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HomeMy WebLinkAbout16 - Proposed Harbor Commission Goals and Objectives 2020Q �EwPpRT CITY OF O � z NEWPORT BEACH <,FORN'P City Council Staff Report February 25, 2020 Agenda Item No. 16 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Grace K. Leung, City Manager - 949-644-3001, gleung@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Carol Jacobs, Assistant City Manager, cjacobs@newportbeachca.gov PHONE: 949-644-3313 TITLE: Proposed Harbor Commission Goals and Objectives 2020 ABSTRACT: In order to effectively meet the goals of the Harbor Commission, the Commission creates and updates its goals and objectives on a regular basis. At the January 8, 2020 meeting, the Harbor Commission approved its 2020 Goals and Objectives for City Council consideration. RECOMMENDATION: a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and b) Approve the proposed Harbor Commission Goals and Objectives for 2020 FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: There is no fiscal impact related to this item DISCUSSION: The Harbor Commission has established objectives, which have been presented to the City Council on an annual basis for many years. The purpose of the objectives is to systematically review the operations of the harbor and work to improve the harbor for all stakeholders. The last full update of the objectives was in February 2018 and revised in July 2019. Attachment A is the revised July 2019 objectives. Over the past year, the Harbor Commission has accomplished a number of large items and has moved many of the objectives forward. Highlights of accomplishments include - 16 -1 Proposed Harbor Commission Goals and Objectives 2020 February 25, 2020 Page 2 • Significant progress in working on harbor dredging including working with the Federal government to secure funding for the project. • Completed a City Council policy relating to extensions of offshore moorings in the City's mooring fields. • Completed review of Title 17 and City Council approval, with the exception of Marine Activity Permits. • Began meeting with the Charter fleet to ensure best practices within the harbor. • Began public meetings to develop a long-term harbor plan to balance the needs of all stakeholders. The proposed 2020 Harbor Commission Objectives (Attachment B) include: • Review of Harbor Operations: matters pertaining to the management, policies, codes, regulations and enforcement; • Harbor Viability: matters pertaining to assets, amenities and access; • Harbor Infrastructure: matters pertaining to sea walls, sea level rise, dredging, docks and beaches; • Harbor Stakeholders: matters pertaining to residential, recreational and commercial users. Each of these objectives have several goals/tasks that the Harbor Commission will focus on in the next year. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. NOTICING: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item). ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A — Harbor Commission Objectives July 2019 Attachment B — Harbor Commission Proposed Objectives 2020 16-2 ATTACHMENT A City of Newport Beach Harbor Commission Purpose & Charter Newport Harbor supports numerous recreational and commercial activities, waterfront residential communities and scenic and biological resources. The purpose of the Harbor Commission is to provide the City of Newport Beach with an advisory body representing these diverse uses of Newport Harbor and its waterfront. 1. Advise the City Council in all matters pertaining to the use, control, operation, promotion and regulation of all vessels and watercraft within Newport Harbor. 2. Approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove applications on all harbor permits where the City of Newport Beach Municipal Code assigns the authority for the decision to the Harbor Commission. 3. Serve as an appellate and reviewing body for decisions of the City Manager on harbor permits, leases, and other harbor -related administrative matters where the City of N e w p o r t Beach Municipal Code assigns such authority to the Harbor Commission. 4. Advise the City Council on proposed harbor -related improvements. 5. Advise the Planning Commission and City Council on land use and property development applications referred to the Harbor Commission by the City Council, Planning Commission, or the City Manager. 