The Port of Port Townsend's new moorage, RV and boat ramp rates, scheduled to go into effect April 1, have a few more changes.
The Port Commission on March 8 approved staff recommendations to …
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The Port of Port Townsend administration has approved rate increases of between 10 and 16 percent for moorage, launch ramp and RV camping, effective April 1. Port staff is soon to recommend increases for airport and boatyard fees. Photo by Patrick Sullivan
The Port of Port Townsend's new moorage, RV and boat ramp rates, scheduled to go into effect April 1, have a few more changes.
The Port Commission on March 8 approved staff recommendations to correct some clerical errors, and to "round off" some rates so the rate sheets are simpler for staff and customers. Sam Gibboney, executive director, termed the information as "errata and ministerial correction sheets."
Port rate sheets prior to 2017 were inconsistent as to the inclusion of leasehold tax. It is industry standard to include leasehold tax in published rates, Gibboney noted. Combining the leasehold tax with some of the rate increases approved last month created some odd digits.
Changes have been made to 17 rate categories to avoid rounding errors in the calculation of tenant charges, allowing staff to configure marina management and accounting software so it aligns with published rates, Gibboney noted. Staff can enter the base rate, allow the software to calculate the charge, and the total is an evenly rounded dollar amount.
Most of the published rates were reduced, typically by $1. For example, the Boat Haven permanent-moorage 30-foot slip rate of $289 a month was reduced to $288.
Herb Beck Marina moorage rates, however, are slighting more than what was originally published.
Gibboney explained the move as a "prototypical ministerial change that allows an administrator to make small changes to governance decisions without changing the legislative intent.”
After a series of clerical errors, including transposed digits while converting into a Word document, were discovered in the rate-setting process, the port's process has been tightened, Gibboney told the commission.
"We looked at how the mistakes were made and corrected our process," Gibboney said.
Rates are now to be presented in a matrix format rather than a standard document. "It will dramatically reduce the chances of having clerical and administrative mistakes like this in the future," Gibboney said.
Gibboney recommended moorage, ramp and RV rate increases of 10 percent to 16 percent as part of a plan to help the port pay for an estimated $12 million in "mission critical" capital expense projects over the next five years. Soon to follow are rate hike proposals for Jefferson County International Airport and the boatyard/shipyard.
