City staff presented a proposed ordinance amend­ing Chapter 50 to prohibit live‑aboard anchoring in Palm Coast’s canals and municipal waterways and to clarify definitions for anchoring, mooring and live‑aboard vessels. The item grew out of resident complaints and staff investigations of an occupied vessel anchored in a private canal; staff said the draft aligns Palm Coast rules with other municipalities and limits dwelling‑type use of vessels in navigational canals.

The draft ordinance defines anchorage (a device attached to a vessel to prevent drifting), mooring (permanent structures that secure vessels) and live‑aboard vessels (a vessel used solely as a residence or represented as a place of business or for which a declaration of domicile pursuant to Florida Statute 222.17 has been filed). The proposal would make it unlawful to anchor a live‑aboard vessel within municipal canals at any time; commercial fishing boats would be expressly excluded from the “live‑aboard” definition. Staff said the measure is intended to preserve channels for navigation and prevent long‑term residential use and abandonment of vessels in private canals.

Code Enforcement Manager Barbara Grossman said the city has long regulated docks, seawalls and the placement of structures prior to a primary shoreline residence and that the draft amendment fills a gap the city identified after recent complaints. Staff cited the Unified Land Development Code sections that disallow docks before primary structures and noted the past concern about waste disposal and abandoned vessels.

Council asked whether the language would unintentionally limit emergency or maintenance uses; staff said the prohibition is aimed at vessels used as residences and would not prevent transient anchoring for navigation or short‑term maintenance, nor would it apply to commercial fishing boats. The ordinance language specifically references Florida Statute 222.17 for declarations of domicile; the draft also cross‑references state vessel definitions.

The council did not adopt the ordinance at the workshop; staff told the council the item will return for first reading and formal notice. The staff recommendation is to proceed with a first reading and public hearing so the council can adopt a permanent ordinance clarifying that anchoring live‑aboard vessels in the city’s private canals is unlawful.

If passed on first reading and later adopted after public notice, the ordinance would create an enforceable prohibition in municipal waterways, and staff would follow the city’s standard notice and enforcement process for violations. The item will return on a future business agenda for formal consideration.