Fort Myers Beach upgrades dinghy dock, proposes higher mooring fees as pump‑out grant is renewed

Fort Myers Beach — The Anchorage Advisory Committee on Sept. 22 reviewed recent mooring‑field changes and near‑term budget items, including installation of a new floating dinghy dock, renewal of a pump‑out grant contract, and a proposal to raise daily mooring fees.

Committee members heard that the town installed “a brand new, dinghy dock,” and that it's a wider, aluminum floating dock that can be removed if necessary, Curtis, a town staff member, told the committee. He said the dock’s new piles are taller and “it should be able to weather a 15 foot plus storm surge now.”

The dock is already in use and the mooring staff have moved their trailer office back to the dinghy dock location while they evaluate more permanent office options, Curtis said. He said Matanzas has offered to rent the group the old office but that no agreement is finalized.

Why it matters: the mooring field is town infrastructure used by visiting and resident boaters; the new dock and continued funding for pump‑out operations affect navigation safety, sanitation, and seasonal visitor capacity.

Most important facts

- Funding: Curtis said the town “just got approval for our new CVA grant contract,” which will support pump‑out operations and maintenance of the pump‑out boat. The committee identified that the grant is called the CVA (referred to in the meeting as the Clean Vessel/Boat grant) and will finance pump‑out service work and related maintenance.

- Fees: Curtis said the town proposes increasing the daily mooring‑field rate from $30 to $35. Patty Prevost, Marine Operations Coordinator, clarified the monthly/daily accounting and told the committee the staff plans to set the posted daily rate at $15 plus tax when the monthly calculation is expressed as a 28‑day month; she said the tariff change must be approved in the town budget and would take effect Oct. 1 if adopted.

- Operations: staff moved the trailer back to the dinghy dock location and will operate from the trailer while exploring a permanent office. Curtis said three older dock sections are stored in the Public Works lot; committee members discussed ideas for redeploying them at other island locations. Patty confirmed the mooring balls were inspected after recent storms and reported only two vessels broke free across multiple storms, with no mooring‑ball failures.

What the committee decided or directed

- No vote was taken to adopt rate changes at the meeting. Committee members were told the proposed fee change will be included in the town budget process; Curtis said the new rates “have to be approved to the budget, and they will go into effect October 1” if adopted. The budget meeting was scheduled for the Wednesday following the Sept. 22 meeting.

- Staff will continue operating from the trailer and pursue options for a permanent office; Matanzas' prior offer to rent the old office remains under informal discussion.

Quotations and attributions

Curtis, a town staff member, described the dock: “We have a brand new, dinghy dock…it's a little bit wider now…it's an aluminum dock, a floating dock so we can remove it as well if we need to.”

Curtis on rates: “We are going to be raising, the rates in the mooring field. We're gonna move up our daily rate…from $30 to $35.”

Patty Prevost, Marine Operations Coordinator, described the monthly/daily calculation and the proposed daily posting: staff plans a $15‑per‑day posting (based on a 28‑day month) and said once budget approval occurs the fee schedule would take effect Oct. 1.

Ending

The committee did not adopt rates at the Sept. 22 meeting. The changes to the fee schedule were described as part of the town’s budget process; committee members said they will watch the budget vote scheduled the following Wednesday. Staff said the CVA grant will allow the mooring field to maintain pump‑out services and support the pump‑out boat’s maintenance going forward.