Depoe Bay council adopts revised harbor ordinance; approves related harbor actions

The Depoe Bay City Council adopted Ordinance 356-25 — repealing and replacing Ordinance 340-23 (Chapter 92) — and approved related harbor items after an extended discussion about fuel procedures, crab-pot storage, dock fees and shore-side facilities. Council included an emergency provision making the ordinance effective immediately upon passage.

The ordinance updates harbor rules including a permitting approach for vessel self-fueling, new language limiting when crab pots may remain on docks, and administrative steps to document fuel transfers. City staff told the council the goal of the permit is to document who is fueling, confirm insurance and spill-prevention training, and record amounts transferred; staff said the requirement comes from insurance recommendations. “Our insurance agent has recommended that we put steps in a process to allow this to happen and make sure training on spill prevention and control has been addressed,” a city staff member explained during the discussion.

The council also debated specific wording related to crab-pot storage. Harbor volunteers and commissioners asked that the rule be clarified to allow crab pots on docks only when a vessel is not at sea (for short turnaround use) rather than tying storage explicitly to whale‑watching operations. Harbor volunteers also proposed creating a crab-pot storage fee; one councilor said the city should consider charging for long-term storage, noting Newport charges for similar services.

Councilors and staff discussed operational and budget pressures at the fuel dock. Public comments and staff reports referenced a harbor operating deficit raised in recent budget conversations; one public commenter cited an $85,000 shortfall that has been discussed in workshops. City staff noted the harbor payroll and associated benefits for 2023–24 are budgeted at $236,558 (budget document line item discussed during the meeting). Council members asked for clearer cost and usage data before considering structural changes to fueling operations, including whether to continue providing staffed fueling or rely more on privately provided fueling with permit oversight.

Council approved a draft lease renewal for Robinson/Roberson Brothers (lessee name in draft) with requested changes, including adding or clarifying an early-termination/notice provision (staff and council discussed 90 days as an appropriate notice period). The lease item was presented as a draft for council direction; the council voted to send a revised draft with the council’s suggested edits to the lessee for their review.

Staff also said the city has already purchased four modular restroom units for the harbor site; installation costs and plumbing work remain to be determined, and the city will need building permits if the project moves forward. Staff reported a contract change-order estimate of about $57,000 on a $4.1 million dock package; staff said electricians and contractor partners have helped reduce some costs but more estimates are pending.

The ordinance and related harbor measures had extensive input from Harbor Commission members and public volunteers. Harbor commissioner and volunteer Liz Martin, who worked on the drafts and on dock improvements, told council she is proud of the new docks and the relationships built with state representatives that supported funding and repairs. “We put a lot of hours into that; having senators and representatives there to celebrate was awesome,” Martin said.

The ordinance was adopted on a roll-call vote following a motion to adopt with the emergency provision; councilors voted in favor and the ordinance will take effect immediately. Council directed staff to return with clarifying language for crab-pot storage (replacing “in use for whale watching” wording with language tied to whether a vessel is at sea and whether it is actively crabbing), to outline options for a storage fee, and to provide clearer cost figures for harbor staffing and the fuel operation before bringing any staffing or fueling changes back to council for a future agenda.

Votes at the meeting also approved moving a revised draft lease to the lessee for consideration and acceptance of previously prepared audit materials (see “Votes at a glance” article for a compact list of votes and outcomes).