Newport preps for July runoff deadline

June Casagrande

City officials are optimistic they can meet a July deadline to

comply with stringent new county rules to control storm water runoff,

and they may even pull it off without hiring additional employees.

Cities have until July 1 to meet all the criteria of a permit that

all county cities must have to operate their storm drains.

The cities must take a number of steps to ensure that no

pollutants enter the storm drains. The tricky part is that it’s not

the city putting pollutants into the storm drains; it’s residents and

businesses whose actions create most of the pollutants.

Thus, the city’s job is to inform, inspect and enforce.

“There would be folks out in the field to educate residents and

businesses as to how to [keep pollutants out of storm water]. Then

they would do inspections to ensure that’s occurring. Then, if

they’re not, there’s the enforcement end, issuing citations,”

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

At the Jan. 9 meeting of the Coastal/Bay Water Quality Citizens

Advisory Committee, staff will present the city’s options for making

good on all permit requirements.

Though the measures will definitely require some city staff time,

Kiff said he is optimistic that the information and enforcement

campaign can be conducted without hiring any new employees.

“Though it will definitely require more staff attention, it may

not require more staff,” Kiff said. “Definitely more staff attention.

It may not take more staff. We’re trying to figure out a way we could

achieve that without hiring because, in times like this, it makes

sense to keep the lid on new positions.

Considering the daunting nature of the tough water-quality rules,

it’s a surprise that the city is expected to meet deadlines. News

that the city can meet the permit deadlines and objectives is a

surprise considering how Newport was the only city in the county last

year to enthusiastically support the new rules of the Santa Ana

Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The gist of the 80-page permit that now governs cities is that no

toxins can end up in the storm drains:

Store owners hosing down their sidewalks cannot allow soap or even

dirt to run into the storm drains. Residents are not permitted to let

pet waste run off into storm drains, either. The city’s role is to

help businesses and residents comply.

A little more than a year ago, it looked unlikely that the city

could pull it off: “I guess I could support this and then pray it

doesn’t pass,” Councilwoman Norma Glover said at a November 2001

council meeting.

Now, after a lot of staff time has been dedicated to creating

public education campaigns and other measures, the goal is in sight,

officials said.

“It is realistic,” Kiff said.