Boating: From Gulf of Mexico to St. Andrews Bay, it could be within reach
Boaters avoiding the cost of dry/wet docks by keeping their boats at home have a number of public ramps to use, like this one at St. Andrews Marina.
Mike Cazalas, The News Herald
PANAMA CITY — After rocking the boat with a proposed ordinance to regulate commercial activity at public boat ramps last month, Panama City officials are seeking a compromise with businesses that operate on the water.
Officials held a workshop at City Hall on Thursday to gain input from residents and business owners on Ordinance 3082.
Commissioners and business owners alike expressed their desire to find a solution. Mayor Greg Brudnicki said commissioners received valuable input from boat captains.
“I think (the workshop) shed some light on some things that we probably didn’t think about or realize. … I knew that most of the problems that we’re having were probably coming not from fishermen,” Brudnicki said. “I’m glad that the fishermen came in, I think that we can get the issue handled fairly quickly.”
Rocking the boat: Panama City gets backlash for proposed regulations on boat ramps
Similar ordinance: County prohibits commercial use at 11 boat ramps. Is yours on the list?
City officials said they plan to redraft the ordinance and will start over with a first reading. No date was set for bringing the rewritten ordinance to a vote.
“I think there’s gonna be a lot of changes to the ordinance we made. We made first the decision to divide off parks from boat ramp activity,” Commissioner Josh Street said. “I can’t say enough how much I appreciate all the captains that showed up to share their opinions and their thoughts and really helped us to understand how we can better serve them and how ultimately we can increase public access.”
What is Ordinance 3082?
The proposed ordinance was brought forward at the commission’s July 12 meeting, seeking to regulate or prohibit commercial boat activity at city-owned boat ramps and parks. The ordinance also would require commercial vendors to obtain a permit and acquire insurance to use a boat ramp.
The following proposed neighborhood ramps would prohibit any commercial activity:
- Bob George in Millville
- Millville Waterfront (kayaks only)
- Lake Huntington in St. Andrews
- Carl Gray Park near Gulf Coast State College
- Snug Harbor in Millville
Commercial activity would be allowed at the Panama City Marina and St. Andrews Marina, but with regulations.
The ordinance comes three months after Bay County adopted a similar one to regulate commercial activity at 11 neighborhood boat ramps.
Quality of Life Director Sean DePalma said officials saw a spike in commercial activity at Panama City parks after the county passed its ordinance.
“At this time, we have airboat rides going out at Carl Gray Park commercial activity. We have Jet Skis, parasailing at Carl Gray Park commercial activity,” DePalma said. “Trying to go there with your children to swim in that water or even use your recreational boat … we had all this activity going on without regulation …”
Officials said they have received complaints from residents and private boat owners, saying businesses are causing congestion, parking issues, noise issues and unsafe conditions.
Voices heard
Fishermen and boat captains said the proposed ordinance would hurt their businesses.
City officials said most of the unregulated commercial activity has been taking place at Carl Gray Park.
Some questioned why it’s included in neighborhood ramps, to which officials noted the new Florida State University Panama City dorms next to the park and nearby homes.
Brad Stevens, owner of SunJammers in St. Andrews, said allowing commercial activity at Carl Gray could be a positive for college students.
“A lot of those (students) at the dorms would love to have some recreation down there. … Most of them don’t have cars or have bikes, so having something very accessible to them, I think would go a really long way to helping boost the educational experience at FSU-PC,” Stevens said.
Officials said the colleges were looking at recreational activities at the park. Street said he was open to the idea of allowing some slips there for commercial use.
Business owners discounted the claims of reduced parking, saying they are in and out in the early morning hours. They said even when it gets heavily crowded at the ramps, it’s only during the summer months and it’s after most are done for the day.
“Now I don’t know about the kayaks and I don’t know about the Jet Skis and all those other things. That’s a whole different ball game than the charter captains. We’re in and out,” Capt. Fred Trotter said. “If I’m there for more than 30 minutes, it’s cutting into my time and I’m starting to get a little agitated.”
Capt. James Pic, who runs a fly fishing business, said officials should consider the different types of boat owners at the marinas when giving out licenses and make sure it’s equal among them. He said he uses the St. Andrews Marina to pick up his customers.
He added his concerns about the impact the ordinance will have on neighboring businesses.
“The big deal that you’re gonna have is how many boats you can allow to launch every day at St. Andrews because people like me, my people are going to come down there and they’re going to get on my boat in the morning. They’re going to get their fish clean. They’re going to pick up their fish and probably go to lunch or somewhere else for lunch,” Pic said. “We’re bringing money down to the area … that early morning money that we’re bringing down, you don’t want to get rid of that.”
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