Ordinance Committee Boots Waterfront Commission Request Back to Council

In a move that surprised some, the town Ordinance Committee booted an ordinance to designate the Waterfront Harbor Management Commission to manage the Long Beach West development request and proposal process. 

After very little debate, Committee members moved to strike the idea that came from the Waterfront commission itself, via the full Town Council on Feb. 14. 

“I have a real problem handing over our responsibility” to another body or entity, said Ordinance Committee and Council member Matthew Catalano, R-3.

Fellow Ordinance/Council member Kimberly Meuse, D-7, quickly opinioned that the oversight of such a project “should be within the Town Council.” 

Ordinance/Council member David Fuller, D-6, seemed to suggest a slightly different interpretation by saying “they [would] only make recommendations” back to the council and it would not “make policy … [but] recommend policy.”

No one built on that last theme and the ordinance was soundly defeated. 

Waterfront Committee Chair Bill Rock did speak on behalf of the idea at the Feb. 14 full Town Council meeting.

Rock told Council members that it was “basically for us to be essentially deemed the lead agency” to put together a study and to work with other agencies that have a vested interest including the public who would be heard through public hearings.

Rock said the Waterfront Committee would solicit ideas from all segments of the population and among the important facets he cited “meaningful public access.” 

Perhaps Rock might have left out when he told Council members, “We felt this is something under our purview anyway.” 

While Rock may or may not be correct in that last assessment – with Monday's vote the initiative is squarely back in the hands of the full Town Council.