Today, I spoke at the Point San Pedro Road Coalition meeting regarding dredging for the San Rafael Canal. I represented both NBA, as your president, and the Friends of the Canal as the interim co-leader.

Also representing NBA interests were Sam Ferguson and Arlene Sukolsky. Jerry McNulty and Mia Bernt, Friends of the Canal members, also attended.

You can learn more about the Point San Pedro Road Coalition at www.sprcoalition.com. The Coalition’s purpose is to promote the interests of the residents of the Pt. San Pedro Road corridor in east San Rafael, CA in collaboration with homeowner’s associations and residents, to enhance and preserve the beauty and environment of the area, to promote the health and safety of the residents, and to protect the peaceful enjoyment of their residents’ neighborhoods.

Among the more than 60 participants in the meeting, were representatives from the City and County, including: Mayor Philips, Supervisor Connolly, Jim Schutz, and Dean Allison.

Originally scheduled for 15 minutes on the agenda, my time was cut to a short 6 minutes. In that time, I was able to reinforce the importance of our goal in finding a sustainable way to keep the Canal navigable for flood control, public safety, environmental, boating/water sports, and homeowner values.

I also stressed that without funds from the US Corp of Engineers, an alliance among private, public and partnerships will be necessary to fund the dredge of the central Canal. The meeting we had with the City on August 20 was our first step in this regard, and the new Public Works Director, Dean Allison, will be scheduling a follow-up meeting by year-end.

Yours in community,

Bryon Bass
President
Newport Boating Association