Dana Point Harbor Advisory Board plans work ahead after first meeting

DANA POINT — The newly formed Dana Point Harbor Advisory Board (DPHAB) held its first official meeting, Feb. 26. Membership of the new advisory board – which includes boating advocates, local business owners and policymakers – huddled together in Dana Point to chart a course for the future of a harbor primed for redevelopment since the late 1990s. “[The inaugural meeting] was the culmination of so much work over the past two years to create a community oversight panel akin to a proper harbor commission,” James Lenthall, President of Dana Point Boaters Association (DPBA) and appointed Chair of DPHAB, told The Log. “Our first meeting was effectively an organizing session where we got acquainted with our new co-advisors, reviewed and approved our bylaws, set our meeting schedule and elected our board officers.” DPHAB is the second attempt to find a unified voice speaking on behalf of harbor-related issues and policies. County officials and local stakeholders tried to launch an advisory council to address harbor issues last fall, but their efforts hit a few snags along the way. The county disbanded the previous entity before it even got off the ground. This time, members came together to outline the purpose, rules and procedures of the...