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Council updates waterfront fee schedule, authorizes boating attendant program for river dock
Summary
To address unauthorized overnight stays and improve public access, the council approved amendments to the city’s waterfront fee schedule and a pilot boat‑dock attendant program for the Etanesh Saliki public dock on the Sacramento River.
The City Council approved updates to the waterfront book of fees and authorized the use of a contracted boat‑dock attendant to monitor and manage use of the Etanesh Saliki public dock on the Sacramento River.
Staff said the dock opened for day and overnight use in 2021 but staff soon encountered unauthorized live‑aboard and other misuse that local resources could not reliably manage. The city temporarily closed the dock in September 2024 during preparations for a special event and used the intervening months to coordinate with the City of Sacramento, evaluate enforcement options and design a fee and attendant model.
Under the amended fee schedule, the city will charge a per‑tie‑up (“tie‑up pleat”) fee for time‑limited docking; staff explained fees are structured like parking spaces because linear‑feet billing used by many marinas does not integrate well with the city’s ParkMobile parking management system. City staff said a larger vessel might require multiple tie‑up units and the attendant will check permits and payments before vessels tie up.
The dock attendant is meant to provide “boots on the ground” enforcement and customer service; staff told council that the Police Department lacks the capacity to manage day‑to‑day dock enforcement and that towing and removal of vessels presents practical challenges. The city described the approach as a pilot season to see whether a staffed attendant plus the updated fees will reduce unauthorized use and overnight residency.
Council action: Councilmember Early moved to adopt the updated fee schedule and proceed with the attendant contract pilot; Councilmember Ocala seconded. The council recorded a unanimous aye vote and approved the update.
Staff said the city will continue coordinating with Sacramento and other local partners as the pilot proceeds and that any necessary enforcement escalations will still involve law enforcement. The updated fees and attendant program are scheduled to operate during the 2025 boating season.
