Harbour residents are heard

Jose Paul Corona

Irate Huntington Harbour residents, who claim the city’s latest

attempts to clean up the waterway sound more like a way to make money

than a means to solve pollution problems, are demanding they have a

say in the matter.

In response, the city has agreed to form a committee that will

include residents to study the problem.

A couple of months ago, the city began studying ways to clean up

the harbor and improve water quality. Everything from dredging to

various monitoring options was discussed. City officials also began

discussions of how to pay for such a cleanup, including charging

harbor residents and boat owners new fees or taxes.

Residents, who have scoffed at several of the city’s ideas, said

they felt they were entitled to a say in the matters.

“Why are they duplicating services and passing the cost onto us?”

17-year Harbour resident Ralph Thorn asked of the harbor master

proposal.

The county already has a harbor master in Huntington Harbour,

residents point out.

“We have a harbor master,” said resident Allen McGee. “They

enforce state, federal and county law.”

Rather than addressing the real problem, which is urban runoff,

the council is simply trying to get more money out of residents

because of its budget problems, McGee accused.

“Bottom line is, they’re just looking for a way to get more money

without cutting services,” he said.

Mayor Debbie Cook argues that something has to be done to comply

with federal clean water standards

“How do these people expect us to pay for all this,” she said.

“There isn’t any money in the budget to dredge.”

But residents are not convinced that dredging is necessary.

“Does the harbor need to be dredged? It probably wouldn’t hurt,”

McGee said. “Is it necessary? No.”

The council has allocated $25,000 to study possible fees and

taxes, but that money is currently in “limbo,” Cook said.

Before anything is done, a new Huntington Harbour Water Quality

Task Force must be set up, she said.

The committee, which will include residents, won’t meet until

after the first of the year, said Ron Hagan, the city’s special

projects manager.

“At the first several meetings, we’re going to look at the issues

that need to be addressed. Then we’re going to take a look at what

the alternatives are,” he said.

Harbor issues, such as water quality, dredging and docking without

a permit, all need to be addressed, Hagan said.

There are several options. The city could choose to implement some

type of fee or the city could simply let the state and county handle

it, Hagan said. Or the council could choose to change nothing.

But that has been the practice for the past 10 years, Hagan said.

“We need to figure out policies,” he said.

In response to residents’ complaints, the council agreed to expand

the task force to include harbor residents. Representatives from

various local, state and federal agencies will also be on the board,

Cook said.

Nothing will be done immediately. City staff plans to study the

options thoroughly before making any suggestions, Hagan said.

“If it takes six months or six years, we’re going to work through

the process,” Hagan said.

When it comes down to it, residents don’t feel that they are being

treated fairly, McGee said. Harbour residents shouldn’t bear the

brunt of the cleanup for all residents.

“The boats aren’t the cause of the pollution,” he said.

“The City Council is targeting such a small nucleus to solve a

[big] problem,” Thorn agreed.

Harbour residents are asking the council to evenly spread the cost

of harbor cleanup throughout the city, McGee said.