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Council authorizes interlocal agreement to fund Anacortes marine unit with vessel-registration fees
Summary
Council authorized an interlocal agreement with Skagit County to receive a roughly 30% share of county vessel-registration fees and additional pass-through grants to support a city marine program for outreach, education and accident prevention; staff said annual insurance is about $2,222 and estimated fee revenue near $15,000.
The Anacortes City Council on Dec. 8 authorized an interlocal agreement with Skagit County to receive a portion of vessel-registration fees to support a proposed city marine safety program focused on education, inspections and accident prevention.
Chief Harris described the program’s funding model: vessel-registration fees distributed by county (Anacortes would receive about 30% of Skagit County’s allocation, estimated at roughly $15,000), plus an expected roughly $15,000 in 2026 pass-through grant funding from Washington State Parks (coast-guard-funded programs). He told council the vessel insurance cost is about $2,222 annually and that existing funding sources could cover vessel maintenance, fuel and overtime without drawing on the general fund. Mooring location and final operational details remain under evaluation.
Council discussed response-time implications from other agencies’ mooring locations and asked staff for quantifiable numbers to support long-term decisions. Councilmember Walters moved to authorize the mayor to sign the interlocal agreement; the motion passed on roll call.
Why it matters: The agreement provides new, designated revenue for marine patrol activities and seeks to close a coverage gap in local waters, while staff said minimum land-staffing levels would be preserved.
What’s next: Staff will finalize the interlocal agreement and return program implementation details as mooring, staffing and budgets are determined.
