Duffield pleads for protection of Newport Beach Harbor

NEWPORT BEACH—Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, the Newport Beach City Council member known for creating those nifty electric boats darting around Southern California’s harbors, penned an op-ed calling for greater local control of Central Orange County’s lone boating destination. Newport Beach Harbor is “one of the most regulated bodies of water in the nation,” according to Duffield’s op-ed, which appeared in the online outlet, Stu News Newport, on May 21. His comments come at a time when the Newport Beach City Council is planning to re-write Title 17 of the City Charter; the title governs Newport Beach’s harbor. Duffield specifically stated the Newport Beach City Code must be updated in order to protect the harbor from outside interests – primarily developers and policymakers in Sacramento or Santa Ana. “It’s time our City Charter protects Newport Harbor,” Duffield wrote in his op-ed. “Our residents are unaware that at least eleven governmental agencies from Washington, Sacramento and Santa Ana have jurisdictional control over the Harbor.” The City Council member who served as Newport Beach’s mayor in 2018 stated the city’s Charter must recognize and give deference to the local Harbor Commission, which actually could be eliminated at the discretion of Duffield’s colleagues. Duffield and City Council member Brad Avery...