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Harbor commission weighs tighter permit rules and asks city attorney whether cruise ships can be barred
Summary
Commissioners reviewed proposed edits to marine commercial license language (fees, ferry-dock language and insurance limits) and asked the city attorney to advise whether the commission can prohibit cruise-ship visits or must rely on permit, head-fee or tender restrictions.
The Harbor Springs Harbor Commission carried a wide-ranging review of proposed marine commercial license and permit language and reached a consensus to have the city attorney advise on cruise-ship restrictions.
Chair opened a line-by-line review of the draft rules and recommended striking or amending text that would prevent use of the ferry dock by operators who own or lease that facility. Commissioners agreed to allow explicit reference to "ferry dock or private facility" rather than limiting docking to private marinas only.
Members raised repeated questions about fee and insurance figures in the draft. One commissioner asked whether the $1,000 annual license fee and a $5,000,000 insurance requirement remain appropriate given cost changes; several members asked staff to ask attorney Jim Ramer to review insurance limits and recommend updates.
The group then turned to cruise ships. The Chair described the scale of a vessel such as the Viking Octantis — "665 feet long, 77 feet wide, carries zodiacs, a submarine, a marine laboratory, and, 378 guests and 256 crew" — and said such vessels would overwhelm small public docks and parking. Commissioners discussed limiting visits through permit conditions (application fees, head fees tied to passenger counts, 60-day notice requirements), seasonal restrictions (the commission’s season runs June 28–Aug. 15), and harbor-master discretion to assign landing locations.
By consensus the commission decided to refer the cruise-ship question to the city attorney to determine whether the commission can legally prohibit cruise-ship visits or, if not, what regulatory levers (limits on tenders, tender size, head fees, or advance-notice requirements) are available. The Chair framed that as a referral rather than a final policy change.
Commissioners also discussed the process for short-notice special-event requests (Walser/Walsper pickup), noting a $100 special-event fee in addition to any commercial permit and urging staff to require 30 days’ notice where possible.
No formal vote was recorded; the attorney’s forthcoming opinion will determine the commission’s legal authority and next steps for ordinance language.
