Posted on: Saturday, October 5, 2002

EDITORIAL
Boating slip fees can go up, but reasonably

Statewide hearings are being held today on a proposal to substantially increase fees — and add some new ones — for the use of state public boating facilities.

While the need for some increase in fees seems obvious, given the huge backlog of repairs and improvements needed in our small-boat harbors, these changes must be approached carefully.

That is, the fees charged to people who use harbors for recreation — sailing, fishing and the like — must be set with that recreational objective always in mind.

The best example of this balance comes at the popular Ala Wai Harbor, where there is almost always a waiting list for slips. Clearly, the "market" would support higher fees than currently charged, given the demand.

But the fees must not be increased to the point where they drive out recreational users and leave the harbor to wealthy yacht owners for whom price is no major concern.

The draft rules up for public hearing would triple today's slip fees. Is that reasonable? If the fees are increased by that amount, will amenities be improved to a similar degree?

The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation clearly intends fees charged at popular harbors to help support improvements and maintenance at harbors elsewhere. This makes a certain amount of sense.

But the Ala Wai cannot be treated as a "cash cow" enjoyed only by the wealthy who are willing and able to cough up money to support other boating facilities elsewhere in the state.

The first principle here should be to keep the Ala Wai Harbor — and all other state boating facilities, for that matter — as accessible and reasonably affordable recreational amenities for all Hawai'i citizens.