Harbor Commission

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Purpose:  

Newport Harbor supports numerous recreational and commercial activities, waterfront residential communities and scenic and biological resources. The purpose of the Harbor Commission is to provide the City of Newport Beach with an advisory body representing these diverse uses of Newport Harbor and its waterfront.

1. Advise the City Council in all matters pertaining to the use, control, operation, promotion and regulation of all vessels and watercraft within Newport Harbor. 
2. Approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove applications on all harbor permits where the City of Newport Beach Municipal Code assigns the authority for the decision to the Harbor Commission.
3. Serve as an appellate and reviewing body for decisions of the City Manager on harbor permits, leases, and other harbor-related administrative matters where the City of Newport
   Beach Municipal Code assigns such authority to the Harbor Commission.
4. Advise the City Council on proposed harbor-related improvements.
5. Advise the Planning Commission and City Council on land use and property development applications referred to the Harbor Commission by the City Council, Planning Commission, or the City Manager. 
6. Make recommendations to the City Council for the adoption
   of regulations and programs necessary for the ongoing implementation of the goals, objectives, policies of the Harbor and Bay Element of the General Plan, the Harbor Area Management Plan, and the Tidelands Capital Plan.
7. Advise the City Council on the implementation of assigned parts of the Tidelands Capital Plan such as:

• Dredging priorities
• In-bay beach sand replenishment priorities
• Harbor amenities such as mooring support service areas and public docks

Original Commission Authorization:
City Charter, Article VII, Section 700
Established by Ordinance No. 2001-25, adopted on January 8, 2002. Amended by Ordinance No. 2013-14

City Charter Amendment Authorization:
City Charter, Article VII, Section 713
Established the powers and duties of the Harbor Commission. Made the Harbor Commission a City Charter designated Appointive Commission. Amended December 14, 2020.

•  Harbor Commission Current Objectives

Rules of Procedures of the Harbor Commission:

• Rules of Procedures

Frequency of Meetings: 
The second Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noticed. Meetings generally start at 5 pm.

Contact the Harbor Commission:
Send an email to all Harbor Commissioners at HarborCommission@newportbeachca.gov. City staff may also receive a copy of the email. Please note, emails and correspondence with the Harbor Commission may be considered a public record.

	Name	Email	Appointed	Reappointed	Term Expires
	Steve Scully, Chair	sscully@newportbeachca.gov	06-25-19	06-22-21	06-30-25
	Ira Beer,    Vice Chair	ibeer@newportbeachca.gov	06-27-17	06-28-22	06-30-26
	Marie Marston, Secretary	mmarston@newportbeachca.gov	06-25-19	06-27-23	06-30-27
	Scott Cunningham, Commissioner	scunningham@newportbeachca.gov	04-25-17	06-22-21	06-30-25
	Rudy Svrcek, Commissioner	rsvrcek@newportbeachca.gov	06-28-22		06-30-26
	Gary Williams, Commissioner	gwilliams@newportbeachca.gov	06-09-20		06-30-24
	Don Yahn, Commissioner	dyahn@newportbeachca.gov	06-25-18	06-28-22	06-30-26

 

Length of Term for Members:
The seven members of the commission serve for a term of four years on a staggered basis. 

City Staff
Paul Blank	Harbormaster	pblank@newportbeachca.gov
Jennifer Biddle	Admin. Assistant	jbiddle@newportbeachca.gov