Harbor Commission Meeting - 2021-08-11

Detailed briefing

Harbor Commission Meeting — August 11, 2021 ATTENDEES: Roll call listed Jeff Jakes, Janice Rowe Donnelly, Fred Rockowitz, Ken Fletcher Rice, Tommy Graham, Nick Schiller, Jim Bartlett, Ron McCullough, Laura Coors, and Greg (surname not stated). • The commission approved the July 14 meeting minutes and accepted the agenda by consensus. No public comment was offered. • Members reviewed draft language for commercial harbor licenses. They flagged a mismatch between a proposed June Commission approval and a June 1 payment deadline, saying applicants need clearer and earlier notice. The chair said the Commission may hold a January or February meeting when annual license business requires it, rather than adding a mandatory meeting regardless of business. • Discussion also covered updating outdated examples such as jet skis and WaveRunners, clarifying whether license appeals should come to the Harbor Commission before City Council, and removing the previous limit of 10 commercial licenses. The chair said the comments would go back to Victor and return for review at the October meeting. Final language would need City Council approval. • The Commission began work on an update to the 2003 Harbor Plan. The proposed approach is to collect harbor-use data while summer activity is still visible, work with city staff on a draft over winter, and seek public comment next summer. Members said the schedule should allow time to process public comments and revise the plan, rather than assuming it can be completed immediately after public input. • The Commission discussed recommending John Baker for Harbor Plan data-collection work and took a roll-call vote. The transcript does not clearly state the final vote result or whether city negotiations began. • The harbormaster reported $153,000 in transient revenue to date, compared with $154,000 at the comparable point last year. Boat days were described as roughly even with last year, while revenue growth was attributed in part to this year's rate increase. He also reported strong demand for marina reservations statewide and said customers dislike reservation-system limitations at other marinas. Worth watching: • Whether revised commercial-license language resolves timing, appeal-process, and license-limit questions before City Council consideration. • Whether the city proceeds with an arrangement for Harbor Plan data collection and how the plan coordinates with broader city planning and parks work. • Whether regatta organizers review race-course traffic near Harbor Point after a commissioner described a hazardous convergence of racing and non-racing vessels. Upcoming: The next Harbor Commission meeting is scheduled for October 13 at 4 p.m. Why it matters: The Commission's license rules, Harbor Plan update, and marina-management decisions affect waterfront safety, commercial access, public facilities, and harbor activity.

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