6. Make recommendations to the City Council for the adoption of regulations and programs necessary for the ongoing implementation of the goals, objectives, policies of the Harbor and Bay Element of the General Plan, the Harbor Area Management Plan, and the Tidelands Capital Plan. 7. Advise the City Council on the implementation of assigned parts of the Tidelands Capital Plan such as: • Dredging priorities • In -bay beach sand replenishment priorities • Harbor amenities such as mooring support service areas and public docks Harbor Commission - 2019 Objectives The following objectives 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. These calendar year 2019 Objectives are subject to the review and approval of the Commission, and final approval by the Newport Beach City Council. Harbor Commission ad hoc committees, as established by the Commission, bear principal responsibility for coordinating the Commission's efforts, along with staff support, in achieving these Objectives. 16-3 City of Newport Beach - Harbor Commission 2018 Objectives Updated July 10, 2019 2019 Objectives Functional Area 1.1 Identify sustainable low-cost solutions to dredgethe 1.0 Harbor Dredging deep -water channels throughout the harbor. (Cunningham, Marston) 1.2 Identify opportunities to streamline the RGP54 permit Advise the City Council on: process. o Dredging methodologies 1.3 Evaluate options for near shore dredging. Establish a o Dredging priorities sustainable program that consistently nourishes harbor o Eelgrass protection beaches on a yearly basis. o Beach re -nourishment *Functional Areas 2 and 3 (combined 7/10/19) 2.0 Harbor Operations, 2.1 Evaluate current enforcement of applicable City codes Management, Amenities, and Capital throughout the harbor. Report back to Commission by Improvements July. (Beer, Yahn, Scully) 2.2 Evaluate potential enhancements to city amenities provided to mooring permittees, residents and visitors. o Matters pertaining to use, 2.3 Establish policies for modifications to mooring size. control, operation, promotion, regulation of all Future Priorities vessels and watercraft. A. Work with Harbormaster's office to evaluate mooring o Advise the City Council on management and oversight. proposed harbor -related B. Identify and address derelict vessels in the harbor. improvements. C. Complete evaluation for establishing day moorings off o Advise the City Council on Big Corona beach. harbor amenities such as D. Evaluate options to consolidate and reduce the mooring support service footprint of current mooring fields. areas and public docks. 3.1 Review and update City Municipal Codes, Title 17, 3.0 Harbor Policies, Codes, Harbor Policies 1-5 and Marine Activities Permits. Regulations (Kenney, Blank, Yahn) o Approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove applications on all harbor permits. o Serve as an appellate and reviewing body for decisions on harbor permits, leases, and other harbor -related administrative matters. 16-4 City of Newport Beach - Harbor Commission 2019 Objectives Updated July 10, 2019 2019 Objectives Functional Area 4.1 Establish a dialogue with representatives of the Harbor 4.0 Commercial, Recreational and Charter Fleet industry, other commercial vessel Educational Activities operators and rental concessionaires to promote best (Scully, Kenney, Marston) practices for charter and commercial boat operations in Newport Harbor with particular attention to vessel o Matters pertaining to use, specifications, noise and pollution control/compliance control, operation, promotion, and long-range plans for berthing. regulation of all vessels and watercraft. o Serve as an appellate and reviewing body for decisions of the City Manager on harbor permits, leases, and other harbor -related administrative matters. 5.1 Draft a Harbor Plan that can be used independently or in 5.0 Long Term Vision for Harbor conjunction with an update to the General Plan and/or (Harbor Strategic Planning) Harbor Area Management Plan (HAMP). Specific (Blank, Cunningham, Scully) attention should be paid to state requirements including conservation for harbors, MLPA/MPAs and fisheries and o Advise the City Council on work previously done by the Harbor Commission the City General Plan. related to preservation of marine related activities and businesses in Newport Harbor and the Harbor Financial Master Plan. Future Priorities A. Create a Vision Statement for the Harbor describing the purposes, uses and characteristics in the year 2050. Reference how that Vision aligns with the current 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. *Numbering of Objectives was changed to reflect the combining of Objectives 2 and 3 at the Harbor Commission Meeting of July 10, 2019. 16-5 ATTACHMENT B City of Newport Beach Harbor Commission Purpose & Charter Newport Harbor supports numerous recreational and commercial activities, waterfront residential communities and scenic and biological resources. The purpose of the Harbor Commission is to provide the City of Newport Beach with an advisory body representing these diverse uses of Newport Harbor and its waterfront. 