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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSS4 - Staff ReportCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. SS3 July 14, 2009 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: City Manager's Office Dave Kiff, Assistant City Manager, (949) 644 -3002 d kiff(ab city. newpo rt- beach. ca. u s Chris Miller, Harbor Resources Manager, (949) 644 -3043 cmiller(a city.newport- beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Harbor Area Management Plan — Final Adoption ISSUE: Should the City Council adopt the completed Harbor Area Management Plan (RAMP) as recommended by the Harbor Commission? RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the HAMP as a planning document which builds an. integrated and sustainable program that addresses the beneficial uses of Newport Harbor. DISCUSSION: The City of Newport Beach received a Proposition 50 grant from the State of California's Department of Water Resources to prepare an Integrated, Regional Watershed Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Newport Bay Watershed. The broad goal of the IRWMP was to: 1) identify and organize all of the ongoing studies` and programs, 2) show the interrelationships of the studies, 3) identify information gaps, and 4) weave all of this information into a single consensus plan that provides the essential ;framework and strategic elements to prioritize and address watershed challenges (e.g. water supply, flood hazard, channel erosion issues, water quality challenges, habitat restoration options, community access and meaningful watershed education programs). An important element of the IRWMP is the preparation of a HAMP which evaluates and integrates many issues that the City faces in the Upper and Lower Bays. Purpose of the HAMP The purpose of the HAMP is to develop a resource management tool for the City to move forward with key sediment management, water quality, restoration and public use projects critical in meeting the following overall goals: • Maintain beneficial uses of the Upper and Lower Newport Bay and economic value of the Bay; • Provide a practical framework to meet regulatory requirements in the current and anticipated National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal separate storm sewer Harbor Area Management Plan July 14, 2009 Page 2 system (MS4) permits, sediment management permits, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and other regulatory programs for Newport Bay, and; Support a sustainable estuary ecosystem able to be integrated with upstream sustainable watersheds and adjacent coastal area systems. The benefit of a HAMP is the integration of these various projects where previous plans have focused only on .a single or. smaller set of projects. The HAMP presents the linkages of these projects and highlights the inter - connection of the City's efforts. The HAMP also provides the City an assessment of these multiple projects using equally weighted end goals and benefits. Previous plans have targeted only certain benefits, and therefore have not considered these projects in a more holistic manner. This HAMP is not a recipe for project implementation. Instead, it is a framework that the City can use as a guide to planning and developing more project specificplans. Without the demonstration of the integration of the various projects in the HAMP, the full benefits and cost- effective solutions cannot be fully realized. This plan also provides a prioritization tool for the City in considering how best to use available resources.. By comparing projects to an equally weighted set of benefits, projects can be better prioritized based on cost and final benefits realized. The HAMP also provides the City with a management framework to provide as the basis for future state and federal grant applications to augment City resources for the implementation of projects in the bay. Some state grant programs require jurisdictions to have a planning document in place and approved by management that supports the proposed projects for which grant funds are being requested. As a resource management tool, the HAMP provides integrated solutions that result in cost savings and positive return on investment paid to the triple bottom:: lime of economic, community and environmental benefits. The suggested actions in this plan provide the steps forward to meet the challenges in a cost effective manner through the integration of projects. The foundation for the HAMP is the Harbor and Bay. Element of the City's General Plan. The management measures that are developed and presented in this plan are evaluated using the beneficial uses developed in the Harbor and Bay Element. This overall vision of the HAMP also mirrors the mission statement for the Harbor Commission and Harbor Resources: To protect and improve the resources of Newport Harbor, Upper Newport Bay, and the ocean beaches to ensure their proper use and enjoyment by all things that derive life, recreation, or commerce from our City's most important asset." The development of this management tool for the Lower Newport Bay requires coordination between multiple programs and requires addressing multiple challenges to achieving the overall goals. These programs and challenges. that have been identified through the regulatory agencies, stakeholder groups and the City include the following: (Also see Exhibit 1.) 1. Dredging Requirements and Contaminated Sediment 2. Eelgrass Capacity and Management 3. Beach Replenishment Strategy 4. Water Quality Best Management Practices 5. Harbor Channel and Pierhead Lines 6. Hydrodynamic Modeling 7. Regional General Permits 8. Sea Level Change and Potential Shoreline Flooding Harbor Area Management Plan July 14, 2009 Page 3 9. Upper Bay Sediment Control 10. Upper Bay Restoration Management The intent of the development of the HAMP is to guide the City and the Harbor stakeholders in the implementation of activities that balance the beneficial uses with the long -term sustainability of the Bay. The Newport Bay stakeholders include the Newport Beach Harbor Commission, community support groups, Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Coastkeeper, County of Orange Watershed and Coastal Resources Division, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (Santa Ana Region), other environmental conservation groups, non - government organizations, industry professionals and private citizens that live, work and recreate in and around the Bay. The HAMP is composed of two sets of documents consisting , of'tte' -:main report and supporting appendices. The main report includes the Technical Report Summaries and the HAMP Management Tools (items 1 -10 above) while the Technical Reports are presented in the appendices. This HAMP has been reviewed several times by a subcommittee of the Harbor Commission over the past few years, and was also reviewed by the entire Harbor Commission in June 2008, then approved in May 2009. Fiscal Impact: The development of the HAMP was funded by a State Water Resources Control Board Grant to the City of Newport Beach. The City and community of Newport Beach appreciates this support from the state for the preparation of this plan toward the goal of a sustainable Newport Bay that is integrated into a sustainable watershed and coastal area. Environmental Review: This project has been determined to be categorically exempt under the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act under Class 8 (Actions By Regulatory Agencies for the Protection of the Environment). The Class 8 exemption consists of actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The Harbor Area Management Plan establishes a framework to guide future sediment management, water quality, restoration, and public use projects. No. construction activities or relaxation of standards allowing environmental degradation will be authorized by the adoption of this plan. Public Notice: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the public meetings at which the City Council considers the item). Prepared by: Submitted by: ris Miller, Harbor Resources Manager Dalf6 Kiff, AssistaM City Manager Attachments: Exhibit 1: HAMP Integrated Approach Diagram Exhibit 2: HAMP — Final Draft (available online on the City's website) Harbor Area Management Plan July 14, 2009 Page 4 Exhibit 1 HAMP Integrated Approach Integrating Element Harbor Area Management Plan July 14, 2009 Page 5