Harbor Commission

CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH HARBOR COMMISSION AGENDA City Council Chambers-100 Civic Center Dr, Newport Beach CA 92660 Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - 5:00 PM Harbor Commission Members: Marie Marston, Chair Steve Scully, Vice Chair Bob Miller, Secretary Sabrina Kerr, Commissioner Thom McElroy, Commissioner Rudy Svrcek, Commissioner Gary Williams, Commissioner Staff Members: Paul Blank, Harbormaster Cynthia Shintaku, Management Analyst The Harbor Commission meeting is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act. Among other things, the Brown Act requires that the Harbor Commission agenda be posted at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of each regular meeting and that the public be allowed to comment on agenda items before the Commission and items not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Harbor Commission. The Chair may limit public comments to a reasonable amount of time, generally three (3) minutes per person. The City of Newport Beach’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in all respects. If, as an attendee or a participant at this meeting, you will need special assistance beyond what is normally provided, we will attempt to accommodate you in every reasonable manner. Please contact Paul Blank, Harbormaster, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting to inform us of your particular needs and to determine if accommodation is feasible at (949) 270-8158 or pblank@newportbeachca.gov. Questions and comments may be submitted in writing for the Harbor Commission's consideration by sending them to harborfeedback@newportbeachca.gov. To give the Harbor Commission adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments no later than 5 p.m. the day prior to the Harbor Commission meeting. All correspondence will be made part of the record. NOTICE REGARDING PRESENTATIONS REQUIRING USE OF CITY EQUIPMENT Any presentation requiring the use of the City of Newport Beach’s equipment must be submitted to the Harbor Department 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. 1) CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2) ROLL CALL 3) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 4) PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS Public comments are invited on non-agenda items. Speakers must limit comments to three (3) minutes. Before speaking, we invite, but do not require, you to state your name for the record. The Harbor Commission has the discretion to extend or shorten the speakers’ time limit on agenda or non-agenda items, provided the time limit adjustment is applied equally to all speakers. As a courtesy, please turn cell phones off or set them in the silent mode. 5) APPROVAL OF MINUTES Draft minutes of the July 8, 2026 Harbor Commission Regular Meeting5.1) 7.8.2026 Harbor Commission Meeting Minutes Draft 7.8.2026 Harbor Commission Draft Meeting Minutes- Vice Chair Scully

August 12, 2026 Page 2 Harbor Commission Meeting 6) CURRENT BUSINESS Create and Appoint Members to a Proposed State Lands Ad-Hoc Subcommittee 6.1) At the Harbor Commission meeting on July 8, 2026, the Harbor Commission requested consideration of establishing a subcommittee to review and discuss State Lands Commission directions related to Newport Harbor. Once convened, the subcommittee will provide recommendations and updates during future Harbor Commission meetings. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and 2. Establish a subcommittee and appoint Harbor Commissioners to review, discuss and recommend items from the State Lands Commission. Identify up to three Harbor Commissioners to serve on the subcommittee. Staff Report Ad Hoc Committee Updates6.2) Several ad hoc committees have been established to address short term projects outside of the Harbor Commission objectives. This is the time the ad hoc committees will provide an update on their projects RECOMMENDATION: 1. Find this action exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and 2. Receive and file. Staff Report

August 12, 2026 Page 3 Harbor Commission Meeting Harbor Commission 2026 Objectives6.3) Each ad hoc committee studying their respective Objective within the Commission ’s 2026 Objectives, will provide a progress update. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Find this action exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and 2. Receive and file. Staff Report Attachment A- 2026 Harbor Commission Objectives Harbormaster Update - July 2026 Activities6.4) July 2026 was an extraordinarily busy month for the Harbor Department, with calls for service running significantly above normal levels. The challenge was compounded by the absence of anticipated new staff at Balboa Yacht Basin (BYB) due to delays in the recruiting process. Despite being short-handed, the entire team rose to the occasion, pitching in across all functions to ensure that expectations were met for every harbor stakeholder and that Newport Harbor remained clean, safe, and well-enjoyed. The overwhelming focus for the month was on safety, driven by the high volume of vessels and recreational traffic on the harbor during peak summer season . Notable incidents included the termination of a dangerous voyage involving unsupervised minors, the successful deployment of a new patrol boat tracking system, multiple vessel rescues and assists, and the continued pursuit of an unpermitted commercial charter operator who was arrested twice - once in June and again on July 31 after skipping a second court appearance, resulting in a $ 15,000 bench warrant. On the "Well-Enjoyed" front, the Department completed a full inspection of BYB, tested new customer self-service technology, and continued to demonstrate the operational advantages of managing both Marina Park and BYB under a single management structure. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and

August 12, 2026 Page 4 Harbor Commission Meeting 2. Receive and file. Staff Report Attachment A - Harbor Department Statistics Infographic 7) MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION A motion to reconsider any action taken by the Harbor Commission must be made at the same meeting or the subsequent meeting at which the action was taken and may only be made by one of the Harbor Commission members who voted with the prevailing side. 8) COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENTS (NON-DISCUSSION ITEM) 9) MATTERS WHICH COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION OR REPORT (NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS) 10) DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING: September 9, 2026 at 5 p.m. 11) ADJOURNMENT