Depoe Bay Harbor Commission to present fueling options to city council after pipeline break disrupted deliveries

Depoe Bay — The Depoe Bay Harbor Commission decided Sept. 24 to present city council with options for the harbor’s fueling operation after a recent interruption in deliveries that the harbor master said stemmed from a break in a fuel pipeline.

The move matters because the harbor’s fuel station supplies recreational and commercial vessels in the area; commissioners said they will lay out possible next steps to city council at its Oct. 7 meeting, including whether the city should solicit bids to lease fueling operations.

Harbor Master’s written and oral reports to the commission said the harbor received full deliveries of both super and diesel fuel on Sept. 19. The harbor master said the deliveries had been interrupted by “a break in the pipeline,” which he identified as the cause rather than the local fueling contractor. He also told commissioners that, going into January, the harbor will switch to winter fueling hours: “1 PM to 3:30 PM, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday,” to reduce staffing burdens during the off season.

Commissioners discussed a proposed harbor user-fee ordinance intended to fund harbor maintenance and services. The draft ordinance is slated for the Oct. 7 meeting; commissioners described the proposal as taking effect Jan. 1 to give harbor users time to adjust. Staff told the commission the plan is to require semiannual reporting on fee collection instead of quarterly tracking to reduce paperwork. Commissioners discussed possible discounts or exemptions — including for very young children, seniors and some service groups — but did not adopt policy language or final rates at the meeting.

Commissioners said one option under consideration is for the city to solicit competitive bids to lease the fueling operation; no formal motion to pursue a lease was made at the meeting. Instead, commissioners agreed on the next step: two commission members will present the scope of the fueling situation and the options on Oct. 7 to city council and return with the council’s direction by the end of October.

The commission approved its minutes from July 30 and Aug. 27 by voice vote at the start of the meeting; the minutes motion passed by an affirmative voice vote with no individual tallies recorded in the public record.

Contractor coordination related to fueling and dock repairs will continue. Commissioners said they will bring any firm proposals about operating models, fee schedules or charter-operator rules back for public discussion before adopting an ordinance or a contract.