Newport discusses options for horse cleanup

June Casagrande

Horse owners and city water-quality enforcers could be on their way

to a compromise on how to deal with manure in the newly annexed Santa

Ana Heights area.

In about six or eight weeks, the City Council will consider plans

on how to make peace with the equestrians while still satisfying

county and state water-quality rules that take a hard line on horse

manure and other animal waste.

At a study session on Tuesday, most council members seemed to

favor a program to pay someone to clean up horse trails more

frequently and to pass the cost on to horse owners.

“I think we all agree that it’s unsafe and impractical to expect

people to get off their horses every time they have to clean up after

them,” Mayor Tod Ridgeway said.

Most city officials who spoke seemed to agree, but differed on how

the manure would be cleaned up otherwise. Some suggested taking a

closer look at an Adopt-A-Trail program operated by the Back Bay

Equestrians, a private horse-owners’ group. Others suggested creating

a program to license horses and use the fees to pay a cleanup person.

A heated debate was sparked when signs were put up instructing

riders to clean up after their animals.

“By putting those signs up, you’re basically saying, ‘Don’t ride

here,’” Santa Ana Heights resident Stacy Phillips said.

The signs quote a city ordinance that says people must pick up

after their animals and threaten scofflaws with citations.

“We really do need to have those signs taken down as quickly as

possible,” said Jayne Jones, a member of the Back Bay Equestrians,

who said that the signs send an unfriendly message to horse riders in

Santa Ana Heights who became Newport Beach residents when the area

was annexed last year.

“Signage is a key component of enforcement,” City Manager Homer

Bludau told the council.

Some of them saw it his way. Others didn’t.

“Maybe we should consider taking down the signs for now while we

give this Adopt-A-Trail program a try,” Councilman Gary Adams said.

The item will come back on a regular council agenda once city

staff members and equestrians have had a chance to work out the

details of the proposed cleanup program. Officials estimated that

that will take six to eight weeks.

* 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.