Committee recommends derelict boat policy

The borough port commission unanimously recommended a new ordinance to the borough assembly Oct. 17 after a public hearing.

The ordinance empowers the harbormaster to auction derelict or abandoned vessels, as defined by state code, or boats in the harbormaster’s “opinion … is unsound, unseaworthy, and unfit for its trade or occupation” to auction or impound those vessels after 24 months.

Harbormaster Greg Meissner told the commission the ordinance could affect as many as six boats currently taking up space at the marine service yard.

The code was originally revised as part of a regular attempt to bring municipal harbor code into line with a recently revised section of state code, Meissner said.

“When the attorney got a hold of this, his intent was to take our existing ordinance that talked about derelict and abandoned vessels and bring it into compliance with the state laws so they’re perfectly similar … and then add our 24-month restriction,” he said. “We’ll bring it into compliance with the state’s new ordinance and make it easier for the attorney to defend in court.”

While the seizure of a boat left untended in the yard for long periods might be viewed by some boat owners as draconian, Meissner said the best policy would require lenient enforcement.

“If someone’s hitting the 24-month mark and they’re actually working on something and we see progress and they’re gonna hit the water soon, we’re not gonna say ‘see ya later,’” he said. “If we see something that’s sitting there forever … we wanna see that stuff moved out of the yard.”

Nor will impoundment be sudden, Meissner told board members under questioning.

“I mean, if I see something out there that’s pushing the 24-month mark, and hear nothing’s going on, they’ll get a letter long before that and a phone call saying ‘What’s up, what’s going on? Your date’s about to hit. We need to do something,’” he said. “If not, we have these tools to do something with it.”

Board members said the new policy would help harbor officials deal with worst case scenarios.

“My understanding of this when we got going on it was basically it gives us a tool to get rid of the derelict and nuisance vessels with no progress being made,” said commissioner Clay Hammer. “Part of the way we wanted to word this was in such a way that it wasn’t having to rely entirely on the harbormaster’s discretion, putting him in the position of having to be the good guy, bad guy and have to make a judgment call every time it came to what was in fact a nuisance vessel.”

The policy will allow consecutive harbormasters to enforce policy consistently, Hammer said.

The harbor yard has at times hosted as many as a dozen boats which would fall under the policy’s auspices. However, discussion about implementing the policy has driven the number down to half a dozen, Meissner said.

In other business, the commission briefly discussed a letter from Wilma Leslie to include informational kiosks in the construction of the Marine Mariner’s memorial, which led to a wider discussion about the memorial. As envisioned, the kiosks would include information about the eras of navigation, from Tlingit sailing canoes to the cruise ship era. Commissioners said they would meet with Leslie at a future date to discuss the inclusion.

“I think that it’s good to have that input, but I feel like this is a little ahead of where we actually are at this point,” said Commissioner Brennon Eagle. “I think we’re going to have to have several meetings and workshops as this develops and progresses as to where we want all we want incorporated and what we want to go. Once a structure is erected out there, it’ll help bring the pieces together.”

The commission has received a grant from the art-funding Rasmuson Foundation to assist in the planning. Commissioners also discussed incorporating an anchor from the wreck of a Chinese-crewed fishing vessel nearby. The project originally started as a senior project for successive graduates of Wrangell High, but has since taken on wider support in the community.

The commission also welcomed David Silva and John Martin, elected Oct. 1, to their first meeting.