Minds are made up on mooring

I attended Tuesday's Newport Beach City Council study session and just watched it again via the city's website. My observation and/or opinion reminds me of trying to sell a boat to a couple where one of the spouses has no intention of purchasing it and is just appeasing their partner. The indifferent spouse never steps on board to view the boat, crosses their arms, leans against the dock box, never once takes their eyes away from their phones and should they make eye contact with their spouse, it's in a manner of rolling their eyes to indicate their level of interest in making this purchase. I am a good yacht broker and find it difficult to explain to the interested party that a boat might not be in their best interest at this time.

At this time I feel that I need to have this same conversation with the Newport Mooring Assn. (NMA), mooring permit holders, the mooring master plan sub-committee and the Harbor Commission. Because it appears to me that most of the City Council members have already made up their minds regarding the increase to the mooring permits and, more importantly, the change in policy regarding transferability. From where I was sitting, the left side of the dais was acting like the uninterested spouse in the aforementioned example.

It appears the council has not even recognized the eight years of study and recommendations presented by the mooring master plan sub-committee and the Harbor Commission. At Wednesday's Harbor Commission meeting, one commissioner proposed to discontinue the mooring sub-committee and proposed a new mooring committee for next month's agenda. At the end of the meeting, another commissioner noted how ironic it was that the City Council never expressed interest in the opinion of the city's Harbor Commission.

If this topic is of interest to you, please Google the Newport Mooring Assn. and find the link to the meeting, which is on the front page, then go down and click No. 5 "Mooring Issues." Listen closely to the NMA speakers and pay special attention to Patrica Newton's budget analyses. You will also notice at the end of the study session it was proposed that this topic be continued at the next study session. I was just informed that council has changed its mind and has requested this topic be brought before it for a vote at the next scheduled meeting on Nov. 23.

Should you have any questions on this topic, please contact your council members, the NMA, or myself atboseyachts@mac.com. I will be glad to help you navigate through the city's website so you can view this topic. I also should note how well the public acted during the study session's public comment phase. I felt that the NMA and the public gave an extremely informative presentation. It was shameful that it fell on mostly deaf ears.

LEN BOSE is a yacht broker and the Daily Pilot's boating columnist. His Harbor Report column usually appears in the Pilot on Fridays.