Topping this week’s biggest decisions in local government, Irvine considers changes to its general plan, and the Orange County Board of Supervisors chooses candidates for the clerk-recorder position.

The Irvine City Council is scheduled Tuesday to discuss comprehensive changes to the city’s general plan, the first such update in more than a decade.

The general plan serves as a city’s road map for land use, traffic, public services, economic development, public space and other issues. Irvine staffers expect their two-year process to cost between $1 million and $1.5 million, with final approval in 2014.

And supervisors on Tuesday are set to choose which candidates they’ll interview to fill the vacant clerk-recorder position.

Former Supervisor Chris Norby and former state Sen. Dick Ackerman are among several high-profile political players vying for the job.

Supervisors are also set to receive an update from the county’s federal lobbyist, highlighting potential funding reductions for the Santa Ana River Project, homeless assistance programs and the new health care law.

Here’s a rundown of what’s up for debate this week across Orange County:

Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, March 12, at 9:30 a.m.

  • Selecting candidates to interview for the clerk-recorder position, with former Supervisor Chris Norby, former state Sen. Dick Ackerman and Assistant Clerk-Recorder Renee Ramirez among those in the running.
  • Updating by the county’s federal lobbyist, highlighting potential funding reductions for the Santa Ana River Project, homelessness assistance programs and the new health care law.
  • Approving a list of 11 on-call architect-engineer contractors for county public works projects and negotiating $300,000 contracts for each of them. Topping the list are Fugro Consultants, GMU Geotechnical and Earth Mechanics.
  • Extending herbicide spraying contract with RPW Services by one year for $200,000.

Irvine City Council Special Meeting, Tuesday, March 12, at 3 p.m.

Orange County Transportation Authority board of directors, Monday, March 11, at 9 a.m.

Garden Grove City Council, Tuesday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m.

Newport Beach City Council, Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m.

  • Giving final approval to the large-scale Uptown Newport housing development, which will include more than 1,200 units on the north side of Jamboree Road between Birch Street and the intersection of Von Karman Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.
  • Establishing a seven-member bicycle master plan oversight committee to provide guidance and public comment for a the city’s first bicycle master plan.
  • Reimbursing former Mayor Tod Ridgeway $21,000 for improvements his company made to the city’s sewer line as part of a development project.
  • Directing the Planning Commission to reconsider a request by Woody’s Wharf to extend its closing hour from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, among other changes to its conditional use permit.

Orange City Council, Tuesday, March 12, at 4:30 p.m.

  • Approving a $100,000 contract amendment with Chapman University for local cable TV programming.

Buena Park City Council, Tuesday, March 12, at 5 p.m.

  • Approving a $131,000 purchase of two undercover and three black-and-white police vehicles to replace older vehicles.

Westminster City Council, Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m.

  • Holding a public hearing on the city’s annual action plan to discuss how the city will spend federal funds for housing and community development needs.

Laguna Hills City Council, Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m.

  • Choosing a date to interview applicants for a vacant Parks and Recreation Commission position or selecting a new commissioner from a list of previous applicants.
  • Changing the starting time for council closed sessions to 6 p.m.

Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m.

  • Approving a $72,000 one-year contract with Age Well Senior Services to provide Meals on Wheels and other programs and activities.

Adam Elmahrek and Brendan Wiles contributed to this report.

You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.

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