After months of workshopping a proposal that boat owners carry marine insurance, the borough assembly decided June 25 to give up on the endeavor.
The proposal would have required most boat owners in the harbor to carry a minimum of $100,000 coverage to indemnify other boat owners and the borough from fire damages or cleanup expenses.
Boat owners could opt out of the insurance and pay a monthly surcharge per foot of their vessel.
Borough Manager Mason Villarma recommended to assembly members June 25 that they postpone the ordinance indefinitely. The assembly unanimously voted down the ordinance.
After talking to members of the community, Villarma said he felt the insurance requirement isn’t a good fit for Wrangell right now.
He noted that it’s a tough time for fishermen — salmon prices crashed last year and crabbing isn’t looking too promising this season either. Many boat owners already have insurance anyway, he said.
The harbor has spent roughly $83,000 recovering and disposing of derelict vessels in the past five years, which Villarma said he doesn’t believe is enough to justify adding the insurance requirement.
The assembly had taken up the idea of mandatory boat insurance for harbor users at the recommendation of the port commission, which had been discussing the issue the past two years.
The borough will, however, continue to look into requiring a maneuverability assessment of vessels in the harbor, to ensure that in case of emergency all boats could make it out past the breakwater. The port commission will discuss the maneuverability assessment at its next meeting.
The assembly will also revisit the previously approved 3% rate increases for port and harbor fees at the next regular assembly meeting July 23.
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