Newport officials said in 2005 they'd probably want to take over the operation if they're asked to pay, and Mayor Steve Rosansky said he still feels that way. The city could likely run the Harbor Patrol at less expense, he said.
Another option is to bill the city for the Harbor Patrol but offset the cost by giving the city a share of money the county makes from Newport's waterfront — for example, the county collects revenue from leasing the Newport Dunes and some moorings in the city's harbor, Rosansky said.
"We're not looking to pay for service, I don't think, unless we're going to have a lot more control over how that service is provided," he said.
Supervisor John Moorlach, whose district includes Newport and Huntington, said he'd support asking cities to pay, and he'd also have no problem sharing revenues with Newport.
"I don't believe that we're just in the business of giving costs away," he said. "We've got to be able to give revenues away too."
A formal proposal on Harbor Patrol costs likely won't come forward until after a new first district supervisor is elected in February, Norby said.
CONFERENCE ON REHAB HOMES
Newport Beach can expect a large crowd for a March 2 conference on drug and alcohol recovery facilities, based on the early response, Rosansky said this week.
Residents have been increasing the pressure on city officials to do something to limit the homes, which they say are responsible for a variety of problems, including commercial trucks parking in the street, drug use and crime.
Invitations to the conference went out late last week to about 2,500 people, including city managers, council members and city attorneys around the state.
