Santa Cruz Port District Newsletter - January 2020

2020 Parking Stickers & Waiting List Renewals

Parking Stickers Slip renter parking stickers are available for pick up. As a reminder, all licensees must pick up the 2020 parking stickers in person at the harbor office. Only the slip licensee of record may pick up the parking permits. Licensees must bring personal photo identification and current vessel registration or documentation . Parking permits for landside tenants are also available for pick up. Waiting List Renewals 2020 waiting list renewal fees will appear on your January statement. To avoid late fees, payments must be received by February 20, 2020. A courtesy reminder will be sent to all individuals who have unpaid balances in mid-February. If you have any questions regarding your placement on the waiting list, please contact the harbor office at (831) 475-6161.

Welcome Corner

Introducing Newly Appointed Commissioner Reed Geisreiter At its Special Public Session of December 17, 2019, the Port Commission appointed Reed Geisreiter to fill a seat which has a term expiring in December 2020. Reed previously served on the Port Commission from 2009 to 2018. In addition to serving on several non-profit and governmental boards, Reed's extensive background in commercial banking and real estate will help guide the Port District on critical budgetary and policy issues. The District is pleased to welcome back Commissioner Geisreiter.

Introducing New Reserve Deputy Harbormaster John Agnew The Santa Cruz Port District welcomes John Agnew as its newest Reserve Deputy Harbormaster. John was sworn in at the Port Commission's December meeting. John is originally from Dayton, Ohio. After two years in college, John enlisted in the United States Coast Guard stationed in West Palm Beach, Florida where he was trained for search and rescue at a small boat station. John relocated to California in January 2019. If you see John out and about in the harbor, please join us in welcoming him to the Santa Cruz Harbor team!

2019-20 Dredge Operations

Federal Entrance Channel Dredging: After making its way out to the harbor entrance along the west side of the navigation channel, the crew recently pulled back and mobilized equipment and pipeline on the east side of the channel. The crew will continue moving south along the eastern edge, and as weather conditions permit, will address shallow areas directly outside of the harbor mouth. As always, it is incumbent upon vessel skippers to be aware of, and assess depths in the entrance channel prior to transit. Skippers with deeper draft vessels need to be especially vigilant. Prior to transit, check tide and weather conditions, view the entrance sounding online ( click here), and know what your vessel draws. Entrance soundings will be updated bi-weekly and posted on the District's website. During dredging operations, pass Twin Lakes on the east side (Crow's Nest side) of the channel unless otherwise marked. Stay at least 50' from the dredge. Contact the crew for passing instructions on VHF channel 8. North Harbor Dredging: Crews mobilized Squirt to the western side of J-Dock in late-December. Dredging of fine-grained material is permitted through February 28, 2020, while dredging of sandy, coarse-grained material is permitted through April 30, 2020. Please read all gate notices and beware of submerged pipe and equipment hazards when operating in the area. Harbor staff will be in contact with boat owners who may be in an area slated for dredging.

Employment Opportunities

Harbormaster Full-time, benefited position Salary Range $7,231 to $9,690/month, depending on experience and qualifications. APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 10, 2020, 5:00 PM Job Announcement Flyer Harbor Dredge Worker Full-time, benefited position Salary Range $3,651 to $5,949/month, depending on experience and qualifications. APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 17, 2020, 5:00 PM Job Announcement Flyer Dredge Monitors Part-time, temporary position Starts at $13.00/hour APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open Until Filled Job Announcement Flyer

Visit the District's  website  to learn more about employment opportunities at the harbor.

Aldo's Seawall Replacement Project

Construction of the new seawall was completed on November 30, 2019, replacing the former seawall structure which had reached the end of its useful life. Minor punch list items remain. It is interesting to note that Granite Construction Company was the original contractor for construction of the south harbor basin in 1963-64, so this was the second time that Granite has been involved in construction of this seawall! We are happy to announce that at its regular public session on November 26, 2019, the Port Commission awarded a new long-term lease agreement to Aldo’s Harbor Restaurant, which will allow them to finance, design and construct a replacement restaurant building and related site improvements. Design and planning for the new restaurant is underway, and construction is expected to commence after the tenant successfully obtains all permits. Because the permit process for over-water work is intensive and can be protracted, construction is expected to commence in approximately 2+ years.  Staff looks forward to welcoming Aldo’s back to their original waterside location on Atlantic Avenue!

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety Courses

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering boating safety courses on Coastal Navigation, Boating Skills, and Sailing Skills to start in January. Registration for these classes will take place on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, at the Santa Cruz Harbor Public Meeting Room. Click here for more information about these courses.

Replacement Harbor Patrol Boat

The Port District was successful in securing a one-time budget allocation from the State of California for a replacement marine search and rescue patrol vessel. This State funding will ensure the replacement of the Port District’s 20-year old patrol vessel and will allow the Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol to continue its mission of safely serving the needs of the community and boating public on the Central Coast for decades to come. Fabrication of the vessel is underway and is anticipated to take 14 months. For more information check out this article by The Maritime Executive.

GIF by Matt Fitt Photography