P.T. Moorage Tenants Union
|
Want to Get Involved? Join Our Mailing ListSend us an email at info@ptmooragetenants.com Moorage Tenants Union Now Forming At an 8 % moorage
rate increase every year since 2003, boat ownership will soon be
unaffordable for many of the present moorage tenants. Downsizing to
save on moorage costs will not be an option, as the Port plans to
eliminate smaller slips to accomodate vessels 45' and greater, most of
them owned by recent arrivals or visitors living in affluent urban
centers. Funding for this new construction is drawn from our
ever-increasing moorage fees.
While new residents are welcome, a funding process that systematically forces out the very people who built the Port facility is not right. The Port of Port Townsend serves two stated functions: to provide access to the waterfront for all the citizens of this community, and to encourage economic development. At present, these two functions are in conflict; economic development can not be done at the expense of community access to the waterfront. Real economic development is not just the amount of cash collected. Truly viable economic development is the ability to provide a safe place for the marine trades to function, and affordable moorage for everyone, including the average citizen in this county - young families just starting out as well as retirees on fixed incomes. The Port commission controls the only access to Port Townsend Bay, and as a monpoly, it sets moorage rates at whatever it wants. Presently the moorage tenants are treated as an inexhaustible cash-cow to fund the port's multimillion dollar projects. Port Townsend moorage rates are nearly twice the rate charged for a same-size slip in Kingston's new moorage facility. Our moorage rates should be based on the cost of maintenance, and not by how our rents compare to rates charged in more urban marinas around Puget Sound, marinas serving communities with far higher median incomes. Capital improvements should, in some way, directly benefit those who fund them. As a publicly owned entity, capital improvements to Port property should in some way directly benefit the people who fund those improvements, not drive them out. For example, if our moorage fees are used for the gentrification of Port Hudson, then the fees collected from the "improved" facility should be directed to offset further rent increases. Some form of rent control should apply to established tenants. The forthcoming Port Commission election promises management changes, but it is only the beginning. Over the coming year, the new Port Commissioners will be reevaluating their policies and directions. It is critical that moorage tentants' concerns be included in that discussion. Unless we speak with a single voice, access and affordability will be eclipsed by other issues. Moorage tenants need to work with other organizations such as the Marine Trades Organization, the Port Townsend Sailing Association, Rat Island Rowing Club, and the Wooden Boat Foundation to ensure that the Port Commission works for all its constituencies. We want to include you in our union. No dues are necessary at this point. Our present goal is to form a mailing list. Please send us your email address so we can communicate effectively with you. Also we welcome any comments or concerns you have. Bertram Levy
|
| � |