Valdez Ports and Harbor Commission Regular Meeting (Rescheduled) — August 31, 2026

The Ports and Harbor Commission held its rescheduled regular meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers. All commissioners were present except Commissioners Kelly and Steed. No non-agenda public business was brought forward. The commission reordered the agenda so the harbor rate schedule could be heard first, approved an amended rate schedule for forwarding to the City Council, discussed Kelsey Dock mooring recovery and long-term improvements, and reviewed the 2026 Prince William Sound pink salmon disaster.

Rate Schedule Repeal and Replacement (Resolution No. 26-29)

• Moved to the first item of New Business to accommodate public attendance.
• Harbor staff summarized that the main changes from the previous draft, based on customer and user feedback, were the removal of parking fees and skiff charges, plus minor tweaks.
• A commissioner expressed support for replacing the anchorage CPI-plus-1-percent adjustment with a flat 2 percent rate going into 2028, noting anchorage CPI has ranged from 0 to 8.8 percent, which could have produced an 8–9 percent harbor rate increase in a high year. The same commissioner supported the removal of skiff fees, noting the commission has historically allowed commercial mortgage agreements to cover a skiff.
• The commission removed the proposed $25 slip transfer ("move list") fee by unanimous voice vote. Staff estimated about a dozen transfers per year and reported only two new move list requests since the fee was introduced; a commissioner said the transfer work is part of the administrative cost of managing the harbor.
• For the fuel flowage fee, staff stated it was intended for commercial fueling only (about once a year, typically the Columbia Queen at the seawall) and that North Pacific Fuel's current arrangement matches Crowley's practice. A commissioner requested clarifying language limiting the fee to commercial fuel in DOT-approved containers so small non-commercial containers (e.g., a five-gallon can) are not charged; staff agreed to add the "commercial" wording.
• The commission approved an amendment capping the fish cleaning permit fee at $100, halting the previously scheduled escalation to $300 and the $500 cap in 2028. Discussion referenced a letter from Mike Waller, who reported difficulty hiring fish cleaners at all, with wait times up to four hours and charter operators considering a return to deck hands doing fish cutting. Commissioners noted fish cutters charge $1–$2 per fish, are not required to carry insurance, and that a Coast Guard member had paid the fee to help fill the gap when a regular cutter returned to college. One commissioner said $500 felt high despite supporting the service.
• On RV camping, a motion to raise unauthorized camping to $100 per night was withdrawn after discussion. Staff will consolidate the duplicate "unauthorized camping" and "illegal camping" categories into one. Rates remain $60 per night May 1–September 30 and $40 per night October 15–April 15 (off-season, when RV parks are closed and skiers from Thompson Pass seek overnight spots).
• On spill recovery, a commissioner raised a recent South Basin spill that occurred 50 feet from the free bilge collection facility. Staff clarified that oil disposal at the North Basin and South Basin sites is free to encourage proper disposal. When the city responds to a spill, the responsible party is charged labor and materials at cost plus 15 percent. Fines are capped at $500 per city code (e.g., $200 for a first offense for releasing fuel oil or derivatives, increasing by $100 per offense, with a third violation possibly resulting in trespass); amounts above the cap require prosecutors.
• A motion to forward the rate schedule, as amended, to the City Council passed by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Nikki Nookham, a 44-year liveaboard in the harbor, asked what became of Catherine Walters' concern about making the annual upland fee seasonal rather than annual. Staff responded that the fee remains annual but the director has hardship discretion; if the nine-month term ends in mid-winter, fees stay the same until the vessel can be returned to the water, and Catherine was fine with that arrangement. Nookham also asked whether authorized camping exists; staff said overnight camping is arranged by request at $40 per night, with electricity as a separate fee. She requested that the prohibition on fishing or trolling from vessels apply only to motorized vessels because kayakers troll in the harbor; a commissioner responded that non-motorized vessels are more dangerous in the old harbor because they cannot get out of the way quickly, making them a hazard to navigation.
• Marcus Fuller, a harbor resident since the late 1990s as a crew member and boat owner, expressed concern about the economic pressure on people living and working in the harbor, video-based enforcement and crew members being cited on the docks, and having been reported for a spill without direct notification or a chance to respond. He also asked about strong cleaning solvents applied to Kelsey Dock surfaces and fish cleaning tables and their potential impact on the water where salmon runs occur; staff said they would verify whether only bleach is being used. Fuller suggested the city consider incentives, such as a "good list" rate, rather than only fees and fines, describing the harbor as a safe haven whose residents bridge the community.

