Army Corps delivers Surfer's Beach erosion reports

In March 2016, the following three reports were provided by the Army Corps of Engineers: Engineering, Environmental, and Economic Reports.

James G. Zoulas, Civil Engineer with the Army Corps will give a presentation about these reports at the Coastside Sea Rise & Erosion Forum on May 24, 2016 in Miramar. 

Coastside Sea Rise & Erosion Forum

Tuesday, May 24 at 6:00pm  (presentations will start at 6:30pm)

Douglas Beach House
311 Mirada Rd, Half Moon Bay (Miramar), CA 94019
Please take either Magellen or Medio to Mirada Road

Agenda

This event was inspired by the recent Pacifica Sea Level Rise Forum, and we hope it will be just as well received on the Coastside. 

Speakers' Biographies

Dan Hoover, PhD

Dan is an Oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, studying coastline evolution and managing beach and near-shore bathymetry survey programs at several sites in California, including Santa Barbara, northern Monterey Bay, and at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.  Dan holds a PhD and MS in Oceanography from University of Hawaii, and a BS and ME in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College.  Dan has worked on a wide variety of biological, geochemical, physical and geological oceanographic research projects at coastal sites in Hawaii, across the Pacific, and along the California coast.  Prior to returning to graduate school to study oceanography, he worked as an engineer on the Space Station and Space Shuttle programs.

James G. Zoulas, PhD, E.I.T.

James is a coastal engineer at the San Francisco District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he has been involved in developing solutions to coastal erosion and navigation problems in the San Francisco region.  James received a B.A. in Geography at UC Berkeley, and then received his training in coastal geomorphology at UCLA, where his Ph.D. dissertation addressed long-term beach changes in Orange County, CA.  James was the primary author of the Coastal Regional Sediment Management Plan for the Santa Cruz littoral cell, which includes San Mateo County from Pillar Point southward.  James served as the primary coastal engineer on the North Half Moon Bay Shoreline Improvement Project, where he collaborated with a team from the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center to model the effectiveness of several erosion mitigation measures.  James also conducted an evaluation of bluff erosion in the project area in order to better understand the influence of the east breakwater on bluff retreat.

Robert Battalio, PE

Bob is vice president, chief engineer, and leader of ESA’s Environmental Hydrology Coastal Zone Engineering & Management team.  He has dedicated his career of over 25 years to coastal and estuarine engineering, wetland and creek restoration design, and waterfront civil engineering projects throughout the U.S.  He has addressed erosion and flooding hazards on the West Coast, including shoreline mapping, sand budgets, wave and run-up studies, design of hard and soft erosion protection, and design of shoreline retreat and realignment. He was integral to pioneering projects such as the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission’s 1990 San Francisco Bay sea level rise study; effects of coastal sand mining in southern Monterey Bay; FEMA’s 2005 Pacific Coast Flood Hazard Mapping Guidelines; and coastal erosion response to sea level rise for Pacific Institute and the California Ocean Protection Council in 2009.  Bob holds a Masters of Engineering in civil/coastal engineering from UC Berkeley.  He is a member of the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission's Engineering Criteria Review Board; Northern California vice president of the California Shore and Beach Preservation Association; member of The Surfrider Foundation; and former president of the California Marine Parks and Harbors Association.

LAST REPORT ON THE WAY... 

In May 2016, John R. Dingler, Army Corps Oceanographer will release a Detailed Project Report for public review. This is the only Army Corps of Engineers report currently outstanding.

PILLAR POINT HARBOR OUTER BREAKWATER

Pillar Point Harbor is a protected harbor of refuge with two rubble-mound outer breakwaters constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The outer breakwater was built in 1959. The length of the east and west breakwaters is approximately 4,500 ft and 3,600 ft, respectively. In addition, three rubble-mound inner breakwaters were constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1980s.

Media

April 7, 2016 - Half Moon Bay Review -  by Carina Woudenberg

The crumbling Coastside: Winter leaves ominous signs of erosion

March 18, 2015 - Half Moon Bay Review -  by Mark Noack

Cost of incomplete erosion study surpasses $1M

Political clubs for political animals

This is an adaptation of an editorial written by Zoe Dunning.

Why do candidates and proponents of ballot initiatives care so much about endorsements? Why does the statement, “endorsed by the San Mateo County Democratic Party,” carry any weight?

What does a Democratic Club do? 

A group of Democrats with similar priorities interview candidates to see if their values match. As priorities line up the field narrows; this process includes lengthy endorsement questionnaires and interviews. Once candidates are endorsed, club members get on with the work of grassroots organizing in an effort to transform candidates into elected representatives with the power to turn shared values and priorities into public policy.

