Harbor staff report safety training, lift-station cost and revenue ideas including EV charging and club-based boat rentals

Oak Harbor — Harbor staff told the Marine Advisory Commission they completed joint emergency-response training with the fire department, that safety-ladder placement and visibility need review, and that one marina lift station will likely have to be relocated at an estimated cost of about $110,000 charged to marina reserves. Staff also described possible revenue-generation projects including electric-boat charging infrastructure, dinghy storage and outreach to operators such as Freedom Boat Club.

Harbor Master Elise described the joint drill with the fire department in which staff deployed a hard boom, practiced moving an injured person from a boat using a tarp-style “mega mover,” and exercised coordinated response steps. She said the drill showed marina staff take incident-command responsibility for fuel-spill events at the dock and that the hard boom had not been used in training in nearly 15 years; staff plan annual drills and HAZWOPER-aligned training for full-time staff because the marina is a class-4 fuel facility.

Commissioners discussed safety ladders and suggested marking ladder locations more visibly and creating “safety centers” where a ladder, life ring and extinguisher are co-located and signposted. Harbor staff said there is no municipal code requiring a specific number of ladders; the subcommittee will consider placement, cost and maintenance needs.

Elise told commissioners that a lift station located in a janitor’s closet and containing electrical panels and a water heater is aging and likely needs to be excavated and moved a short distance so it is exposed and accessible. Public Works estimated moving and reinstalling the lift station at about $110,000 and noted the expense would come from marina reserves.

On revenue, staff said they are exploring dinghy and small-boat storage, and meeting with an electric-boat charging provider that expects to launch a program in early 2026. The harbor manager said charging infrastructure could include shore-side Level 3 chargers that capture visits and provide a captive audience for marina businesses. Staff also mentioned Freedom Boat Club as a potential tenant model requiring minimal office space but bringing steady slip use.

Why it matters: The training improves emergency readiness; safety-ladder placement affects swimmer rescue outcomes; the lift station move represents a material capital expense to reserves; and new revenue projects could help offset operating costs and support longer-term capital work.

Next steps: The subcommittees will evaluate ladder placement and maintenance cost; staff will include the lift-station work in reserve planning; staff will continue talks about electric-boat charging infrastructure and dinghy storage and will return cost/options to the commission.