DPBA has been fighting very hard to protect affordable boating interests! 

We're in steady dialog with the Coastal Commission, Brad Gross and his staff at OC DPH, and many other stakeholders (stay tuned for more in our next update!) and they're hearing us loud and clear.  You'll learn more about some of our recent accomplishments Thursday night, including the latest regarding the proposed May 1st slip rent market rate adjustment.  We think you'll be very pleased.

In our last Boater's Blast we discussed the DPBA's involvement with the ongoing market rate adjustment.  It appears that for some, our use of the words market rate "increase" may have been cause for concern.  So we would like to elaborate on the process and our efforts on behalf of boaters, to dispel any rumors that we may be working with the County behind the scenes to increase your slip fee rates (and ours).

First point: Slip fees are NOT required to go up each year, but can be adjusted upward or downward. 

Indeed there's a well structured Operating Agreement (not a public ordinance) that details a process for adjusting boat slip prices.  We've got it and we've read it, carefully.  Per this agreement, each year the effective slip prices are to be adjusted by changes in the annual Consumer Price Index, often referred to as "CPI".   Note that these adjustments are subject to a 4% cap on any adjustment (up or down). 

To learn more about the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County region data specified in the operating agreement click here.  Otherwise just skip the next three paragraphs and go on to the second point.

Second point: Every 4th year, commencing in the 2005 year, the operating agreement calls for slip rates to be reviewed and adjusted to "market" based upon a detailed market rate survey and other factors, as an alternative to a CPI adjustment. 

The survey process requires a detailed marina survey of "comparable" Orange County and Southern California (San Diego to Santa Barbara) marinas, not just a sampling of 3-4 marinas. 

DPBA volunteers, especially board member and Treasurer Kevin Hendra, have been working closely with OC DPH on the effort this time around, as he did back in 2005.  DPBA believes the 2005 study conclusions were not based on inclusive or comparable data.  Note that this data was prepared back when our harbor was under jurisdiction of The County's old parks department, prior to establishing OC DPH. We have made specific recommendations to OC DPH this time, with the intent to improve the survey process for 2009, and subsequent years if this process continues.

We believe that these recommendations will have a substantial beneficial impact on boaters in Dana Point Harbor.

As we've mentioned in prior Boater Blasts, a delay in  the LCPA hearing date was likely to be the case.  The hearing on the Dana Point Harbor Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA DPT-MAJ-1-08), aka Dana Point Harbor Revitalization Plan, has now been officially delayed again, this time until June.

That's good news as postponement allows more time for several DPBA member volunteers to work with harbor merchants, OC DPH, the City of Dana Point and other stakeholders on programmatic design improvements to Planning Areas 1 and 2, where the currently proposed locations of the parking structure and marine retail store would severely impact trailer boater storage and launch ramp accessibility.  A special thank you to trailer boaters Alan Johnson and Mike Murphy for answering our call to participate in this task force. Alan is a trimaran sailor and Mike is a powerboat fisherman and their perspectives will be invaluable as we work on design improvements.

The postponement is also good news because it will allow the Boater Focus Group, a OC DPH moderated group of boaters and harbor tenants that has been meeting monthly to continue to provide feedback on waterside redesign.  Note that DPBA has quite a few members and Board Members participating.  But written communication is forbidden outside the group, so unfortunately we can not provide an update here.  You may of course ask Brad for a status update Thursday night!

More good news is the proposed location of the LCPA hearing.  It will not be as far away as originally planned, so hopefully more Dana Point boaters will be able to attend.

The Board of Directors feels some clarification is in order with respect to the DPBA privacy policy, especially as it relates to the use of email addresses. 

Since The Association was officially launched in March, 2007, DPBA has a privacy policy that specifically prohibits use of DPBA member information for anything other than DPBA business, including member communications.  We've been made aware that it appears member email addresses have been used outside the context of the DPBA, for recent email communications that were not initiated or sanctioned by the current DPBA Board of Directors.  We want to assure our members that we do not support or condone such uses.

About The Dana Point Boaters Association

DPBA is an education and advocacy group for the recreational boaters of Dana Point Harbor. Membership is very inexpensive and open to families interested in the many different kinds of recreational boating in Southern California, from kayaking and fishing to sailboat racing and motor cruising.