Harbor Commission Meeting - 2021-07-14

Detailed briefing

Harbor Commission Meeting — July 14, 2021 ATTENDEES: Bill McCullough, Dick Schiller, Jim Bartlett, Karen Stroud, Bill McCors, Jeff James, and Fred Rockowitz. Tim Fletcher was absent. • The commission approved the June 9 meeting minutes after a motion and second. The agenda was also approved by consensus. No old business was listed. • During public comment, Rebecca Backus praised the new visitor dock, calling it a significant improvement in appearance, and commended the city’s July 4 garbage service. The commission also announced that Rachel Roon has become the city’s new parks director after the prior director left for another job. • The harbormaster reported a strong start to the boating season. As of the meeting, 224 boats had registered, compared with 256 at the same point last year. Transient revenue stood at $81,000, compared with just under $65,000 in the prior-season comparison cited in the report. The harbormaster said long-term transient boaters and an almost 50% rate increase helped raise revenue. • Staff reported sustained dock use: the harbor was full the week before July 4 and had remained steady. A group of about 22 boats arriving together on a Friday afternoon helped start the season. One commissioner asked for comparison information from other marinas because local boat registrations were down from last year. • Upcoming events are expected to strain dock capacity. The harbormaster said a separate group was expected to bring only 20 boats, but staff had not received a final list. Regatta entries had reached 92 boats, with plans for use of the west dock and rafting at the south end of that dock. Members raised maneuvering concerns for larger boats and noted that staff had discussed the layout. • Commissioners discussed placing a throw ring or similar rescue equipment on the dock after concern that people could fall into the water during crowded events. A speaker said, “we’ll get it done,” but no formal action or installation timeline was recorded. Worth watching: • Whether dock rescue equipment is obtained and installed. • Whether staff receive the final 20-boat event list needed for dock planning. • How registration counts compare with other marinas and whether the harbor’s lower count persists. Upcoming: Harbor staff will prepare for the regatta and the separate anticipated 20-boat event; no dates were stated in the meeting. Why it matters: The harbor is generating higher transient revenue while managing high-demand events, dock-safety concerns, and uncertain final vessel counts.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.