The Santa Barbara Harbor Commission voted unanimously to recommend that staff continue strategic-planning work with the commission’s work group and stakeholders to complete a revenue opportunities analysis and to develop citywide standardized leasing guidelines.

Waterfront Director Mike Wilshire told the commission the strategic-planning work group, formed in January 2024, has met repeatedly and that staff produced a waterfront policy dashboard and a community survey in June 2025 that drew more than 500 respondents. Wilshire said the survey showed broad public support for the current mix of ocean-dependent and visitor-serving uses and that staff have used the responses to inform outreach and maintenance priorities.

Wilshire described next steps as two parallel tasks: complete a revenue-opportunity analysis (to be refined with the work group and potentially returned to the commission as early as November) and then use that analysis to inform standardized leasing guidelines that would set solicitation, management and term metrics for different tenant types. He said the revenue analysis will aim to produce a prioritized list of feasible options that could be considered in the next budget cycle.

Examples Wilshire called out as tier-1 revenue opportunities included increasing monthly slip fees toward market rate (to rebalance private transfer fees and monthly revenue), raising parking rates (with annual permits as a mitigant), converting some spaces to RV sites, and promoting West Beach for larger events. Tier-2 ideas included raising parking violation penalties, reviewing custodial and landscaping contracts for efficiency, and offering bill-back maintenance services to tenants.

Commissioners expressed broad support. Commissioner Nelson urged staff to coordinate closely with the city council’s citywide strategic-planning work (a public council meeting was scheduled Oct. 20) and warned that some revenue measures could be politically contentious when the list reaches council. With no public comment on the item, Commissioner Nelson moved and Commissioner Stedman seconded the recommendation; the motion passed unanimously with Commissioners Anderson and McCray absent.

Staff said the aim is to refine the revenue list with the strategic-planning work group in the coming weeks, present options that could be incorporated into the waterfront’s next budget cycle, and then begin drafting standardized leasing guidelines for broader review by city staff, the Harbor Commission and city council.