Time To Eat Crow

Vero Beach
27 39.63 N 080 22.26 W

I'm amazed. I'll have to put my political cynicism and mistrust of government aside for a moment. I read the following today on Facebook. It is a victory for we boaters. It is the opposite of what I expected.

Richard Bolton wrote: City responds to Harbor request to review marina fees, and comments on proposed Pilot program anchoring regulations:

 The City Manager met this past Wednesday morning with several of us from the harbor to give us feedback after last week's general meeting at the city marina concerning rates. He proposes the following action he is willing to recommend to the City Council for their approval: 

1) Rescind the 32' minimum length requirement at the seawall.
2) Provide a "coupon" option to buy 5 dinghy dock passes for $90, a saving of $4 over the daily rate of $22.
3) Provide a $15/month discount for long term customers in the May-Oct months.
Feedback is appreciated, through Facebook here, on the Cruiser Net or email. He is available to discuss issues as they arise, email or phone.

Customers can try to convince the City Council to pass alternate rates but this is what he is backing.

 In other discussion the idea of having a reservation system for moorings has been tried and was not successful here. Also the marina fees are effective computed solely according to statistical usage numbers divided into the operating budget. That is, there is no attempt to create higher off-season demand for mooring ball occupancy through lower rates.

 The proposed no-anchoring zone in Boot Key Harbor will NOT happen as originally included in the County ordinances. Instead a "managed anchoring" surrounded by a 50' no-anchoring zone will be established. As currently defined, "managed anchoring" means having a current Coast Guard Auxiliary inspection and pump-out receipt. A warning is given prior to a citation.

To the extent that I and others are correct that Marathon is the leader and the rest of Florida follows, this is an important and glad result.

Kudos to the boating activists in Boot Key Harbor who made this happen.