Harbor commissioners asked the City Council to authorize a one-time, two-week period allowing current berthholders to request slip assignment changes; councilors and commission members discussed priority rules for existing holders versus people on the wait list and directed staff to return with a plan for council approval.

At the meeting, a harbor commission representative summarized a request that city staff be authorized to open a single additional two-week window to accept reassignment requests and to let harbor staff and the harbormaster prioritize and grant one-time assignments when slips become available. The commission’s written request specified that the period be “one time only.”

Council and commission discussion
Council members raised operational concerns, including how a reassignment window would affect people on the established wait list, how staff would prioritize competing requests and whether available slips should be offered first to those on the wait list or to current slip-holders seeking a different berth. Harbor staff told the council that three slips had been relinquished during recent dock work and that additional vacancies could arise after invoicing was complete.

Direction to staff
Rather than immediately authorize the one-time window, council members directed city staff, the harbormaster and the commission to draft a clear plan and conditions for such a reassignment period and return with the proposal at the next meeting. The council asked staff to outline who would have priority, how the harbormaster and staff would make allocation decisions, and how the process would interact with the existing wait list.

Clarifying details
- Relinquished slips reported in discussion: three currently identified in the new dock area; additional slips may open after invoicing (transcript discussion).
- Proposed conditions (from the commission): staff and the harbormaster would prioritize requests and grants would be one-time only; city staff to post information on the city website and update authorization lines.

Quote
- "This would be the only additional open 2 week request period allowed," the harbor commission representative said while outlining the request.

Outcome
No vote to authorize the window was taken in the transcript excerpt. The council directed staff to draft a formal proposal and bring it back to the council for action at a future meeting.