In my 50+ years of boat ownership and dealing with private and publicly owned marines, I thought I had seen every fee imaginable. As live aboard became more common 'they started charging for that life style. As electricity on the docks they went from "help yourself, just don't complain if the breaker trips" to meters for live aboards to meters for all. I haven't experienced it yet but metered parking or garbage pickup fees. Oh! Yah! fees for pumping out.
Have you ever heard of a "Piling Fee"?? That's correct, I'm now paying a $30/month piling fee for the future replacement of the old pilings in the municipal marina I am at. Not just the, fairly new, piling in for the slip I'm in, but all wooden pilings. In fact since there is another boat on this slip finger, that means they're collecting $60/month. Oh! Wait! The cost per piling now doubles because the port district (unnamed) will match the revenue dollar for dollar. How long is this going to take? No one can tell me. It seems that wood piling aren't good enough. Creasote can't be use anymore, I can understand that. What about other wood treatment type pilings? Not durable enough, in the long term. How about concrete or steel? Nah! no reason. But the insurance company wants them to put in fiberglass pilings. (has the insurance company ever heard of osmotic blistering??) Or has anyone considered how fast and intense a GRP (glass re-enforced plastic) boat fire is??
The bottom line, this $360/yr is an open ended fee program that could go on for many many years and there is no one that can answer my questions about the reason the tenants are paying for capital improvements that may never benefit the present tenants and no accountability that I can see. It seems to me that this public marina should go to the public with their needs and maybe public bond could be approved and issued and future tenants would pay for this piling upgrade with an small increase in moorage fees. At least that way, there would be accountability and the effort could begin as soon as needed while the cost is spread over life of the pilings.
Oh! BTW! the management of the marina is the local Port Authority and that includes the local Municipal Air Port. The director has only an aviation backgound as does most of his staff.
I have already voice the above observations and opinions to the Director.
So much for my rant!
Steve
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Ingrid 38 (buider/owner), Huckins 53 ('61)
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