Discussion Items

Kelsey Dock Mooring Recovery and Long-Term Improvements

• Staff met with a Samson rope representative about two weeks before the meeting and received a proposed solution; they are awaiting the design/build team's rating for the bollard pile installed between the ferry terminal and Kelsey Dock in January 2026.
• The proposal uses roughly 115-foot mooring lines with soft shackles connecting facility lines to vessel lines eye-to-eye, allowing longshoremen to use the new shore-side bollard. The soft shackle is the intentional fail point so vessel or facility lines are not damaged; spares would be kept on hand. Individual messenger lines would be tied to each facility line eye so crew can work one line at a time.
• The mooring lines have a six-week lead time, so they will not arrive before the current season ends; the effort will continue toward a long-term solution.
• Cruise lines requested 175,000 pounds of pulling weight, which exceeds the current infrastructure rating. Lines will be rated for the installed infrastructure, and certification (tensile strength and break point) will be provided to the cruise line agent.
• The tie-up and let-go procedure was reviewed by the longshoremen and stevedore manager, who said it could work; the cruise lines have not yet formally agreed. Staff plan to convene a 30–45 minute meeting with all parties once line specifications and blueprints are available.
• Commissioner Mike raised liability concerns about the port providing mooring lines, noting the city's "deep pockets" if a line parts and someone is hurt or property damaged. Staff acknowledged that port-provided mooring lines are uncommon in the industry ("an anomaly") and that the city does not want to assume that liability. The marine department may arrange a demonstration of its existing tie-up system, used since Crowley departed and line boats were removed from the berths, as an alternative to crews accessing lines over riprap and vegetation — the temporary use permit does not authorize clearing the vegetation.
• On prioritization, the commission discussed not pitting the Kelsey Dock project against the container dock fire line and water system replacement (following a spring hazmat shutdown threat) or the launch ramps; all three are economic drivers. The commission will prioritize its top five capital projects in the third week of September, and the city manager has the budget for a month. Staff will recap finishing projects and budgets at the next meeting. Cruise head fees, described as low system-wide, will likely return for discussion.

2026 Prince William Sound Pink Salmon Disaster

• Staff advised that the harbor is tracking costs in anticipation of a state disaster declaration; the season is not officially over, and the governor's election year was noted as a factor in the timing of any declaration.
• A commissioner supported doing what the city can for relief but encouraged including sport and charter operators alongside the larger commercial sector, since charter operators have also had a difficult year.
• Staff noted the possibility of shutting off inner storage feeds rather than paying to ship fish out.

Reports and Commission Business

• The Ports & Harbors Director's Staff Report was reviewed; no items beyond the packet were raised.
• Commissioner Mike, who previously served on the commission, expressed appreciation for the harbor staff's work and looked forward to working with everyone; the chair welcomed him back.
• The meeting was adjourned.

Key Outcomes

• The amended Valdez Harbors Full Legal Rate Schedule will be forwarded to the City Council: the $25 slip transfer fee was removed, the fish cleaning permit fee was capped at $100, "commercial" wording will be added to the fuel flowage fee, and the duplicate unauthorized/illegal camping categories will be consolidated.
• Kelsey Dock mooring work will continue: staff will obtain bollard ratings, order lines and soft shackles, and schedule a meeting of all parties to finalize the procedure.
• The commission will deliver its top five capital project priorities in the third week of September.
• Staff will continue tracking pink salmon disaster costs and await a state declaration before proposing relief.