Depoe Bay leaders to study card‑lock fueling, require permits and training for self‑fueling

Depoe Bay — Harbor Commission members and city staff said they will investigate installing a card‑lock fueling system and will create a permit process requiring insurance and spill‑prevention training for people who self‑fuel at the harbor, while continuing current fueling hours in the near term.

The discussion, led by Harbor Commission Chair Liz Martin and harbor staff, focused on balancing public‑safety, liability and revenue concerns around the harbor’s existing practice of allowing self‑fueling. Martin opened the session by urging better communication among stakeholders: "It's really important that we sit down and really communicate," she said.

Why it matters: fueling is both a safety and revenue issue for the harbor. City staff and commissioners said self‑fueling has been allowed but that the city is not consistently receiving required insurance certificates or evidence of training from self‑fuelers. Harbor and city staff described a permit they plan to require (insurance, training under the harbor's SPCC—spill prevention, control and countermeasure—plan, and documentation) before issuing authorization for self‑fueling.

Most important facts: under the current practice, people can self‑fuel at the harbor; staff said that practice has reduced attendant hours but also has lowered fuel revenue. City staff outlined that a card‑lock (credit‑card or specialized card reader) could allow fueling when no attendant is present but raised operational and liability questions: gasoline regulation and state rules could require business‑level purchases (speakers cited a historical minimum around 900–1,000 gallons per year for gasoline under the card‑lock regulatory model), while diesel is treated differently under state guidance. Staff also noted practical issues such as hose length (the harbor hose is longer than a typical service‑station hose and may require a variance) and the cost of retrofitting the pump to a point‑of‑sale system that immediately captures payment.

Staff gave operational details discussed in the session: fueling hours are currently set to cover busier days and the harbor uses a single fuel meter and large hoses that are rolled out to serve vessels. Tank capacity numbers provided in the meeting: diesel tank about 3,800 gallons and gasoline about 1,800 gallons. Speakers also reviewed recent pricing and markups: staff reported a diesel wholesale price discussed around $3.50 per gallon and a city markup of $1.34, producing a harbor diesel retail price in the discussion of roughly $4.84; gasoline nonethanol pricing discussed in the meeting was roughly $4.61 per gallon. Staff said harbor fuel invoices include a per‑gallon tax that historically approximates a few tens of cents per gallon and is remitted to the Oregon State Marine Board (as discussed by staff during the meeting).

Safety and training: staff said self‑fuelers will be required to show training consistent with the harbor’s SPCC plan (spill prevention, control and countermeasure) and the city’s insurance provider has set minimum insurance requirements that must be documented before a permit is issued. Staff noted that training can be delivered online or in‑person, and that the permitting form must collect proof of insurance, training completion and other details.

Open questions and constraints: speakers asked whether a card‑lock system could be implemented without creating an open credit‑card payment channel that would allow untrained or uninsured users to fuel after hours. Staff suggested technological mitigations (PINs, special cards or credentials) and said they would explore options and costs, and whether retrofitting the current pump and integrating payment with the city’s financial software is feasible. Speakers also said the city previously paused a card‑lock rollout over concerns about invoicing and integration with municipal financial systems.

What was decided: the Harbor Commission and staff reached general concurrence to continue allowing current self‑fueling under the condition staff will create a self‑fueling permit (insurance and SPCC training required), maintain current fueling hours for now, and investigate a card‑lock or credit‑card payment solution and the costs and regulatory steps required for implementation. No formal binding vote was recorded; the group directed staff to return with details.

Next steps and outlook: staff will draft a permit application, confirm insurance thresholds with the city’s insurer, seek guidance from the state fire marshal on card‑lock technical/regulatory requirements, and return with costs and recommended administrative controls for a card‑lock system or other payment solutions. The Harbor Commission asked staff to prioritize charter operators when rolling out any permitting program and to report back to the council and commission.

Ending: Officials said the permitting approach is intended as an interim liability and safety control while staff investigate longer‑term mechanical and payment upgrades such as card‑lock or vendor leasing arrangements. No ordinance change was adopted at the work session; commissioners asked staff to bring specific options, cost estimates and regulatory clarifications in a follow‑up report.