Approved at the Regular Meeting of the Coastal Advisory Committee on March 20, 2025.
CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
COASTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
JANUARY 16, 2025
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Chair Ambrose called the Regular Meeting of the City of San Clemente Coastal Advisory Committee to order on January 16, 2025, at 4:02 p.m. The meeting was held at San Clemente City Hall, Second Floor Council Chambers, located at 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, California.
Committee
Members Present: Members Richard Ayer, John Dolegowski, John Dow, Matthew Schmitt, Diek Van Nort, Vice Chair Brian Jacobs, and Chair Susan Ambrose
Staff Present: Zach Rehm, Principal Planner
Leslea Meyerhoff, Coastal Administrator
Maile Stivers, Public Information Coordinator
Niki Beach, Environmental Programs Analyst
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE
The Pledge was led by Member Schmitt.
1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. November 21, 2024 Coastal Advisory Committee Meeting
MEMBER JACOBS MOVED AND MEMBER AYER SECONDED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
2. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
A. Collaboration with UC Irvine Regarding Coastal Items Coastal Administrator Meyerhoff discussed collaboration with UC Irvine on building coastal resiliency.
In response to Committee questions, Coastal Administrator stated the first phase would be on sand sources and sand delivery; the ongoing study on sand retention; team of UC Irvine graduate students working on Master of Engineering; and options for the Committee’s participation.
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Coastal Advisory Committee of January 16, 2025 Page 2
3. ITEMS FROM STAFF
A. Coastal Items Updates
Environmental Programs Analyst Beach provided an update on water quality programs, including the Poche Beach project, environmental cleanup grant awards, and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) regulations.
In response to Committee questions, Environmental Programs Analyst Beach discussed funding mechanisms; the water reclamation project; TMDL compliance at Poche; Transportation Funding Agreement; Regional Stormwater CIP; diversion of water to San Juan Creek; and Southern County Watershed Management meetings.
4. ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Amanda Quintanilla, announced the State of Our Beaches San Clemente Community Event on Monday, January 27; and discussed the OCTA grant funding.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND UPDATES
A. Subcommittee Updates on Work Plan Items:
i. Sand Acquisition Subcommittee – Ayer, Dow, Van Nort
Member Dow discussed efforts on offshore sand investigation; project to identify a more proximate borrow site; and the three phases of the project. ii. Sand Retention Subcommittee - Dolegowski, Jacobs, Schmitt Member Jacobs discussed the goals; presentations received; and recent meeting of the subcommittee. Principal Planner Rehm explained the Coastal Commission funding; and suggested the Subcommittee consider other monitoring programs as future options. Member Jacobs discussed the importance of continuing the data collection and summarized the presentation received on the nourishment project at Doheny Beach.
Member Schmitt discussed alternative opportunities for collecting survey data; Nature-Based Resiliency Study; and sonar and lidar data retained by the Navy.
Principal Planner Rehm discussed the City’s recent collection of aerial imaging and lidar data.
Member Schmitt discussed the current condition of the sand as soft and moving. iii. Water Quality Subcommittee – Ambrose, Dolegowski, Van Nort Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Coastal Advisory Committee of January 16, 2025 Page 3 Chair Ambrose discussed past efforts of the subcommittee.
Member Dolegowski discussed the prior presentation on Poche and indicated he would provide an updated version to the Committee and present to the City Council.
Environmental Programs Analyst Beach indicated the Health Care Agency could provide more granular data.
Chair Ambrose asked if the data previously put together by the Coastal Advisory Committee could be recreated. Environmental Programs Analyst Beach indicated she had not located the data and discussed current online information considering correlation versus causation. She mentioned the recent spill and potential runoff from the recent LA County fires.
6. NEW BUSINESS – None.
7. ITEMS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
A. Committee Member Items
Principal Planner Rehm indicated he would share the data from aerial imagery, coastal records project data, and other relevant lidar data with the Committee. He stated Measure BB was not within the Committee’s purview.
Chair Ambrose discussed educational opportunities and outreach events. Principal Planner Rehm indicated he would recirculate the memo and clarified Committee participation at public trainings and meetings with students in relation to the Brown Act.
Member Van Nort asked for an update on the City’s coordination with OCTA on railway protection. Chair Ambrose suggested a future agenda item. The Committee concurred.
Member Dow presented observations on the positive impacts of the sand replenishment projects.
8. ADJOURNMENT
MEMBER JACOBS MOVED AND MEMBER SCHMITT SECONDED A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 5:24 P.M. TO THE REGULAR COASTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2025, AT 4:00 P.M. AT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED AT 910 CALLE NEGOCIO, SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Coastal Advisory Committee of January 16, 2025 Page 4 Respectfully submitted,
______________________________
Susan Ambrose, Chair
Attest: ______________________________
Zach Rehm, Principal Planner