Newport Beach City Manager Update: New Marine Trash Skimmer
By Guest Contributor Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager – February 25, 2023
Source: Newport Beach Independent Newport Beach City Manager Update: Trash Skimmer
Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Representatives from the Surfrider Foundation North Orange County Chapter recently presented the City with a generous donation of $12,415 toward the purchase and installation of a new marine trash skimmer for Newport Harbor. The donation will be used to offset the $18,000 cost of a new trash skimmer that will replace an older, broken skimmer located at the Rhine Wharf public dock.
Marine trash skimmers are floating devices attached to docks that operate in a manner similar to pool filters, using a motor to cycle water through a filtration system while trapping trash and debris. The new skimmer will be part of a network of eight skimmers that collect seven to eight tons of trash and debris from Newport Harbor every year. The new model will be more efficient than previous versions, using 80 percent less power and a self-cleaning filter that empties automatically every 30 minutes.
The Newport Harbor trash skimmers are an important part of the City’s ongoing efforts to keep our beaches, harbor and waterways clean.
Source: Newport Beach Independent Newport Beach City Manager Update: Trash Skimmer
Visitors to Newport Beach today might know the coastal Southern California city from “The Real Housewives,” “The O.C.” and “Arrested Development,” all of which were set amid its rolling green hills and picture-perfect beaches. But I had come to Newport Beach to commune with the stars of Old Hollywood, who began staking their claim to this idyllic spot just one hour south of Los Angeles during the silent film era.
In the Golden Age of Hollywood, Newport Beach’s lure was not so much its land, dotted as it was with big-band ballrooms and smoke-filled cocktail bars. It was its water, and specifically the sprawling recreational harbor where the stars docked their yachts and sailboats.
Continue reading at The New York Times…
Photo Credit: Beth Coller/The New York Times
After taking over management of the moorings from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol last summer, Harbormaster Dennis Durgan provided a “Year in Review” summary for the Newport Beach Harbor Commission on Wednesday.
Commissioners asked a few questions and expressed support for the work the Harbormaster team has done over the past 15 months.
“I think your numbers speak for themselves,” Commissioner John Drayton said. “You’ve really done a fantastic job.”
Among many other reported statistics, between July 1, 2017, and June 30, the Harbormaster team has recorded 2,144 general assists, 962 wake or speed advisements, 662 mooring checks, 253 pier/dock/bridge issues (includes jumping, fishing, time limits, and gangway issues), and 19 emergency calls to either OCSD Harbor Patrol or NB police.
The city of Newport Beach, steadily considered a premier boating destination, has made strides, in the last year, to improve services, amenities and educational information available to recreational boaters, residents and tourists. A model was also introduced for a freshly conceived Harbor Department, which also happens to be “new to the world,” according to several city officials.
“A lot has happened/is happening with harbor operations over the past year,” Tara Finnigan, Deputy City Manager, said in an email to The Log. “A lot of thought and effort went into the department structure that the city council approved on June 12.”
In addition to approving the department structure, council members approved the new budget of $1.1 million – up around $200,000 from last year’s budget – to be included in the 2018-19 fiscal year at the June 26 meeting.
Photo Credit: Devon Warren/The Log
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