John Noyes: Public vs. private

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH --John Noyes seems a paradox.

He says he’s open and forthcoming, but refuses to disclose the simplest

details of his life.

While he calls himself an environmentalist, he also says he’s

pro-development.

And though he feels that people are more interested in the issues than in

him, he is vague on how he will address those issues.

In a recent interview with the Daily Pilot, it was clear that the new

mayor is still trying to reconcile his very public position with his own

very private tendencies.

The well-known Balboa Island jewelry store owner did not even want the

name or nature of his business in the paper because of the “security

concerns” that have arisen from his new high-profile position. While

Balboa is safe, he said, there are a lot of dangerous people out there.

Still, Noyes insists that he’s just being prudent.

“I don’t agree with the fact that I’m a very private guy,” Noyes, 53,

said. “If you talk to people that know me, they’ll tell you that. It’s

just that I’m very independent.”

But according to others, including his wife, Noyes is described as a very

private man, someone who keeps his views close to his chest.

“He’s a quiet person. He’s hard-working and very caring about the

community,” said Sheila Noyes, adding that the whole family is very

private.

Though Noyes appears uncomfortable talking about the details of his

personal life -- like growing up in the San Gabriel Valley and how he met

his wife -- he does seem ready to tackle local political issues.

A self-described “pro-development environmentalist,” Noyes said that

while he believes development is important, before any council decision,

he considers whether the proposal is good for the community.

Noyes illustrated his environmentalist beliefs by contrasting himself

with the Greenlight Initiative proponents. While well-meaning, he said

they were too single-minded. The initiative, if passed, would require a

majority vote to allow major changes to the city’s general plan.

Overall, Noyes plans to focus his attention on protecting Newport Beach

from outside elements that threaten the community’s quality of life.

“The city is under siege,” Noyes said. “We’re being attacked by land, air

and water. There’s the threat of expansion by John Wayne, annexation,

water quality and traffic issues that we can’t control.”

And while he did not outline any specific plan to prevent Newport’s

impending decline, Noyes has quite a bit of local political experience to

draw on -- more than 10 years. He got his start in politics when he moved

back to Southern California in 1986 from Bainbridge, Wash.

“I was president of the business association,” he said, adding that he

gradually became more and more involved in Balboa. “You can’t help but

get involved [in little towns like this].”

However, it wasn’t until Starbucks came to Balboa -- making the island’s

parking problem even worse -- that Noyes considered running for City

Council. Balboa’s two dozen restaurants demand a lot of parking and cut

into spaces for the island’s small shops, he said.

“I was frustrated with the response from City Council,” Noyes said,

adding that eventually he wanted to be on the council to give Balboa

Island businessmen more of a say in local politics.

But the road hasn’t always been smooth, and it may take him some time to

convince the community of his more open political position. Last year,

Noyes’ tight-lipped stance on the mystery surrounding City Manager Kevin

J. Murphy’s abrupt resignation left the community wondering whether any

back-room negotiations had taken place.

The four council members involved -- Noyes, Norma Glover, Tom Thomson and

John Hedges -- agreed when someone proposed terminating Murphy’s contract

in a closed session. At the time, Noyes even refused to comment on

Murphy’s performance as a city manager.

However, now that a year later the scandal has died down, the seasoned

councilman would like to move forward as mayor and begin a new era of

more open relations with the community.

“This is going to be a year of communication and cooperation,” Noyes

said. “I want to consolidate or forge a strategy for us to retain our

quality of life in Newport.”

PROFILE: JOHN NOYES

AGE: 53

SCHOOL: Utah State University, Pasadena City College, Gemological

Institute of America.

OCCUPATION: Jeweler

MARRIED: Yes

CHILDREN: Two daughters