Many clubs focus on specific causes as indicated by the names of the following clubs: Coastside Democrats, Latina/o Democrats, Stonewall Democrats, and Peninsula Young Democrats. The point is that the club attempts to represent the interests of their stated constituency, and uses those interests as a litmus test for endorsing candidates or doing grassroots activism for specific causes.

Endorsements, money for slate card printing and postage, and setting up a field organization to distribute literature are the primary ways democratic clubs influence elections. Not all clubs are created equal, though.

Some are able to raise funds and to distribute multiple mail pieces for their endorsed candidates. The San Mateo County Democratic Party, for example, raises money through its annual Forth of July Picnic and other events. Other clubs may endorse, but may have less means to get the word out to help their candidates. For these reasons, the San Mateo County Democratic Party (DCC), is the best funded and most recognizable endorsement body in the county, and arguably the most coveted endorsements in the county. That is why this year’s DCC race is competitive: 31 candidates, including 4 current elected officials, are running for 22 seats. 

Clubs do not stay stagnant. Some clubs swing between support for more moderate to more progressive candidates, and vice versa, depending on who their officers or new members are in any year. Clubs can sometime get taken over when supporters for a particular candidate “pack” a club’s membership and swing it. For example, the Coastside Democrats were fairly moderate, then swung slightly more progressive at the May 2014 membership meeting when a new board president was elected. This change in leadership was brought on by a perception that the five-term president was insensitive to local issues, overly moderate, and preferred labor over environmental issues.  A packed room voted in a new president who promised to prioritize progressive values and environmental issues.

A club’s susceptibility to getting packed depends on the club’s bylaws, and their criteria for becoming a member and voting on endorsements. For some, you can join the day of the election and vote on their endorsements. Others have a waiting time, or a requirement to attend a certain number of meetings or events before becoming eligible. Others have residency requirements (must be a registered democrat in a geographic area). In many ways it mirrors our country’s crazy quilt of primaries and caucuses with varying rules for Presidential candidates.

Candidates seeking Democratic endorsements must be responsive to questionnaires from multiple clubs with varying rules. In a crowded field, like this year’s DCC race, it is important to raise money and secure as many endorsements as possible. 

When you see that a Democratic club has endorsed a candidate, you should know they have typically gone through a fairly rigorous process of questionnaires, interviews and club meetings to secure that endorsement. In San Mateo County, every endorsement and every vote count. 

 

Zoe Dunning wrote this editorial about the San Francisco Democratic Party (represented by the DCCC) and Sabrina Brennan adapted it for the San Mateo County Democratic Party (represented by the DCC).  Ms. Dunning is a retired Navy Commander and a lead activist in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. She currently serves as the First Vice Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and as a San Francisco Library Commissioner.

I am a committed lifelong Democrat.

Sabrina-header-image-2016

I'm running to represent you on the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee.

In addition to being a small business owner for nearly 20 years, I'm proud to be an advocate for commercial fishing families at Pillar Point Harbor and an effective voice for including women athletes in the Mavericks Surf Contest. 

I know what it takes to be a progressive champion and I’m passionate about our environment, public transit, equality, and social justice.

Last Tuesday, I held a sea level rise and erosion forum that included speakers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey. Over 175 people attended the meeting including SMC Supervisor Don Horsley and other city, county, and state representatives.

I care deeply about both local issues and the future of our country.

At a time when democracy and equality are expanding, environmental degradation is putting our future at risk. Dependence on fossil fuels is warming the planet, causing ocean acidification, and threatening global ecosystems. The clock is ticking. Only a Democratic president will make climate change the highest priority.

With the Supreme Court in play, it’s even more important for us to work together to keep a Democrat in the White House.

I'm honored to have support from outstanding Democrats; please checkout my endorsements.

With your vote you can help bring strong leadership to the San Mateo County Democratic Party.

Please phone 650-479-5654 with any questions.

Thank you,

Sabrina signature black 2016
 
 

Very happy to be debt free!

I was 8 years old when the Harbor District first took on debt in 1976.

By paying off the final loan balance on April 12, 2016, the Harbor District saved approximately $506,200. The harbor commission paid off the loan in a 4-0 vote at the April 6, 2016 regular meeting.

  • The Harbor District had 13 loans with Division of Boating and Waterways
  • The first loan was in 1976 
  • The most recent loan was in 1989
  • The District borrowed $13,647,000 for development at Oyster Point Marina
  • The District borrowed $6,630,000 for improvements at Pillar Point Harbor
  • The District has borrowed and repaid a total of $20,277,000
  • By paying off the final loan balance yesterday, the District saved approximately $506,200