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Council hears first reading of watercraft mooring ordinance to speed removal of derelict vessels
Summary
The council held first reading of an overhaul to the city code regulating anchoring and mooring, aimed at curbing derelict vessels, adding notice and impoundment procedures, and limiting live‑aboard and commercial uses in certain areas; staff said the ordinance is narrowly tailored to avoid state preemption.
The Port Orange City Council heard a first reading of ordinance 2026‑7, which would repeal and replace the city's rules governing anchoring, mooring and removal of vessels in city waterways. Assistant City Attorney Jared Trent told the council the rewrite modernizes a chapter last substantially updated in the 1980s and adds a structured notice and impoundment process intended to comply with state preemption while giving the city enforceable remedies against derelict vessels.
Council members emphasized the ordinance’s environmental and public‑safety goals, noting derelict vessels damage docks and obstruct boat ramp access for residents. "Derelict vessels are leaching their guts into the river and it's having an environmental impact," Vice Mayor Groves said, supporting the new enforcement tools. Staff asked to continue monitoring state grants and legislative appropriations that could help fund removals.
