Response to new Marina fees, City Council Meeting, January
25, 2000**
Fifteen years ago Marina Staff proposed renewal of Docks A
through E, to take advantage of low interest Cal Boating
financing, and anyway, in their professional opinion, and that
of a hired diver (who never went in the water) these docks could
not withstand the next big storm and would be blown away. These
docks are still performing yeoman service despite years of no
maintenance due to their impending replacement. Outraged by
such unnecessary and ill conceived wastefulness, the Berkeley
Berthers Association became involved and at their urging two
independent consultants were engaged (at a cost of over 100 K)
to study and report on the condition and viability of the
Marina*. A City audit* was then conducted (cost unknown) which
confirmed the consultants' conclusions that unless something was
done, the many million dollar Marina reserve fund would be
depleted in a few years. It's a few years folks and the Marina
reserve fund is history.
Rather than take action to stem the inevitable by installing
a responsible, effective, and accountable management structure,
the City has continued to manipulate and micro-manage Staff to
the point where there has been a "musical chairs" turnover of
upper management* concurrently with a reduced level of
maintenance and declining occupancy rate.
There has always been the contention that City taxes are
continuously and surreptitiously supplemented from Marina
revenues and resources, rather than these being contained within
the Marina Enterprise Zone* as mandated by the Cal Boating loan
agreements. There are many who would agree with this* and many
(City taxpayers) who would not. Unfortunately Cal Boating
appears to be with the latter. If the contention is that Marina
revenues are not siphoned off then why...
…does the marina provide and maintain hundreds of parking
places for automobile visitors to a City park, that at its
inception was agreed to be serviced by foot, cycle, or public
transportation?
…did the City instigate construction of a 12,000 square foot
building, under the guise of fostering uptown entrepreneurial
programs, which has been 90% vacant since before 1985, and
remains so, to be leased as a "fixer upper"?
…is the Marina Enterprise Zone's major tenant allowed to
circumvent the letter and spirit of the loan agreements, by
sending 1.5 million annually bed tax directly uptown. This (non
union employer) tenant contributes only .5 million to the
Marina. It's clientele enjoy World Class location, ambiance,
and unsurpassed views. The Marina is the foreground of this
visual feast. Without the Marina, who would build such a
facility on bay fill, overlooking refuse, trash, garbage and
scavengers?
The high bilge water alarm came on three times fifteen years
ago and is still sounding and rather than fix the leaky boat,
the passengers are being asked, again to pay a surcharge to buy
more pumps. The reality is that these passengers can take
another boat! The reserve fund is in negative territory,
somebody says we can balance a 400K shortfall with 150K, a
multi-million dollar Marina enhancement plan is taking shape, A
through E docks still are to be replaced, before or after the
next dredging?
How about going back 15 years, recapturing the bypassed bed
tax, and charge the Marina management with the responsibility,
authority, and accountability of operating what was once a first
class Marina, TOTALLY and clearly isolated and insulated from
debilitating, demoralizing, financially devastating,
bureaucratic, politically correct, interference and meddling.
Is this the impossible dream???
**Not for media publication without the author's permission
*Details upon request
Respectfully Submitted, Bob Griffiths, F-310, (925) 254 9467