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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes Watershore And Beach Advisory Committee - 02/04/1993 MINUTES WATER/SHORE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 4, 1993 - 5:00 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Frank Beck, Quenten Cook, Robert Gross, David McKee, Vic Menard, Scott Skinner, Patricia Suter and Randy Thompson. MEMBERS ABSENT: Charlene Forest STAFF PRESENT: Malcolm Matthews, Director of Park & Recreation, Lou Hilzinger, Marina Harbormaster and Benita Brunner, Secretary. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Cook called the regular monthly meeting of the Water/ Shore Advisory Committee to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Committee Room at City Hall. ACTION ON ABSENCES: The motion was made by Mr. Skinner, seconded by Ms. Suter, to excuse Ms. Forest's absence from the 1/7/93 meeting. Motion passed. ACTION ON MINUTES: The motion was made by Mr. Menard, seconded by Ms. Suter, to approve the 1/7/93 Minutes as presented. Motion passed. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Marina Office Subcommittee - Mr. Thompson reported that the Subcommittee will be able to present a recommendation after they have reviewed options associated with relocating and/or building a Marina office in conjunction with the Lighthouse Restaurant. Mr. Matthews stated that the Subcommittee would need to include information staff receives from FEMA regarding what can/cannot be built on the T-Heads. Kennedy Causeway Committee - Ms. Suter stated she would be attending the Kennedy Causeway Committee which will be meeting to discuss renewed concerns. She will report on their findings at the next meeting. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Mr. Matthews reported on the: water toy permits passing City Council's first reading; second reading to occur (2/9/93) in time to allow short term permits so operators can open prior to Spring Break; and bids for Lawrence Street pier replacements to be received February 17th. PRESENTATIONS: Regional Transit Authority's (RTA) Proposed Water Taxi - Steve Ortmann advised the Committee that RTA is reinvestigating the need for a water taxi and has received bids for their purchase of vessels but no bids for operating the service. RTA proposes to lease the vessel used in conjunction with the Aquarium opening in 1990 for a six month minimum term operation to allow them to assess the operation's viability from Labor Day through Christmas. Discussion followed. RTA will be seeking the Committee's input and approval for this matter in the near future. Marina Security Provided by Police Department (PD) - Commander Don Dixon reported that in the last six months, PD responded to 221 incidents on the bayfront. PD can now determine how many calls are actually made in the Marina. He reported that after hours (10PM-6AM), Marina security is provided by one unit which is responsible to patrol from Emerald Beach down Shoreline to the Barge Dock. That unit does not receive calls that a normal beat unit would, but is made available to provide emergency back up to units out of the area. Additional units in the area ScANHED Water/Shore Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes February 4, 1993 during the day consist of a downtown beat unit, two mopeds and occasionally the bicycle patrols. Discussion followed. Chairman Cook stated that Marina tenants are very interested in PD maintaining patrols in the Marina. DISCUSSION ITEMS: Marina Slip Rental Rates - Discussion followed regarding how Marina rates are structured, consideration of operation costs and current debt service; current services and facilities and how they compare to other local Marinas; past economic climate and slip waiting list versus current market and empty/unusable slips; Marina operating as an Enterprise Fund; possible need for less large, more small slips; impact of housing editions with adjacent canals; Marina's convenient location; current transient rates; etc. Public comments regarded the need to lower slip rental rates in order to fill the Marina; need to advertise the Marina in periodicals and at boat shows as many smaller marinas do; basing rentals on boat length alone; staggering Marina work shifts so one staff is patrolling in Marina vehicle with yellow flashing light after hours (10PM- 7AM); reported problem a newcomer had when trying to rent a slip in the Marina; need to lower transient rates especially during prime sailing season; and a suggestion to freeze rates to current while offering lower rates to new business and if at the end of one year revenue is increased 10-15%, keep lower rates and offer rebate to those who stayed at higher rates. Jim Schwobel of Corpus Christi International School of Sailing distributed a letter to the Committee (copy attached). CURRENT CONCERNS AND EVENTS: Mr. Matthews responded to Mr. Menard that City Council had received the Committee's Goals and Objectives Report in November. No Council action was required on the Report and the Council has not requested that Chairman Cook make a presentation to them regarding the report. Mr. Hilzinger responded to Mr. Beck that staff would be overhauling the public boat ramps on the Coopers Alley L-Head in February by installing new fendering and cleats. HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC: Mr. Matthews responded to questioning that possible Lighthouse expansion will necessitate relocating the Marina Office and a portion of the boat haul out facility may have to house the Marina shop. Nothing will occur before the City gets answers from FEMA, the Building Code Board of Appeals, and other policy making boards regarding the Lighthouse expansion. A new Marina Office, separate from the Lighthouse, will need to be centrally located. Staff and *.he Marina Office Subcommittee are reviewing the office relocation and the impact on parking on the North end of the Lawrence Street T-Head. Mr. Matthews responded to questioning that staff could study long term parking solutions to include reducing medians and switching to diagonal parking. ADJOURNMENT: As there was no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m. Malcolm Matthews, Director Park & Recreation Department Corpus. ` v Christi INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL of SAILING February 2, 1993 Honorable Mayor, City Council Members and members of the Watershore Committee, City of Corpus Christi, Thank you for the opportunity to address slip rates in the Corpus Christi marina. I wish to address the currentrate structure for slips that commercial boats must pay. I will examine why those commercial rates should be lowered. I will also offer suggestions as to how the marina might increase slip occupancy and therefore revenues. The primary business of the Corpus Christi International School of Sailing (CCISS) is to provide sailing services to customers from all over the United States. Those services include bareboat charters, captained charters and American Sailing Association (ASA) sailing courses. We are an Authorized Training Facility for ASA which is an organization that has developed national standards for training and certifying all levels of sailing education. The majority of our customers do not live in Corpus Christi and must be reached through advertising in their local markets. CCISS advertises in Texas Monthly, their local newspapers and national sailing magazines such as Sailing and Cruising World. CCISS. also leases booth space at the annual boat shows in Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. CCISS spends a substantial amount of its business expenses on advertising. CCISS business is directly responsible for bringing the majority of our customers to Corpus Christi. We go out there and get them! We won't claim that CCISS brings as many tourists to Corpus Christi as the Lexington or Texas State Aquarium but CCISS does bring tourists to Corpus Christi. The majority of our customers stay in Corpus Christi for several days and thus CCISS is directly responsible for those tourist dollars spent in local hotels, restaurants and other businesses patronized by tourists. The sailboats used by CCISS are owned by individuals who seek to recover some of the expenses of owning a sailboat by placing their sailboats with CCISS from which they receive a share of the profits. These sailboats are currentlypaying slip rates more than 60% higher than what individuals -pay for their slips. YACHT BASIN L HEAD • P.O. BOX 995 • CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS 78403 • (512) 881-8503 Attachment: - List of contacts and costs for the major boat shows in Texas Austin Boat and Recreation Show Town Lake Productions 8310 Capital of Texas North, Suite 250 Austin, Texas 78731 Ms. Kay McGrath (512) 338-0383 Cost: $450 Dallas Boat Show at Market Hall -address not available- Ms. Ruth Johnstone (713)439-5890 Cost: approx. $500 Dallas Convention Center Worldwide Productions, Inc. 1411 Eastgate Drive Garland, Texas 75041 (214) 686-8909 Cost: approx. $400 San Antonio Double C Productions, Inc. P.O. Box 1678 Huntsville, Texas 77342-1678 (409) 295-9677 Cost: $450