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Depoe Bay debates parking kiosks, targeted fees and modest moorage hikes to shore up harbor budget
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Summary
Councilors and harbor stakeholders discussed a suite of revenue ideas — paid parking kiosks in three harbor lots, a suggested $5 fish-cleaning fee, proposals for modest moorage increases and reallocation of transient lodging tax receipts — with sharp disagreement over enforcement, economic impacts on charter operators and accounting transparency.
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, "It is unconscionable that no funds generated by transient room taxes are allocated as a direct result of harbor activity." Council staff and other speakers responded that transient lodging tax (TRT) revenue is constrained by state statute and urban renewal rules, and that any recurring TRT allocation would need to be set in the next budget cycle.
On specifics, the kiosk proposal would cover three public harbor lots — the Harbor Lot, the Sea Fry lot and the Chinook lot — and would initially exclude the boat‑launch lot because of funding, grant and logistics constraints. The plan described a simple enforcement model: 12‑hour printed tickets placed on dashboards to reduce the need for minute‑by‑minute enforcement. Proponents also suggested annual parking permits for skippers and crew and seasonal passes to preserve some availability for commercial users.
Several participants recommended studying third‑party enforcement contracts rather than using existing city staff. "Newport uses a third‑party company that enforces their parking," one stakeholder said; proponents suggested that model offloads enforcement but acknowledged it comes with contract costs and vendor risk.
Commercial fishermen and small‑boat operators urged caution on measures that would burden day‑to‑day operations. Terry Thompson, 80, who identified himself as a commercial fisherman, argued for modest, broad‑based rate increases rather than sharp new user fees and urged reliance on audited historical numbers before large changes: "If I was gonna do something, I believe in doing it broad based... a 1% increase," he said, adding that he wants auditable figures to inform decisions.
Participants also discussed lower‑profile revenue options, including a $5 fee for the fish‑cleaning station to cover water and waste disposal costs, sponsorships and events (branded merchandise, festivals and sponsored cruises), and moving a small recurring share of TRT revenue or urban renewal receipts into the harbor budget. A councilor noted the city’s TRT budget is roughly $1.8 million, underscoring that any permanent allocation will be politically competitive across city needs.
Council leadership and staff described process steps. The moderator said the ordinance on harbor parking/fees is scheduled for a second reading next week, and the group set follow‑up work and another meeting (Dec. 11 was cited) to allow stakeholders time to review proposals, provide detailed cost estimates and consider enforcement models.
No formal vote or ordinance adoption occurred at the meeting. Instead, the session produced a mix of proposals to be refined: proponents asked for pilot programs and clearer enforcement options, opponents asked for audited financials and protections for charter and commercial users, and councilors asked staff to return with more details before any final decision.
The council is expected to revisit the ordinance at its second reading and to consider additional budget or ordinance actions after staff presents more detailed cost, enforcement and allocation options.
