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| Matthew Cosylion, Harbor Dept. Code Enforcement Supervisor |
By LEN BOSE
I need to apologize for missing my last harbor column and am happy to report that the marine industry is booming at this time. Just after the first week of May the phone started ringing, knock on wood, and has not stopped. I feel we have a captivated audience similar to the RV market reports. With that being said, I wondered how all this increased activity within our harbor is being monitored and regulated per the city municipal city codes IE Title 17 “Harbor Codes.” You can view them here.
The good news is that the harbor has a full-time code enforcement supervisor by the name of Matt Cosylion who has been on the job since July 2018. You can reach Harbor Department Code Enforcement at 949.2708159 or MCosylion@newportbeachca.gov. You will know you have reached the Harbor Code Enforcement Supervisor when you hear an enthusiastic voice: “Harbor Department Cosylion here” – that’s how I felt when I contacted Cosylion for a phone interview.
Cosylion started in code enforcement when he was 19 with an internship with the City of La Puente. He has now been with the City of Newport Beach for 18 years and is very enthusiastic about his work. My first take on Cosylion is that he is focused, easy to approach and takes great pride in his work. Code enforcement is tasked with enforcing the city’s municipal codes all related to health and safety. The Newport Beach Harbor Department is located at Marina Park, although most of Cosylion’s time is spent with staff out on the harbor monitoring sea lions taking possession of mooring permit holders’ vessels, inoperable vessels, responding to complaints and pro-actively addressing Title 17 – issues that have an impact on the health and safety of our harbor community. He keeps an eye on the different businesses on the harbor, making sure they are complying with the terms and conditions of their permits. When asked what is the best way for the public to reach you, Cosylion replied: “Emails are the easiest way for me to respond quickly, yet I do encourage people to call me with any of their concerns about the harbor and Title 17, and anything related to the municipal codes. One of my most important roles is to be an educator to the community regarding municipal codes.”
When I asked him about the recent changes to Title 17, he shared: “Regarding water quality, live aboards now need to log the waste pump out use and services, harbor guests are required to have a dye tab placed in their heads and show proof of a holding tank. Mooring permits holders, if suspected, can be requested to have a dye tab placed in the head. (For my few non-boating readers, a toilet is referred to as a “head” on a boat.) There is also an ongoing update to the Marine Actives permits program. We are looking at the rules and standards for businesses that are conducting businesses in the harbor. Because the harbor is such a shared asset, it is important all the different stakeholders need to participate in the informational meetings to provide input to the proposed changes to this program. This will help the city develop regulations that address impacts to the community that may be caused by commercial operation in the harbor.” My response was, “It kind of sounds like a traffic cop?” In which Cosylion’s response was with a very deep laugh...“Good way to put it.”
He went on to explain the education first/enforcement second model. “We feel that education leads to voluntary compliance. That’s why we focus on educating, educating, educating,” Cosylion said. “We are all about relationship building. I have worked in other jurisdictions where you are just a name on the city’s website with a phone number and email and there is no real connection. Here in Newport Beach we build relationships with people, so they know who we are and put a face to the name. That goes a long way, because they know you and feel comfortable with you and are more receptive to the message,” he said.
My next question was, What code violations concern you the most? “We have a wide range of harbor users; for our visitors we want them to focus on safety, water quality and noise. Making sure when they rent a kayak or paddleboard, they have a life jacket and pay attention to their surroundings, as we have a lot of vessel traffic in the harbor,” Cosylion said. “Be aware of where you are and don’t leave trash around the harbor. With our permittees and community, we are looking at vessel maintenance, making sure the vessels are seaworthy and operable, while owners are complying with their mooring permits. From a shared use perspective, we are looking when people tie their dinghies up to public docks. We go out every day and monitor the use on these docks and leave notices on dinghies that are not adhering to the posted time limits,” he said.
In my opinion, the process seems to be working overall. With the continued focus on harbor codes and education, there is less confrontation between harbor users themselves and code enforcement officers. As for Cosylion, I like the guy. Anytime I see a person go to task with enthusiasm, who is focused, along with the ability to listen and is comfortable to approach, then we have the right person on the job. I look forward to seeing him here for a long time to come, and believe we are extremely lucky to have him.
Sea ya!
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport
