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Depoe Bay council moves to ban self-fueling at harbor, orders inspections and repair planning
Summary
Council agreed to keep harbor fueling open but restrict self-fueling on city property, seek inspections and quotes for dock repairs, and consider staffing and fee changes to make fueling safe and cost-effective.
Councilors reviewed three options for the harbor fuel-dock: shut it down, outsource operations, or continue running it with improved oversight. Members said shutting down was not acceptable because the service is needed and instead directed staff to tighten operations and safety rules.
Mayor (presiding) emphasized safety and said, "We are not gonna shut the fuel dock, period. We need it." Harbor commissioners and staff outlined visible deterioration at Dock 5, rusting components and instability of floats. Commissioners recommended diver inspections and contractor quotes to assess repair costs and timelines.
Council discussed operational changes including expanding staffed fueling hours, prohibiting self-fueling on city property, and ensuring harbor user fees and labor are correctly charged back to the harbor budget. A councilor said the ordinance would need modification to ban self-fueling; staff agreed to draft the change.
Council asked the administrator to obtain insurance and safety assessments and to return with a timeline and repair cost estimates for the upcoming budget cycle. "We need to get a diver to finish the rest of the work and look at the floats," one councilor said; staff also reported their insurance representative will inspect the dock next week to advise on safety needs.
The council27s direction was procedural rather than a formal procurement vote: staff will collect inspection quotes, evaluate possible duty assignments and propose ordinance language to ban self-fueling for council approval.
