§ 15.28.040. Policy.

It is the policy of the city to lease a portion of Zone A-1-3 for use by the Morro Bay Yacht Club to serve transient vessels and Zone A-1-4 to a commercial mooring operator or operators for installation and rental of individual moorings. Zones A-1-1 through A-1-2 and Zone A-2 shall be reserved for the rental of specific mooring locations to individuals and Zone A-1-5 shall be reserved by the city to provide an anchorage and/or mooring area for transient vessels.

In the event that individual moorings in Zones A-1-1 through A-1-2 and A-2 are not in use for a ten-day period, the city may, at its option, rent these moorings to individuals at the same fee charged at city piers. Rents collected will be credited to the lessees account in the same manner as slip sublease rents collected as detailed in Resolution 09-81.

The leasing of mooring zones by commercial mooring operators shall be determined by bid in accordance with specifications and conditions established by the city. Mooring locations within the zone or zones reserved for private individuals shall be rented on an individual basis by application to the harbor director.

The lease or rental term for mooring zones or individual mooring locations shall not exceed a total of one year, which term may be renewable at the option of the city; provided, that if the city at any time requires the movement of the mooring zones, or movement of individual mooring locations due to realignment of the navigable channel, or to perform necessary dredging operations, or for any reason deemed appropriate by the city council, then such lease or rental term shall be terminated. In such case, the city may provide comparable mooring space for the duration of the lease or rental term. This will not be interpreted as interfering with the long-term leases between the city and the Morro Bay Yacht Club or commercial mooring operators.

Installation, maintenance and inspection of moorings shall be in accordance with and subject to city specifications and conditions. Installation, maintenance and inspection costs shall be at the expense of the commercial mooring operator, the Morro Bay Yacht Club or individual mooring owner. Each mooring shall be inspected for general condition and safety biannually by the chief harbor patrol officer and/or his delegates. This inspection will not be interpreted as causing liability to transfer to the city of Morro Bay. Such inspection is due on the anniversary of the lease.

In the event that a mooring owned, installed and maintained by a commercial operator, the Morro Bay Yacht Club or a private individual is abandoned, or in the event that rental fees owed to the city are in arrears for sixty days, or in the event that the leasee fails to comply with the inspection and repair requirements within thirty days following the anniversary, then the harbor director may have the mooring removed and the boat stored in drydock, or in any convenient and reasonable manner at the sole cost of the mooring owner. In the event that the mooring owner fails to reimburse the city within thirty days following removal, then the city may sell the mooring to recoup the cost of the mooring removal and administrative costs associated with that removal. The proceeds of that sale are to be deposited in the harbor fund.

(Ord. 364 § 2 (part), 1989: Ord. 218, 1982: Ord. 119 § 1 (part), 1974: prior code § 9506.4)