Increased moorage fees will become effective Jan. 1, 2013

Petersburg Harbor will be increasing its moorage fees and charges for services at the municipal boat harbors as of Jan. 1, 2013.

Ordinance 971 was passed in its third and final reading during the regular meeting of the Petersburg City Council Monday evening.

Changes to the current fees and charges are as follows:

Overtime moorage will change from $15 to $25 per period along with other fees for prohibited acts, such as speeding or excessive wake charges; obstructing floats; causing a fire hazard and leaving a vessel sunken or in an unsafe condition will change from $25 to $50 per violation. Unauthorized use of another stall and miscellaneous violation charges will change from $15 to $25 per incident.

Moorage fees for vessels 18 to 34 feet in length are $34 per foot, which for an 18 foot vessel will total $612 per year or $51 per month. For vessels 40 and 42 feet in length the fees will be $38 per foot. This fee for a 40 foot vessel will total $1,520 per year of $127 per month.

Fees for vessels 48 to 50 feet in length will be $44 per foot which will total $2,112 per year or $176 per month for a 48 foot boat.

For vessels 60 to 100 feet in length, the moorage fees will be $50 per foot and for a 60 foot vessel these charges will total $3,000 per year or $250 per month.

Transient vessel moorage fees will change with the beginning of the year as well. All United States registered vessels and foreign vessels under 75 feet will increase from $.40 to $.50 per lineal foot and foreign vessels over 75 feet will go from $.80 to $1 per lineal foot.

The owner of any vessel mooring at a dock face shall pay $.50 per lineal foot or $50 whichever is higher which is an increase from the $.25 or $25 that is currently charged.

Anyone loading or off-loading materials, equipment, gear or any other item onto or off vessels at the port dock or crane dock shall be charged $20 for each vessel loaded or off-loaded or $200 annually for unlimited use of either dock. The current charges are $10 per vessel or $100 annually.

Fees for tour ship docking will increase also. For the float side, the fee will be $400 per stop as compared to the $300 currently charged. For the port dock, the fees will increase from $400 to $500 per stop and lighters to the harbor will be charged $250 per each 24-hours which is an increase from the $90 currently charged for this service.

Impounded vessels will be charged a minimum of $50 plus storage at a rate not less than $2 per day. The current impound fee is $35.

These changes and increases were approved by the council for the third and final time by a unanimous vote Monday evening.