1. Advise the City Council in all matters pertaining to the use, control, operation, promotion and regulation of all vessels and watercraft within Newport Harbor. 2. Approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove applications on all harbor permits where the City of Newport Beach Municipal Code assigns the authority for the decision to the Harbor Commission. 3. Serve as an appellate and reviewing body for decisions of the City Manager on harbor permits, leases, and other harbor -related administrative matters where the City of N e w p o r t Beach Municipal Code assigns such authority to the Harbor Commission. 4. Advise the City Council on proposed harbor -related improvements. 5. Advise the Planning Commission and City Council on land use and property development applications referred to the Harbor Commission by the City Council, Planning Commission, or the City Manager. 6. Make recommendations to the City Council for the adoption of regulations and programs necessary for the ongoing implementation of the goals, objectives, policies of the Harbor and Bay Element of the General Plan, the Harbor Area Management Plan, and the Tidelands Capital Plan. 7. Advise the City Council on the implementation of assigned parts of the Tidelands Capital Plan such as: • Dredging priorities • In -bay beach sand replenishment priorities • Harbor amenities such as mooring support service areas and public docks Harbor Commission - Objectives The following objectives 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. These updated objectives are subject to the review and approval of the Commission, and final approval by the Newport Beach City Council. Harbor Commission ad hoc committees, as established by the Commission, bear principal responsibility for coordinating the Commission's efforts, along with staff support, in achieving these Objectives. 16-6 City of Newport Beach - Harbor Commission Objectives Updated February 12, 2020 2020 Objectives Functional Area 1. Complete current version of Title 17 while maintaining 1. Harbor Operations suggestions for future revisions. (Yahn, Blank) (Kenney) 2. Study and make recommendations for changes on Marine Activities Permits. Identify all Stakeholders within the Harbor Matters pertaining the Management, Policies, Codes, Regulations, and who will require a Marine Activities Permit. (Blank, Yahn) Enforcement. 3. Help identify derelict vessels in the harbor including recommendations for limiting the inflow of derelict vessels into the harbor. (Yahn, Beer) 4. Study and provide recommendations for shore moorings including transfer permit policy. (Beer, Cunningham) 1. Evaluate potential enhancements to City amenities provided 2. Harbor Viability to mooring permittees, residents, and visitors. (Scully) (Beer) 2. Support Staff with permanent anchorage at the west end of Lido Island. Matters pertaining to Assets, Amenities, and Access. 3. Evaluate options to consolidate and reduce the footprint of the mooring fields. (Yahn) 4. Continue pursuit of a second public launch ramp. (Kenney) 6. Complete evaluation for establishing day moorings off Big Corona beach. (Yahn) 1. Secure timely closure of RGP54 permit renewal with 3. Harbor Infrastructure emphasis on a more streamlined process. (Cunningham) 2. Establish a sustainable program that consistently re -nourishes Matters pertaining to Sea Walls, Sea our harbor beaches. (Marston) Level Rise, Dredging, Docks, and Beaches. 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 provides consistent maintenance dredging and could help combat sea level rise and coastal erosion. (Marston) 16-7 2020 Objectives Functional Area 1. Develop a plan to communicate and assist Stakeholders 4. Harbor Stakeholders required to complete and meet the newly defined Marine Activities Permit program. (Marston, Kenney) (Scully) Matters pertaining to Residential, 2. Assist Staff in developing a communication outreach to Recreational, and Commercial Users. the Stakeholders similar to the program in place with the Mooring Association. (Marston, Kenney) 3. Continue a 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. (Yahn, Kenney) 4. Support Staff in the Harbor Attendance Study. (Yahn, Cunningham) 1. Draft a Harbor Plan that can be used independently or in 5. Harbor Vision conjunction with an update to the General Plan. Special attention should be made to preservation of marine (Blank) related activities and businesses in Newport Harbor. Matters pertaining to Community (Kenney) Outreach and the General Plan update 2. Evaluate and make recommendations for Lower Castaways. (Marston, Yahn)