Depoe Bay debates parking kiosks, targeted fees and modest moorage hikes to shore up harbor budget

At a Depoe Bay meeting, councilors and harbor stakeholders debated a package of proposals to raise revenue for the Depoe Bay Harbor, including paid parking kiosks in harbor lots, a small per-person harbor user fee, a $5 fish‑cleaning charge and modest increases to moorage rates.

The proposals were presented by harbor users and stakeholders who said the harbor’s operating shortfalls require new income streams. An unidentified charter operator who proposed parking kiosks argued fees belong on harbor users, not local businesses, and presented peak‑season projections of as much as "upwards, you know, close to $200,000" for June through September under certain occupancy assumptions. He also warned a user fee could hit charters’ bottom lines: "It's gonna severely impact business," he said.

Opponents and other stakeholders raised multiple concerns. One harbor stakeholder criticized the city’s accounting and urged that lodging tax receipts generated by harbor users be reallocated to the harbor account; he said,…