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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.23.1994 Item #1PY AGENDA ITEM #1 CFIY MAY 2 31994 HARBOR QUALITY COMMITTEE AGENDA DATE: Thursday, May 12, 1994 PLACE: Fire Department Conference Room TIME: 3:30 P.M. AGENDA ITEMS: 1. Presentation, Marine Charter Tax - Revenue Manager 2. Introduction of committee members and guests. 3. Additional Agenda Items requested by members. 4. Public Comments (members of the public are invited to comment on any matter of public interest) 5. Review and approval of April 14, 1994, minutes 6. Discussion - Revision of Municipal Code 5.18. - Staff 7. Review activities of Newport Bay Coordinating Council. Nancy Skinner 8. Committee Report - Baywatchers - Rosemary Luxton/Bud Frenzel 9. Discussion on Debris Boom, Santa Ana Delhi Channel - Michael Boudreaux 10. Phone number for reporting spills. 11. City's Log Boom, Discussion - Staff 12. Set next meeting date and time. HARBOR QUALITY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: April 14, 1994 MEMBERS PRESENT: Jean Watt, Tony Melum, Jack Skinner, Len Miller, Rosemary Luxton, Oscar Frenzel, Tom Houston, Miriam Mayell, Ralph Furra, Nancy Skinner, Susan Leifer, Wes Armand. GUESTS PRESENT: Monica Mazur, Larry Paul, Dave Mann, Mike Boudreaux. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jean Watt, at 3:30 P.M. APPROVAL OF The minutes of March 10, 1994, were approved of MINUTES: as submitted. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS REQUESTED BY MEMBERS: 1. Brown Act - Tony Melum 2. Animal Droppings - Len Miller 3. Chemical Problem in Newport Bay - Len Miller AGENDA: 1. Brown Act Melum went over the purpose and the guidelines of the act with the committee and discussed the spirit of this law which maximizes public participation. 2. Discussion - Revision of Municipal Code 5.18. Melum discussed the most recent revision of the ordinance. This revision attempted to address the committee's concerns, identified at the previous meeting, particularly the section relative to the penalty and appeal process. The committee discussed the issue of the appeal being heard either by the City Council or the City manager, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the penalty portion of the ordinance. Motion made to go back to original wording where the appeal is heard by the City manager. Motion carried. Jack Skinner stated that the charter application must have all signatures (vessel owner, charter agent, etc) on the application to bring all parties into the being responsible for compliance to the conditions of the permit. Melum will review section 5.18.030 B. Melum indicated he will recommend revising Chapter 17.41. (Commercial Harbor Activity Permits) to address the committees's concerns that commercial charter operators found to be responsible for a sewage discharge violation, have penalties sufficient to discourage this type of violation. Melum stated that revocation of the permit would be the consequence of a sewage violation. 3. Discussion on debris boom, Santa Ana Delhi Channel - Boudreaux/Paul Larry Paul stated that EMA staff met with engineers from Sea Tech and discussed their plan. Staff has decided to relocate the proposed site and to recommend a re -configure the design. Flood Control favors a new design. Mesa, just below golf course, is the recommended new site. Flood Control will authorize flow measurements at that site and work on a design that is appropriate for this new location. This site should reduce labor cost since it would be more accessible and easily maintained. Paul stated the new boom design would allow it to skim surface and not impede flow. Houston requested an estimate on the time frame now that there is a new location and a new design to be developed. Paul will attempt to get this information. Boudreaux informed the committee that Sea Tech has a 3X5 sample of their design and would bring it to a HQC meeting upon request. Watt suggested Flood Control be made aware of Sea Tech's design and asked if they wished to view it prior to the next HQC meeting. Committee discussed the City's log boom, located at North Star beach, and requested information regarding the reasons for its exact placement, angle to beach, design, and Marine Department recommendations regarding improvements needed to make it more effective. Staff to report at next meeting. 4. Chemical problem in Newport Bay. Len Miller requested information from Environmental Health/EMA regarding the probable health risk from the amount of chemicals entering the bay from the flood control channels (point/non-point source runoff) , and alluded to the problems which Santa Monica Bay has with high amounts of chemicals found in the baywater. Miller questioned if there are any similarities in Newport harbor. Jack Skinner stated that there are approximately 200 different chemicals found in street runoff. Newport does some toxic studies to ascertain if there is significant bio accumulation with the Mussel Watch and other studies where tissue samples are studied (bio measuring). Skinner indicated the problem faced by Santa Monica Bay is magnified by the large watershed yet their situation and solutions have important implications to the HQC. Miller also questioned the City's enforcement of animal waste violations. Are there enough signs and is there enforcement in areas where dropping could get into the bay. Mazur mentioned the signs around the City and wording. Also the no dumping, drains to bay wording on all street catch basins. 5. Review activities of Newport Bay Coordinating Council. Nancy Skinner reported on the meeting. Ken Winter (Harbor, Beaches, & Parks) led a discussion on the Enhancement Plan. Want to enhance certain areas' habitat, increasing the green belt, wildlife habitat, etc., allowing the creek to meander out and flow through these areas, before rejoining the main flow of the creek. There are several success stories throughout the U.S. with similar projects. The Plan for the San Diego Creek corridor has studied flood control capacity, sediment control, water quality and recreation trail potential. The creek corridor contains several areas of significant wetlands and wildlife habitats and several of these sites have been subject to extensive restoration projects. Chris Crompton gave an update on the Clean Water Act. Paul referred to a computer disk "Exploring the Estuary". Recommended HQC view it. Dale Dillon (County Flood Control) reported on the department program to clean debris out of the channels. 69 tons cleaned out of the channels this quarter requiring 443 crew hours. Passed out a report from County Public Works indicating the channels cleaned and tonnage to date. Karen Ashby gave an update on the County EMA Nitrate Study. The runoff is loading up again. Back to 6,000 lbs. per day. Jack Skinner stated that this issue has been put on the back burner for a few years due to early success in reducing the loading. However, at the low point reached of 4,000 lbs per day it still exceeded the Regional Board goal for acceptable level. The nurseries have, under the BMPs, reduced the amount contributed by this industry, leaving the non point source to be studied. 6. Amount of charters in harbor, limiting the capacity. Miriam Mayell requested the committee to discuss this issue. Committee voted to add this to today's agenda. Mayell asked staff for the number of boat charters annually. She questioned whether this industry should have limits placed on it and if it has reached proportions that has a negative impact. Armand gave a brief report on the number of charters annually. This figure was drawn from the total of Marine Charter Permits issued, and an approximation of the Commercial Harbor Permittee activity in the harbor. Committee requested staff to investigate the legality of limitation of marine charters. NEXT MEETING: Thursday, May 12. 1994, at 3:30 PM, Fire Department Conference Room. Minutes submitted by Wes Armand