetings are lively forums with often spirited exchanges of ideas. We bring City Council candidates, City Staff, Police and Fire representatives to your neighborhood to explain their roles and to hear from you about your desires and concerns. We welcome your support and participation.
Our Board Members
Maureen Cotton
President
Having graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology; Maureen moved to Southern California from Chicago in 1989. Maureen has been a resident and homeowner on the Balboa Peninsula since 2001. Maureen owns a small consulting firm—Integrated 8(a) Solutions—that assists large and small businesses navigate the federal market space. Maureen is active in the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and the Hoag Hospital Auxiliary Toy Committee. She and her husband Doug have one son, Dylan, who is attending NTNU in Norway, and two dogs—Princess & Gretel.