Title
Consider receiving a report on the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Boat Dock Licensing and Inspection Program.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Receive a report on the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Boat Dock Licensing and Inspection Program.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
This report summarizes the 2019 activities of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency’s (Agency) Boat Dock Licensing and Inspection Program (Boat Dock Program). The objective for the Boat Dock Program is to ensure compliance with the Agency’s Boat Dock Ordinance (Ord No. 4095) for all residential and non-residential boat docks on Nacimiento Reservoir. This is achieved through administrative licensing and field inspection work completed by Agency staff. All licenses are issued by the General Manager and are subject to the following licensing conditions: a) docks cannot float at large, b) dock floatation must meet specifications for encapsulated Styrofoam and poly-foam, and, 3) docks must maintain proper cable anchorage. The General Manager shall not issue a license if the licensing conditions are not met. Each license must be renewed on or before April 1 for a fee of $60, and $20 for each additional slip on multi-slip docks. There are 426 boat docks known to the Agency on Nacimiento Reservoir. This total includes the dock count for the single-slip and multi-slip combined. In 2019, the Agency fully licensed 315 docks, or approximately 74 % of docks. The total amount collected from the licensing fees this year is $27,880 (February 2019 to current date). However, 26% (111 docks) remain either not licensed due to unpaid fees (76 docks), insurance/ownership issues (14 docks), or out of water/destroyed (21 docks).
The second component of the program is the field inspection. In 2019, two field inspections were held including 3 days in mid-May and a 1-day spot inspection in late August. During the field inspections, Agency field staff left violation notices for unpaid docks and those in poor condition. Agency field inspection staff estimates that approximately 50% of the docks on Nacimiento Reservoir do meet ordinance standards. Of the docks identified as not meeting ordinance standards it is because improper floatation is being used or the dock structure is deteriorating and/or left abandoned.
The Agency plans to enhance its current Boat Dock Program with the goal of increasing licensing totals and improving the overall condition of docks on Nacimiento Reservoir. The Boat Dock Program and its current ordinance are scheduled for updating in 2020. A fee study will be conducted in support of the ordinance update. The study will determine if an increase in boat dock fees is necessary to appropriately cover program expenses including administration, inspections, enforcement, and abatement.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
FINANCING:
There is no financial impact in receiving this report
Prepared by: Jennifer Bodensteiner, Associate Hydrologist, (831) 755-4860
Approved by: Brent Buche, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
1. Boat Dock Ordinance No. 4095
2. Board Order