7 residents named to newly created Harbor Commission

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- Seven residents have been chosen as stewards of one

of the city’s most important natural resources. The newly created Harbor

Commission will fill a gap in decision-making regarding local waters --

decisions that until now were left largely in the hands of city staff.

The committee, which includes some well-known harbor experts and some

people new to citizen government, will advise the City Council on

decisions about how to best use and preserve the harbor. These issues are

likely to include dredging the harbor, governing moorings and mooring

rates, and maintaining water quality.

One of their first tasks could be to consider the controversial

question of whether the city should regulate and tax private dock

rentals.

“Dredging is a major issue right now in the harbor -- a major

problem,” said Seymour Beek, one of the just-appointed commissioners.

“There are a lot of obstacles to people doing dredging around residential

piers. We would like to tackle that subject, as well as comprehensive

dredging [in public waterways].”

Other important issues, Beek said, include enforcement of rules on

party boats, and access to and from the bay for boaters and others.

Beek served on the Harbor Committee, an ad hoc group that was

disbanded last year to make way for the Harbor Commission. He also serves

on the Economic Development Committee and the Harbor Patrol Advisory

Council.

Another well-known harbor expert appointed to the committee is

Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, best known for building and popularizing

electric boats in Newport Harbor.

Timothy Collins, John Corrough, Donald Lawrenz, Ralph Rodheim and

Paulette Pappas will also be commissioners.

“The harbor is such a tremendous economic asset to the city,” said

Lawrenz, who served on the Harbor Quality Committee in the 1980s and the

Environmental Affairs Committee in the 1990s. “This is an important thing

to do for the city.”

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .