Depoe Bay holds first reading of harbor user‑fee ordinance as charter operators urge more work sessions

The Depoe Bay City Council held the first reading of a proposed Harbor User Fee ordinance and opened the measure for public comment, where multiple harbor users urged the council to pause and hold work sessions to refine definitions and distribution before further action.

Supporters of a pause said the draft ordinance's definitions are unclear and could unintentionally require fees from recreational users and third‑party promoters. Chris Shatner of Lincoln City told the council the draft contains “so many holes” and urged a work session so harbor users could propose alternatives rather than accept what he called a “logistical nightmare.” Carrie Newell, who identified herself as having deep ties to local charter operators, warned the fee could deter families and impose accounting costs and surcharges on small operators: “A $2 surcharge per child is a 10% tax surcharge,” she said, arguing the measure could hurt whale‑watch and fishing businesses.

Council members discussed options for timing between first and second readings and agreed to schedule a work session in November and revisit the ordinance at the council's second November meeting. An unidentified councilmember said the ordinance had been “a long, long, long time in coming” and favored enacting it in January if no better alternatives emerged, while acknowledging public concerns could prompt changes before a final vote.

City staff noted the ordinance references prior harbor commission hearings and listed the ordinance as “Ordinance No. 358--25” with related vending language cited as “340‑23, chapter 92” in meeting materials. Public commenters repeatedly asked for clarity on whether the fee would apply to all users who depart the dock (including private recreation) or only to commercial operators; speakers asked the council to clarify the definitions in section 92.002 and to consider alternatives that collect fees directly from harbor users rather than through businesses as intermediaries.

The first reading was carried by voice vote to allow the process to continue; the council directed staff to schedule a November work session with harbor stakeholders and to retain the option to amend or rescind the ordinance after additional input. The item will return for a second reading at a later council meeting, where formal adoption would be scheduled if the council so chooses.

What happens next: staff will coordinate a work session with harbor operators and the harbor commission in November; the council will consider edits at the second November meeting and may set an effective date for adoption if it chooses to move forward.