Dana Point Harbor Advisory Board plans work ahead after first meeting

DANA POINT — The newly formed Dana Point Harbor Advisory Board (DPHAB) held its first official meeting, Feb. 26.

Membership of the new advisory board – which includes boating advocates, local business owners and policymakers – huddled together in Dana Point to chart a course for the future of a harbor primed for redevelopment since the late 1990s.

“[The inaugural meeting] was the culmination of so much work over the past two years to create a community oversight panel akin to a proper harbor commission,” James Lenthall, President of Dana Point Boaters Association (DPBA) and appointed Chair of DPHAB, told The Log. “Our first meeting was effectively an organizing session where we got acquainted with our new co-advisors, reviewed and approved our bylaws, set our meeting schedule and elected our board officers.”

DPHAB is the second attempt to find a unified voice speaking on behalf of harbor-related issues and policies. County officials and local stakeholders tried to launch an advisory council to address harbor issues last fall, but their efforts hit a few snags along the way. The county disbanded the previous entity before it even got off the ground.

This time, members came together to outline the purpose, rules and procedures of the DPHAB and appointed Lenthall to chair, Jim Miller to vice-chair and Diana Poulos to secretary.

The main purpose of the board, as stated in DPHAB’s bylaws, is “to advise the county of Orange Board of Supervisors, city of Dana Point, county agencies and harbor management on public policy and successful operation of O.C. Dana Point Harbor.”

DPHAB’s bylaws also outline, among other things, the board’s purpose, responsibilities, membership and organizational procedure.

The board will comprise of nine voting members and two non-voting ex-officio members. All members serve on a volunteer basis and no compensation for time, services or supplies will be granted for the DPHAB.

“The overarching purpose of this new advisory board, and certainly our biggest goal in the months and years ahead, is to give our community an organized voice as we get underway with the Harbor Revitalization Plan and transition our harbor to a private developer and operator under a 66-year master lease,” Lenthall stated of the major goals DPHAB will attempt to accomplish. “We intend to provide grassroots input into the redevelopment of our harbor and how it is operated into the years ahead. What those details look like will be the product of our future meetings.”

A website will be built for DPHAB in the coming weeks; the website will include meeting schedules and materials, agendas and reports. Lenthall stated the website should be operational be prior to the next slated meeting on March 26. As soon as the website is up and running, an online form will be available to submit questions, suggestions and make recommendations for future meeting agendas.

DPHAB will hold public meetings on the fourth Monday of each month; meetings will be held at the O.C. Sailing and Events Center at Dana Point Harbor, from 5-7 p.m. Two exceptions to the meeting schedule should be noted: The May meeting will be on May 28 to avoid the Memorial Day holiday, and the December meeting will be rescheduled to avoid Christmas Eve.

O.C. Sailing and Events Center is located at 34451 Ensenada Place, Dana Point, CA 92629. Questions are welcome via email at info@dphab.com.

 

Dana Point Harbor Advisory Board Members

Wet Slip Tenants

James Lenthall, Chair of DPHAB, President of DPBA

Greg McDowell, boater

 

Dry Boat Storage/Trailer Boater/Personal Watercraft User

William Kindel, boater, paddleboarder

 

Restaurateur

Jim Miller, President of DPHA, owner of Coffee Importers

 

Landside Merchant

Diana Poulos, Secretary of DPHAB, owner of White Pelican

 

Waterside Merchant

Donna Kalez, Managing Partner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing

 

Clubs & Social Organizations

John Yamasaki, President, Dana Outrigger Canoe Club

 

Education & Community Service Organizations

Daniel Pingaro, CEO/President, Ocean Institute

 

At-large

Robert Hartung

 

Ex-officio

Stacy Blackwood, Director, O.C. Parks

Mark Denny, City Manager, City of Dana Point

 

*** Article updated on March 12, 2018 at 9:44 a.m. to reflect that James Lenthall is the President of the Dana Point Boaters Association, not the Dana Point Harbor Association and Diana Poulos is the Secretary of DPHAB, not the vice president.