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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.26.1994 Item #1ary OF NEW'C?Ri tar! (>1, I F c SEP 2 61994. City Council Meeting September 26, 1994 Agenda Item No. HARBOR QUALITY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: August 11, 1994 MEMBERS PRESENT: Jean Watt, Tony Melum, Jack Skinner, Rosemary Luxton, Miriam Mayell, Ralph Furra, Nancy Skinner, Oscar Frenzel, Susan Leifer, Tom Houston, Wes Armand. MEMBERS ABSENT: Len Miller. GUESTS PRESENT: Dave Mann, Monica Mazur, J.T. Yean. Mary McNamara, Mark Sites, Mary Price, Holly Veale. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jean Watt, at 3:30 P.M. APPROVAL OF The minutes of July 7, 1994 were approved MINUTES: as submitted. AGENDA: 1. Public Comments. Mary McNamara, Shore Cliffs resident, and J.T. Yean, a hydrologist, requested the committee to hear and comment on the situation at the bluffs directly above the beach south of Buck Gully (Little Corona). The residents are concerned about a drain from a Shore Cliffs residence, that according to McNamara, is continuing to erode the bluffs and flow directly to the intertidal area. Most homes in the area are funneling runoff water to the drains leading to the beach. Melum commented that to his knowledge the NPDES permit doesn't address this topic, and this would be better discussed by someone from Public Works/Building Department. Watt directed staff to invite Public Works representative to next meeting. Veale felt that the technology for collection and filtration of drainage water should be developed. 2. Staff reports. Melum reported on the questions raised last meeting regarding the fee for guest moorings in the harbor. Mann reported that there are 12041 moorings in the harbor. There are 750 off -shore moorings and 491 on -shore moorings. The County own's 18 of the 750 off -shore moorings. Melum reported that David Harshbarger (Marine Department Director) has contacted Newport PD regarding a recent citizen complaint on a pollution call, and assures the committee the procedure for calls to the police dispatcher will be referred to Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol for on-site inspection. 3. Limitation of charter boat activity. Mayell commented that the sub -committee believes any further exploration of limiting charter boat activity in the harbor should be done by citizens of Lido Island or other communities where the high volume of charter boats affect them. Leifer stated that she still is concerned with the parking on West Pacific Coast Highway, but doesn't feel this should remain an agenda item at this time. 4. Reducing sewage in harbor. Jack Skinner requested Mazur to give a report on the April -May testing samples results. Mazur handed out the Quarterly Summary Report and answered questions on the bacteria counts. There was a marked improvement in the Most Probable Number (MPN) of coliform organisms per 100 milliliters of sampled water. The Orange County Health Care Agency was extremely pleased with these results. 5. Report on recent meeting, Newport Bay Coordinating Council. Jack Skinner reported on the meeting. a) Debris boom in the Santa Ana Delhi Channel moving forward. b) The County of Orange, EMA, will show its new 26 minute cable television show entitled: " The Ocean Begins at Our Front Door" September 30, 1994 at the Newport Dunes. c) The Irvine Ranch Water District has applied for a permit to discharged up to 15 million gallons of nutrient rich reclaimed water daily into a tributary that leads directly to the bay. The potential impact is a possible additional 5,000 pounds daily of nitrate into the baywater. Bill Bretz, Sam Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve Steward brought this to the attention of the Newport Bay Coordination Council because one proposal by the IRWD is to run this discharged water through the Marsh. This according to Bretz is contrary to the concept of a natural environment and also represents a potential danger to the Marsh in the event of a spill. Skinner requested this be on next meetings agenda. 6. Survey, issues and answers, other harbors. Len Miller's letter addressing this item was distributed to committee. Suggests networking with counterparts in other harbors regarding concerns of holding tanks, charter operations, solution of drainage problems, rafting permits, regulation of moorings and guest slips. Nancy and Jack Skinner attend water quality meeting in other cities and believe Newport Beach to be further advanced in laws/regulations than other cities relative to water quality issues. They don't feel that other cities could provide much useful information. Mann stated that a great deal of networking occurs in organizational meetings attended by harbor masters/port captains and agrees that Newport is addressing issues not yet considered by many other harbors. 7. Trash overflow, Balboa Island. Mark Sites described to the committee the need for more pick up of trash receptacles at the street endings. There is a constant overflow from trash cans on weekends and some of it is getting into the bay. Melum will contact General Services and report to committee. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 5:30 PM NEXT MEETING: Thursday, September 8, 1994, at 3:30 PM, Fire Department Conference Room. Minutes submitted by Wes Armand