With no more funding lined up after the first phase of the dredging in Upper Newport Bay, scheduled for completion in late April, the project is short about $13.8 million, according to the city’s latest estimate.
Newport Beach City Council members are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to pay $60,000 for the lobbying services of Van Scoyoc Associates, the largest independent government affairs firm in Washington, according to the firm’s website.
This would mark the first time Newport Beach has used federal lobbyists to seek funding for the dredging project in the past five years, Kiff said.
Most Washington lobbying efforts would be focused on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and not federal lawmakers, Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle said. Members of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s staff recently toured Newport Harbor and seem sympathetic to the city’s needs, she said.
“The congressional delegation and their staff have shown great concern for our interests; we have developed solid relationships with then Sen. Feinstein’s office and [U.S. Rep.] John Campbell — where we need to bolster our efforts with Corps of Engineers,” Daigle said.
City and county officials have asked U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Feinstein for more money in federal appropriations in fiscal year 2009, which begins in October. More money also could come from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Finishing the clean-up of the Upper Bay is only half of the Newport Bay clean-up project.
City officials also hope Campbell will sponsor a bill that would give Newport Beach control of Newport Harbor in exchange for dredging the waterway. The process would involve an act of Congress as well as federal appropriations.
Under the deal, the city would permanently relieve the Corps of Engineers of its responsibilities over the harbor in exchange for one last dredging of the waterway.
