Property tax levy increase, fee hikes approved by Port of Kingston for 2018

KINGSTON — Rate increases, and a property tax levy increase, and passenger ferry dock construction were unanimously approved Oct. 24 by the Port of Kingston Board of Commissioners.

The 2018 budget was the order of the day as the commissioners discussed where the port will be spending and earning its money. One such expense will come from the sale of one of the port’s boats, originally purchased for the now-discontinued SoundRunner passenger ferry service.

“We need to understand that we’re going to have to pay money to get rid of that red boat,” Port Manager Jim Pivarnik said.

“It’s not worth what we owe on it and at this point we’re very aggressively looking at selling it, knowing that it’s going to be about $150,000 or $160,000 of our budget that we’re going to have to pay the federal government back in order to get rid of that boat.”

According to Pivarnik, the race is on to sell the boat because the barge it’s moored at will accommodate the Kitsap Transit passenger-only ferry, which is expected to begin service to and from Seattle next summer.

Pivarnik also discussed at the meeting the port’s rate schedule for 2018, which includes a number of increases from last year.

Rate changes for 2018 will include:

  • Nightly guest moorage increased to $1.10 per foot, including electricity, bathroom and shower access;
  • Dinghy and skiff tie-up rate increased to $5;
  • Seasonal guest moorage monthly rates increased to $6.42 per foot;
  • Monthly open moorage rates on docks B, C, D and E increased to $5.67 per foot on 24-foot slips and $5.84 per foot on 28-foot slips;
  • Monthly covered-moorage rates increased to $9.43 per foot;
  • Kilowatt hour cost increased by .2 cents;
  • Monthly covered kayak storage rate increased to $26.25;
  • Hourly parking will increase to $6 for up to 12 hours;
  • Monthly commuter parking increased to $85; and
  • Annual commercial-buyer operating fee increased to $200 per vehicle.

The port will eliminate nightly electricity fees in favor of absorbing the cost into moorage rates. The port will also eliminate a sublease extension administrative fee. Instead of allowing tenants to sublease their slips while they’re away, the port will manage vacant slips.

A fee for local advertisers to run messages on a new electronic reader board is being added for $25 per message per week; however, an annual bulk rate of $350 is being discussed for certain approved advertisers.

In addition to the approved rate changes, the port commissioners unanimously approved a property tax levy increase of .8827 percent over last year, to be collected in 2018. The increase is expected to gather an additional $1,720 over last year’s levy amount.

In 2018, the Port of Kingston expects to spend a total of $1,385,000 on capital projects, some of which will include improving existing structures in order to get the port ready for passenger ferry service.

Improvements include the possible construction of a facility to house security staff, barge renovations and improvements to a dock ramp. After reimbursements from Kitsap Transit and state Recreational Conservation Office Grants, the port is expected to spend only $160,000 on capital projects next year.

—Nick Twietmeyer is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. Contact him at ntwietmeyer@soundpublishing.com.

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