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City plans lottery for new boat slips
By LESTER R. DAILEY
| Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 |
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CLEARWATER – What does a city do when the demand for boat slips at its new downtown marina exceeds the supply by a margin of nearly four to one? It holds a lottery.
The marina, which is expected to open July 1, 2009 will have between 129 and 140 rental slips. But there are more than 500 names on the “interest list” of potential renters.
“It is part of our charter now that priority will be given to (Clearwater) residents,” Margie Simmons, the city’s finance director, told the City Council at its Aug. 18 work session. She added that interested residents must live on a property that actually pays Clearwater taxes, not just have a Clearwater mailing address, and they must be able to provide such proof of residency as a homestead exemption certificate or lease.
Two separate lists will be kept, one for Clearwater residents and one for nonresidents. If there are more slips than there are Clearwater applicants, the nonresident slips will be allocated by a lottery.
Applicants for the lot-
tery must put up a $500 deposit. If they get a slip, the
money will be applied toward the first and last months’ rent. If not, the applicant may get a full $500 refund or a $400 refund and be on the waiting list.
The lottery drawing will be at the Harborview Center March 14, when the contractor, Misener Marine Construction, is expected to have half the project finished. The applicant or his representative must be present at the drawing or the $500 deposit will be forfeited.
“My only concern was being present at the lottery,” Mayor Frank Hibbard said after hearing the plan. He worried that the provision would be hard for applicants with busy schedules.
But Simmons replied that the purpose of having the applicant or his representative present was so winners could select their slips on the spot and not delay the process while city officials tried to reach them by phone. Besides, she added, anybody should be able to find a representative with the amount of prior notice the city is giving them.
“Having it (the lottery) on a single day makes it clear as to who gets a slip and who doesn’t,” said Doug Matthews, the city’s communications director.
City officials will put the finishing touches on the lottery resolution and present it for City Council approval in October. The city will mail brochures to applicants on the list and continue to send information to new applicants.
The marina also will have more than 1,700 feet of “side-tie” mooring where visiting boaters can tie up overnight, and another 800 feet of side-tie mooring where day visitors can tie up free while they shop or attend events in nearby Coachman Park. Amenities will include parking, a floating concrete dock, laundry facilities, electricity and cable hook-ups for boats, a sewage tank pump-out service, restrooms with showers, and 24-hour security.
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Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008
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