Port of Allyn updates its marina rules

September 22, 2022

Port of Allyn’s commissioners adopted long-overdue updates to the port’s marina rules, but deferred any action on redistricting until they could consult with Mason County officials.

Port of Allyn Executive Director Lary Coppola reminded port commissioners they’d already deferred action on updating the port’s marina rules during their previous month’s meeting, so the issue was placed on the agenda again this month.

Coppola pointed out that when the marina rules were adopted by the port in 2015, some portions were taken from the marina rules of another port.

“We had also included a lot of things that are not really applicable to us now, so those have been deleted,” Coppola said. “There are some other things that need to be updated as well, such as certain fees.”

Moving onto redistricting, Coppola informed the port commissioners that the port must complete its redistricting by November.

“I’ve been working with the county’s GIS (Geographic Information Systems) manager, and based on our population numbers, we need to have a discussion on redrawing the [port district] boundaries, so that’s on tonight’s agenda,” Coppola said. “I also put in a call to the county auditor this afternoon.”

Coppola contacted the auditor to ask whether the redrawing of port district boundaries could be deferred, given that port District 1, represented by Commissioner Judy Scott, is due to receive an estimated 1,000 new residents through new homes and apartments in Belfair in 2023.

Before adopting a plan, Coppola said the port must publish a draft plan and have a special meeting, including notice and public comment, within 10 days of publishing the draft plan, and at least one week before adopting it.

“We can amend the draft as necessary after receiving public comments, and resubmit any amended draft plan for additional written public comment at least one week before adopting the plan,” Coppola said. “So that means we’ll need at least one special meeting for a public hearing before November to outline the boundaries and gather public input.”

Returning to the marina rules update, Scott suggested revisiting the amounts charged each year, while Port of Allyn District 3 Commissioner John Sheridan asked how to differentiate between “a guest moorage” and “a month-to-month moorage.”

“Guest moorage is transient moorage, and monthly moorage is people who pay monthly,” Coppola said.

“Recreational is another way to put it,” Scott said.

“Yeah, one is recreational, and one is semipermanent,” Coppola said.

“Month-to-month is storage of a vessel, not live-aboard,” Scott said.

“And it’s just moorages, not live-aboards,” Coppola said. “Because live-aboards are prohibited. We spelled that out in (the updated rules), which was one of the changes we needed to make.”

The port commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 2022-009, which updated the port’s marina rules, but when they moved to the discussion of redistricting, Coppola reiterated that the current differences in population numbers between the port districts, prior to 2023, is “so minuscule” that the commissioners concurred with his suggestion to table the discussion until he received further clarification from the county auditor.