By LEN BOSE
I attended this month’s Harbor Commission meeting via Zoom this week. Of course, I missed the small print on the agenda indicating it was a Zoom meeting and drove to the council chambers beforehand. Fortunately for me, the Harbor Commission had a study session before the meeting that ran late and I was able to sign into the meeting just as the Pledge of Allegiance was being said.
Just in case you’ve lost track, our Harbor Commissioners are Bill Kenney chairman, Scott Cunningham vice-chair, Ira Beer, Gary Williams, Don Yahn, Marie Marston and Steve Scully. Simply put, the Harbor Commission is in place to advise the City Council on harbor-related matters. Each year, the Commission submits its objectives to the council for their approval.
The following objectives, 2020/2021, are intended to support the mission of the Harbor Area Management Plan and the two most essential responsibilities of the Harbor Commission: 1. Ensuring the long‐term welfare of Newport Harbor for all residential, recreational, and commercial users; 2. Promoting Newport Harbor as a preferred and welcoming destination for visitors and residents alike.
Functional Area No. 1 Harbor Operations chaired by Bill Kenney regarding matters about the Management, Policies, Codes, Regulations and Enforcement.
The objectives of this function are:
1. Complete the current version of Title 17 while maintaining suggestions for future revisions. (Commissioner Yahn is tasked with the chair on this objective.)
2. Study and make recommendations for changes on Marine Activities permits. Identify all stakeholders within the Harbor who will require a Marine Activities permit. (Williams, Yahn)
3. Help identify derelict vessels in the harbor including recommendations for limiting the inflow of derelict vessels into the harbor. (Beer)
4. Study and provide recommendations for shore moorings including transfer permit policy. (Beer, Cunningham)
Functional Area No. 2 Harbor Viability chaired by Beer regarding matters about Assets, Amenities and Access.
The objectives of this function are:
1. Evaluate potential enhancements to city amenities provided to mooring permittees, residents and visitors. (Scully)
2. Support Staff with a permanent anchorage at the west end of Lido Island. (Williams)
3. Evaluate options to consolidate and reduce the footprint of the mooring fields. (Yahn)
4. Continue pursuit of a second public launch ramp. (Kenney)
5. Complete evaluation for establishing day moorings off Big Corona beach. (Williams)
Functional Area No. 3 Harbor Infrastructure regarding matters pertaining to Sea Walls, Sea Level Rise, Dredging, Docks and Beaches.
The objectives of this function are:
1. Secure timely closure of RGP54 permit renewal with emphasis on a more streamlined process.
2. Establish a sustainable program that consistently re-nourishes our harbor beaches. (Marston)
3. Support Staff to obtain funding and approval to dredge the federal navigational channels to its authorized design depth.
4. Study various dredging methodologies that provide consistent maintenance dredging and could help combat sea-level rise and coastal erosion. (Marston)
Functional Area No. 4 Harbor Stakeholders regarding matters pertaining to Residential, Recreational and Commercial Users.
The objectives of this function are:
1. Develop a plan to communicate and assist Stakeholders required to complete and meet the newly defined Marine Activities Permit program. (Marston/Scully)
2. Assist Staff in developing a communication outreach to the stakeholders similar to the program in place with the Mooring Association. (Marston/Scully)
3. Continue dialogue with representatives of the Harbor Charter Fleet industry, other commercial vessel operators, and rental concessionaires to promote best practices for charter, and commercial boat operations in Newport Harbor with particular attention to vessel specifications, noise and pollution control/compliance and long-range plans for berthing. (Williams)
4. Support Staff in the Harbor Attendance Study. (Yahn)
Functional Area No. 5 Harbor Vision regarding matters pertaining to Community Outreach and the General Plan update.
The objectives of this function are:
1. Draft a Harbor Plan that can be used independently or in conjunction with an update to the General Plan. Special attention should be made to the preservation of marine-related activities and businesses in Newport Harbor. (Williams)
2. Evaluate and make recommendations for Lower Castaways. (Marston)
This is all pretty boring information, right? Yet this format works and produces results, and was introduced years ago by then Harbor Commissioner Doug West. So why do I bore you with this information? Because should any of these topics concern you, these are the commissioners you need to reach out to who can lend a hand. Don’t just complain on the sidelines: Step up and “Show your Newport Lov’n.”
Now for some fantastic news! Back on April 5th, I sent an email to two City Councilmembers and three Harbor Commissioners. I wrote: “If there was ever a time to push for a second anchorage, the time is now, or take a closer look at the idea of day moorings in Big Corona. Another idea would be to allow local boaters to just go and tie up to an open mooring for the day. This will spread out everyone interested throughout the harbor. To me, this is an easy answer to giving something back to our local boaters.” Well, I guess there was more than just me with this idea because last night the city Harbormaster Kurt Borsting proposed a six-month “Day-Use Mooring Sub-Permit Trial” which will allow boaters to tie up to an empty mooring for six hours for little to no cost. This will allow boaters to find their own spot in the harbor, away from their slips, and just chill. No pun intended, If we are lucky, this idea will be up and running sometime between the end of the month to mid-October. We are moving forward so more to come on this topic after I have a chance to talk to our harbormaster and update you on the process to sign up for a Day-Use Mooring. Send your ideas in to improve the harbor and who knows...one might just float to the surface.
Sea ya.
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.
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