The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

The Newport Beach City Council approved a seven-member Harbor

Commission at its meeting Tuesday. Congratulations to the new harbor

commissioners -- Tim Collins, John Corrough, Duffy Marshall, Lawrenz

Donald, Ralph Rodheim, Pappas Paulette and Seymour Beek. I have

personally worked with Collins, Corrough, Rodheim and Beek on the city’s

Harbor Committee and with three of the four on the Newport Beach Chamber

of Commerce’s Marine Committee. I think that these four commissioners’

first task should be to help the other three commissioners get updated on

the activities and issues that the former Harbor Committee addressed over

the last three years. In addition, start with the Harbor Committee’s

final act of the top 10 list that might now be top 12 -- with the recent

private dock rental concern and pier permits that are at market value.

Their new task is enormous, but the first order of business will be to

draw straws to see who gets the two-year terms -- versus the four-year

terms -- so that the whole commission does not have the possibility of

expiring at the same time. Then the next item would be choosing the

chairperson followed by the seating arrangement that, mind you, can be

very political in some cases. The main focus of the commissioners should

be to use their vision and foresight to start planning for this harbor’s

future with long-term dredging, public access, boater facilities and the

like. The general plan’s harbor element is the outline from which the

commission should start taking action. I hope that the community supports

this commission as our stewards of our most valuable resource, and I will

welcome the commissioners at their first meeting.

***

Last week, I told you about the Bush Administration deleting dredging

funds that affect lower Newport Harbor, and how vital dredging is to the

harbor area. However, there is good news for the upper and lower portions

of the bay as Newport Beach received $3.8 million this week for a

dredging annuity. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the council modified

the title of the fund and the city officially accepted the funds from the

California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region.

These funds are from the settlement of the Feb. 7, 1990, oil spill

occurred when the single-hull of the tanker “American Trader” was

ruptured by its anchor off Huntington Beach. I can recall that evening

seeing the tanker with its decks very low to the water with a lot of

unusual deck activity and thinking to myself that something must be

wrong. About 416,600 gallons of crude oil leaked out in the areas of

Huntington Beach and Newport Beach beaches, requiring the closure of

Newport Harbor’s entrance as a precaution. As a side note, now all oil

tankers are required to be double hulled from legislation resulting from

incidents such as this one and the infamous Exxon Valdez.

Mayor Tod Ridgeway and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Bromberg asked the council

to rename the account after two very active local families that have gone

above and beyond the call of citizenship in protecting the Back Bay. The

unanimous council’s decision from this day forth shall be called the

Robinson & Skinner Annuity Account after Frank and the late Fran Robinson

and Jack and Nancy Skinner. I like the name change to honor both families

who have and still do put in countless volunteer hours. Plus, I would

never remember the original title of the “Newport Bay Maintenance

Dredging and Total Maximum Daily Load Compliance Account.”

On April 26, the city will be approved to receive the $3.8 million

from the California Regional Board, which will likely adopt the

resolution to transfer the funds. The annuity will be used to provide for

the long-term maintenance dredging of Upper and Lower Newport Bay while

maintaining compliance with the total maximum daily loads elements of

Newport Bay. This is a good start in meeting these objectives and

planning for long-term solutions.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him

your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions via e-mail

to o7 [email protected] or o7 BoathouseTV.comf7 .