Gig Harbor staff propose one-year leases, higher fees for Ancich boat storage

Parks Manager Jennifer Harrods told the Gig Harbor City Council at its Feb. 13 study session that staff plans to change the Ancich boat-storage rental schedule to a single 12‑month term beginning each spring and to increase rates to roughly twice the current six‑month fees.

The change, Harrods said, is intended to reduce staff time spent on two turnover periods that fall near major holidays and are difficult to staff. “What we are proposing is a 1 year term that would start in the spring, which would cut down on a lot of staff time with both office staff and operations staff,” Harrods said. The Parks Commission reviewed and recommended the proposed fee schedule at its meeting earlier in February, Harrods added.

The proposal would prioritize City of Gig Harbor residents on the waiting list, and would replace the current two-term system — Jan.–June and July–Dec. — that staff said produces higher demand in the July–December period and more empty stalls in the earlier term. Harrods said current six‑month charges “range in price for a 6 month term from a hundred and $89 all the way up to 400 and some for a non city resident for a larger, watercraft.” The draft rates presented to council are roughly double those six‑month amounts; staff said they used round numbers in the draft schedule.

Council members pressed staff on financials and operations. Council member Luke asked whether the increase would be a one‑time change or indexed for inflation; Harrods replied that fees would be set by resolution and that indexing for automatic annual increases would need to be written into the resolution or an ordinance. “It is possible,” Harrods said, describing options such as tying annual adjustments to a labor or capital cost index, and noting staff would need to verify the exact trigger language.

Council member Rosenberg asked whether the building pays for itself. Harrods said the building is relatively new and staff has not tracked full lifecycle building maintenance costs; most current work is cleaning out the storage area, restroom upkeep and vegetation control. She said office staff time is not currently captured in a way that shows whether the program covers all staff costs. Scott Keeley and Josh Stecker were identified during discussion as the staff who handle much of the office work; parks operations crew members including Kyle Neiman manage cleanouts.

Council members also discussed practical changes to reduce staff workload. Harrods proposed adding waterproof labels with name and slip number to help staff identify owners of boats left past their lease; she said staff have sometimes had to move and temporarily store unclaimed boats in the Ancich net shed. Council member Eckberg suggested the city could consider allowing a canoe/kayak club or other local group to manage rentals, but others, including Rosenberg, said they did not want to offload the work to volunteers because the goal is to reduce staff time and maintain city oversight.

Harrods said staff will present the finalized rates in a resolution for council action at the Feb. 24 council meeting. Council members asked staff to provide supplemental information before that resolution: (1) the number of slips and racks in use by season, (2) a calculation of potential revenue if all spaces were filled at the proposed rates, and (3) a draft policy for handling boats left past their lease term. Harrods agreed to return those figures and to include language on the rental form noting that rates may be reviewed annually.

The proposal does not include a final council vote at the Feb. 13 study session; staff sought council direction and will bring a resolution for formal adoption on Feb. 24.