Marine Advisory Board votes 11-0 to recommend ordinance requiring 10-day notices for dock waivers

The Marine Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend a city ordinance change that would standardize notice requirements for dock-waiver requests, including mailed notice to owners within 300 feet and publication/posting at least 10 days before a public hearing.

Chris Cooper, staff presenting the ordinance draft, said, “This is an ordinance that was asked for by the city commission,” and explained the amendment would require mailed notices to property owners within 300 feet of a waiver request and set a ten-day minimum for mail, posting and agenda publication before a hearing.

The draft also clarified who must receive notice and sought to give neighbors “certainty” about when they would be informed of waiver requests and public hearings. Cooper said the measure is procedural in nature and that the board’s role at the meeting was to review and offer comment before the City Commission acts.

Board members asked about mechanics of notice (paper mail vs. email) and whether physical signage would be required at affected properties; Cooper and staff said notice is currently handled by postal mail and posting and that GIS address lists are used to identify recipients. The board discussed how strictly to apply the rule if a request arrives too close to a scheduled meeting; staff said the ordinance would preclude consideration of items for which required notice had not been provided in the required timeframe.

After discussion, a motion recommending approval of the ordinance change was made and seconded. During roll call the chair and board members recorded 11 votes in favor, with one member absent. The board recorded the recommendation for the City Commission, but the ordinance itself must still be approved by the commission before it becomes law.