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Resident warns of unlicensed boat mechanics and toxic cleaners at King Harbor; commission to consider agendizing licensing and CUP
Summary
A longtime resident and yacht manager told the Redondo Beach Harbor Commission that many on-site service providers lack city licenses and use products banned in the marina; staff said the matter can be agendized and a conditional use permit for Basin 3 operators is scheduled for the June meeting.
Benjamin Morse, a Redondo Beach resident, former Public Safety Commission member and owner of a yacht-management business, told the Harbor Commission on May 12 that many people performing boat repairs, cleaning and maintenance in King Harbor operate without city business licenses or mechanic credentials and sometimes use cleaning products he said are explicitly forbidden in the marina.
"There are many, if not almost all, the service providers down there are unlicensed mechanics," Morse said during the public comment period. He said code enforcement told him its staff are limited: they can enforce only if they can witness a transaction such as a cash payment. Morse urged the commission to work with marina operators to identify people whose business cards are displayed but who lack required licensing or insurance.
Commission members and staff said the item needs to be placed on a future agenda for fuller discussion. A commission member asked Morse to send a letter to Waterfront Director Greg Kapovich so the issue can be agendized. Catherine (last name not stated), a Harbor Department staff member, told commissioners that the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for commercial operators in Basin 3 is handled by the Community Development Department and "we are still tracking to bring that next month to the June Harbor Commission meeting." The CUP item, staff said, will cover mechanics and boat-servicing operations.
Commissioners and staff tied three distinct enforcement challenges together: (1) unlicensed commercial activity advertised in the harbor (business cards/flyers), (2) use of products that may be illegal for marina use, and (3) limits on code enforcement that make proactive citations difficult unless an enforcement officer observes an illegal transaction or activity. Morse suggested notifying marina managers when their slips display cards for unlicensed providers so marinas understand potential liability.
No formal motion or vote was taken on the floor about licensing or regulatory changes during the May 12 meeting; commissioners directed staff to place the subject on a future agenda for discussion and possible action.
Ending: Harbor staff and the Community Development Department will bring the CUP for Basin 3 commercial operators to the June Harbor Commission meeting; commissioners and members of the public asked staff to provide information in advance so the commission can consider potential licensing, enforcement, and pollution-prevention steps.
