Newport Given OK to Create Harbor Fund

Byline: Ambrosia Brody NEWPORT BEACH — The California State Lands Commission granted the city of Newport Beach the right to establish a Harbor Fund, at its June 21 meeting. The commission initially delayed the decision when the Newport Beach Dock Owners Association, a group of citizens and business owners who were behind the Stop the Dock Tax campaign, requested that the commission not approve the creation of this fund. Earlier this year, Newport Beach City Council members asked city staff members to seek consent of the State Lands Commission to create a Newport Harbor capital fund. The fund would capture the incremental increases from the recent tidelands fee adjustments (including newly increased private dock permit fees) and finance capital improvements and maintenance activities within the harbor. The fund would pay for specific capital improvements in the harbor. According to the city, the fund would “accept and appropriate revenue from recent changes to rent schedules in Newport Harbor” with the intent to “isolate the dollars collected from rent increases in the harbor area to ensure that they are expended only on capital projects instead of other tideland operations.” Projects include dredging, seawall improvements and improvements to public docks and other harbor amenities. “We appreciate the State...