Depoe Bay harbor commissioners debate draft harbor ordinance, crab-pot limits and dock rules

Depoe Bay Harbor Commission members reviewed a draft harbor regulation ordinance at a Feb. 19 special meeting and spent most of the session debating how the rules would treat crab-pot storage, portable steps and stairs, ADA access on Dock 2, attachments to docks and who would pay for damage to newly installed dock panels.

The commissioners discussed several specific changes staff proposed and asked that language be clarified before the commission sends the ordinance to the City Council for consideration on March 4.

Why it matters: The ordinance would set daily operating rules for Depoe Bay’s new docks, including where people may board or disembark, how many crab pots charters and recreational users may store on docks, and whether portable steps and equipment can be left on finger docks. Those rules affect commercial charter operators, recreational boaters and city maintenance obligations.

Commission debate and public comments Harbor Commission member Jack, who spoke several times during the meeting, urged a practical approach toward crab-pot storage and said the issue affects a short part of each day: “when you really think about it, they’re not there all night,” he said, adding that “10 pots, I think, is agreeable, workable.” Jack and other commissioners said charters typically leave most gear at sea and that the anticipated peak number of pots on docks at any one time would be far below earlier estimates.

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