Mooring Fees Proposal to Be Shared in Council Study Session
The originally proposed (draft) tripling of mooring fees will now be proposed as a 150% (or 2.5x) increase taken in steps over five years. A single transfer between individuals may be made in the next five year period, following which is the likelihood that transferability will end. The mechanism to transfer moorings, beyond the single transfer or the five years-from-now window, has not been named.
The NMA did propose alternative evaluation methodologies for valuing mooring permits at the City's request, but these valuation methods were dismissed, and the City still declines to commission a formal, informed appraisal. No surprise to mooring permit holders, City ordinance (See 17.60.40 [F]) and longstanding custom and practice has enabled transfer of moorings between individuals. The form for such transfer (pdf - 420KB)  is part of the recently executed contract with the Harbor Department for mooring management.
However, the City's new preference may be to not allow transfers. Council members on the Ad-Hoc Committee on Mooring Fees have characterized transfers as illegal and black market. In about half of southern California harbors with moorings, transfers between individuals are permitted, and are not therein regarded with pejorative terms. Current City Attorney Hunt previously worked for the City of Morro Bay, in which City mooring transfer practice was substantially similar to that currently allowed in Newport Beach.
The City cites high transfer price as suggestive that mooring permit fees are below market. Those who hold a mooring permit understand the value of a mooring…the dollars saved from not having to pay onerous Newport slip rent have tangible present value. How long you hold the mooring determines how much you save versus a slip. Many hundreds of hours were invested by City Staff, the former City Attorney, and volunteers to tighten up current mooring regulations, but that draft has languished in the City Council's Bay Issues Ad-Hoc Committee.
Problems resolved in the Chapter 17 rewrite include thoughtful approaches which would put dollar-mongering mooring brokers out of business, enable long–term rental by non–permit holders, and a more equitable transfer fee for the City. That draft (pdf - 150KB) has been posted here on the NMA site for nearly two years, available to all interested parties. No answer has ever been given about why that work has been shelved.
If the City's proposal to change your 40 foot mooring fee from $800 per year ($20/ft) to $2000 per year ($50/ft) will put boating out of reach for you, your elected officials need to hear from you. If they don't hear from you, they may think they are on the right track with moorings. None of the City Council members own moorings, so they may not be aware of how they work, or that the system works.
Click to the latest mooring fees page with background information, updates and the City Manager's proposal to be presented to City Council at a November 9th study session in Council Chambers. Read carefully and thoughtfully. You are encouraged to speak succinctly (you will not have more than a few minutes) at the study session.
The NMA has updated the NMA mooring fee survey (best version for printing – pdf – 819KB ) for harbors in southern California. Or read the mooring fees survey in web page format with clickable links. It shows what harbors elsewhere in California charge for a mooring permit. It also includes berth fees, liveaboards, and transferability. For comparison, see the 2008 mooring fees study (Word doc--50KB  ) (or view as webpage).
Harbor Resources Department
829 Harbor Island Dr., Newport Beach, CA
92660
(949) 644-3034, fax (949) 723-0589
Do you need to reach Harbor Resources?
Email Harbor Resources with your input.
Your eyes are now reading lines of the NMA Electric Pennant, our online newsletter, available only online. It has a hardcopy cousin, NMA Pennant, mailed to all dues-paid NMA members, and is the official newsletter of the Newport Mooring Association. After members receive it via postal mail, recent and past editions are available on the Newsletters page.
Mooring Loan Permission Form
Need to loan a mooring to a friend? Here is the form you fill out, print, sign, and send to the Harbor Department.
There are fewer moon jellyfish around than earlier in the summer. Have you seen them? Did you know that NASA took some of them into outer space for study?
If you need to rethink your sea lion deterrents, please see the NMA Pinniped Pointers page in the NMA documents library. This year sea lions have not shown up in force yet, but moored boats and private piers throughout the harbor remain prime targets. Your continuing effort to keep sea lions off of your boat helps all of us. Sea lions have sunk about ten boats in Newport Harbor, recently including a 1950's Star  boat.
At the February Harbor Commission meeting, a shortened time frame for notification of permit holders of sea lion problems was approved. Formerly a permit holder had 10 days to effect sea lion deterrents; now the permit holder has just seven days (pdf--40KB) from the first warning letter.
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November 9 Study Session
City Council heard the Ad-Hoc Committee's presentation on mooring fees and transferability for the first time. The study session was continued to November 23 to provide access for more people to speak. The issue has been scheduled for regular City Council session meeting and vote on November 23rd. Only a fraction of the standing room only assembly had been able to speak due to Council's tight schedule; those who wish to speak on November 23 may do so in public comment period on the item. Please check back before the meeting to see whether time will be permitted for discussion in that day's study session prior to the 7 pm meeting. For more information and documentation on this issue, please see the mooring fees page which will be updated as information becomes available. Please plan to come to the November 23rd study session regular Council meeting to be heard. Please study the documentation available on the mooring fees page and watch the study session video to come up to speed with the dialogue on this issue.
The Board of Directors meets monthly to review projects and conduct business. Mooring permit holders are welcome to attend. The date and time of the next board meeting is:
Wednesday, 1 September, at 6PM
upstairs at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. You are welcome to park across Bay Avenue in the parking lot.
NMA Members are welcome to attend!
Newport Harbor Yacht Club
720 West Bay Avenue
Newport Beach, CA 92661
(949) 763-7730
Mooring Appraisal Critique
The Newport Mooring Association has received, from an MAI-designated independent appraiser, a critique of the City's appraisal of Newport Harbor moorings. Specifically, it addresses the direct comparison of yacht club moorings to individually permitted moorings with no adjustments. We suspected that such a comparison was not valid, but what does a professional have to say about this? Read the appraiser's critique (pdf--320 KB).
The Sheriff's Department has named a new Orange County Harbormaster, Lt. Mark Long. According to this story in The Log, he looks forward to building community support and developing relationships with the community of harbor users. We'll go farther working together. Congratulations, Lt. Long!
With the reassignment of Deputy Joel Monroe, a new mooring master has been named; he is Deputy Carlos Contreras. We understand he has hands-on mooring knowledge, as he is a permit holder himself!
Manager Chris Miller presents the Harbor Commission with an update on projects and issues each month. Here is a link to his October 2010 Update (pdf--1.58MB) . Click here to find other updates on the Harbor Resources site.
What's going on in Newport Beach? Click to info about (derelict) boat auctions. When the news feeds below are working, the blue boxes will contain City and harbor news. Click any headline to open that story in a new window. If the blue box is empty, the feed is broken or has no news. Some browsers may still click to open the  news feed direct from the City of Newport Beach.
Here's harbor and moorings news from Google News, and other sources, to within the last hour.
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Fish, birds, and marine mammals are innocent victims when it comes to plastic in the water. Plastic in the bay is just a tide change away from being plastic in the ocean. Please pick some up; help it find a trash can.  Learn more from the people at SCCWRP. Algalita tells us there is six pounds of plastic floating in the central North Pacific Ocean for every pound of surface zooplankton. Fish, birds, and marine mammals mistake it for food. Scientists performing necropsies on deceased Laysan albatross at Midway Atoll have found so much indigestible plastic in the birds' stomachs there is no room for food. This NMA website is certified powered by 100% wind energy; we're doing what we can to minimize our impact on the environment.
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