The borough assembly could decide to adopt a new definition for harbor liveaboards at its April 13 meeting, clarifying that the residential user fee would not be charged if people don't overnight aboard the vessel at least 60 days a year. The assembly also has backed away from a January proposal to raise the fee from $85 to $117 a month.
The assembly considered the latest version of the liveaboard ordinance at its March 23 meeting, scheduling a public hearing and possible final action April 13.
The assembly in January sent the ordinance back to the port commission for additional work, to better define who would be charged the residential user fee.
Under the new definition now before the assembly, a liveaboard vessel is "any vessel utilizing the harbor as a primary residence for one or more persons," for 60 or more days in a year.
The fee would be assessed on a monthly basis.
"This ordinance change was needed to define who qualifies as a liveaboard and to set clear rules as to who may be billed for a residential user fee," said the backup to the ordinance submitted by Steve Miller, port and harbor director. "The harbor for years has billed a liveaboard fee and the language was not sufficient in current ordinance to charge such a fee," he wrote.
"Once a vessel is used as a residence," the department will continue to bill the fee "until the owner of the vessel gives written notice ... that the vessel is no longer used for a residence," Miller's explanation said.
The ordinance leaves the monthly fee essentially unchanged, at $85. The assembly in January considered a Harbor Department proposal to increase the fee to $117 a month, which is what a homeowner pays for water, sewage and garbage collection services. There was pushback to the fee increase, which has been dropped from the ordinance.
The liveaboard fee in Petersburg also is $85 a month. Ketchikan's is $40 and Juneau is $92, according to Harbor Department backup material that accompanied the ordinance March 23. Juneau is considering a $69- increase in its monthly fee.
Acknowledging the debate in January, Wrangell Assembly Member David Powell asked, "This was pretty contentious last time, so was this passed through to our attorney?" ... Did they look over this too?"
Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen said the city attorney had not looked at the ordinance, but she would have him do so before its next reading.
Powell said the assembly could make changes or stop the ordinance April 13 if the attorney finds any problems.
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