County cuts don’t worry Newport

June Casagrande

Local leaders are disappointed that $1 million in county matching

funds for urban runoff programs have been slashed, but the cutbacks

aren’t expected to cripple any of the city’s plans or programs.

More than $100 million in budget cuts announced this week by the

Orange County Board of Supervisors included about $1 million a year for the Urban Runoff Matching Grant Program.

The program was used by cities countywide to help remove

contaminants from storm water runoff, said Monica Mazur of the Orange

County Health Care Agency.

The county funds are available to cities to help pay for programs

to clean up urban runoff. In Newport Beach, the program has helped

pay for the Newport Dunes storm water diversion system and for

filter-screen devices installed in storm drains in West Newport to

remove debris and pollutants.

“We’ve probably gotten about $80,000 over the past three years

from that program, and it’s been a good program, so we’ll miss it,”

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said. “I’m sad to see it go, because

it showed the county’s commitment to reducing beach closures when

some county land is part of the problem.”

The city had not planned to apply for any of the county grants in

the coming months, Kiff said. The cutbacks may not be felt locally

because other sources of funding, such as the states’ Clean Beaches

Initiative, can be used for water quality programs.

The city has gotten about $500,000 from the initiative for water

quality projects and has applied for $380,000 more.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.