Council begins review of fee schedule changes; raises marina and liveaboard concerns

City staff opened a discussion on proposed fee schedule adjustments and possible annual indexing methods and asked the council for direction on next steps. The discussion covered library fee adjustments, mortgage/marina rates, and broader options for tying fees to an index such as CPI or a municipal cost index. Nicole (city staff) described the marina and dock system as underpriced compared with nearby marinas and said staff is seeing operational challenges, including liveaboards and a recent vessel that began taking on water and required monitoring. Staff described gaps in the current moorage agreement such as weak ownership records and inconsistent proof of insurance, and asked whether the council wanted staff to pursue rule changes, rate increases, or a different use mix (commercial/transient slips versus long-term liveaboard moorage). Councilors discussed multiple options without making immediate policy changes. Mayor Benetti and others said the Port of Coos Bay prohibits liveaboards in Charleston; council members asked staff to prepare recommendations. Suggestions included moving rates toward Charleston'comparable levels plus a margin (one councilor suggested 10% above Charleston), tightening mortgage/lease transfer rules for inherited vessels and requiring proof of insurance, and exploring whether some slips should prioritize commercial or transient use rather than long-term residency. Separately, council asked staff to prepare a more thorough fee study and a work session on indexing options; staff suggested CPI for goods and services and said building permit fees are governed by state code and will be handled separately. Council members emphasized caution with blanket annual increases and asked staff to return with a clear methodology tied to actual operating and replacement costs and with examples of targeted changes (library and marina rates) the council could approve sooner. Staff said they will return with a resolution for specific, narrower fee changes (library fees and selected adjustments) and will schedule a work session to review the fee schedule, indexing options, and marina policy changes.