Port mulls significant rate increases for 2023

The Port of Camas-Washougal wants to double its rental fees for the Washougal Waterfront Park’s picnic shelter in 2023.

The Port should charge shelter users $350 for a full day (up from $175) and $200 for a half day (up from $100), Krista Cagle, the Port’s director of finance, told Port Commission members during their June 1 meeting.

“We felt that (previously) we didn’t price appropriately,” Cagle said. “We have on-call staff who come down on the weekends to empty garbage cans and make sure the parks are all in order after events, and with the current fees we’re not covering the costs of their call-out. The increase helps cover the cost if (our employees) are coming in on an overtime rate.”

Cagle also proposed a series of rate and fee adjustments for marina and airport users that would go into effect in 2023 if approved by commissioners.

Cagle also counseled Port commissioners to increase its airport lease rate by 6%; increase its fee for transient tie-downs from $5 to $10; do away with nine-month marina leases; remove its one-month discount on year-long marina leases; increase its marina relocation fee from $75 to $150; implement a $40 fee for marina users who want to be placed on a moorage wait list; increase its dock box installation fee from $30 to $50; and increase its launch ramp daily permit fee from $7 to $10.

“The main reason in my mind that these (increases) are justifiable is that the cost of doing business, especially with things like our insurance, is going up,” Cagle said. “Marina liability coverage went up 48.81% last year. That’s a lot of money. We’re going to renew our airport policy this year, and we don’t have any idea what (the new rate is) going to be. But it won’t be pretty because of the (fatal airport) crash (in April 2021).”

Cagle didn’t propose any changes to the Port’s annual ($75) and senior/military ($50) permits for 2023.

Port leaders eliminated the permits earlier this year but brought them back after receiving a significant amount of blowback from local residents.

“I had reached out to Keith Hyde of the Northwest Steelheaders to let him know about this meeting, and his response was, ‘Thank you for not increasing the annual permits and maintaining them. We totally support the daily rate increase,'” Port Chief Executive Officer David Ripp said.

Even with the proposed increases, the Port compares favorably to other local marina and airports, according to Cagle.

“Compared to Pearson (Airfield in Vancouver), the only rate that we’re not under market is on tie-downs,” she said. “Percentage under market at Grove Field, we range between 4 percent under to 37 percent. That’s based on the 6-percent proposed rate and not this year’s fee. The percentage under market in the marina is significantly higher than the airport — we range anywhere between 24 percent to 91 percent.”

Commissioner John Spencer said that the direct comparisons could “go a long way to quieting some of the complaints” about the proposed increases.

“But there will also be those who say, ‘B.S.,’ and ‘I don’t care. This is my rate, and it’s not fair that it’s going up,'” Spencer said. “There are situations — the seniors, fixed-income (people), where I start to wonder whether there should be some sort of discounts or programs or whatever. On one hand, you want to be at the market rate. We’ve got a lot of stuff to support (this proposal). On the other hand, we are providing a public service and access to the water and the sky.”

The commissioners plan to vote on the proposed rate increases at their regular meeting on Wednesday, June 15.