Residents should have a say on cruise ships
There will be a third cruise ship coming to Catalina Island in 2021. When the City Council was confronted by a citizen at an August 6th Avalon City Council meeting, Cinde Cassidy stated that there would be future transparency and the cruise ship issue would be brought before the public. However, at the following meeting Anni Marshall, the mayor, announced it was a done deal and Royal Caribbean would be the Wednesday ship for 2021 and 2022 during high season only.
After attending a Chamber of Commerce cruise ship committee meeting on October 17, it was clear that the unelected Chamber members are driving the cruise ships to our shore. Our tax money is partially funding a trip for Chamber members, including a City Council member to attend a conference of cruise ship companies. They announced they would be courting at least six other companies. It seems if left up to the Chamber, Avalon could have even more cruise ships not necessarily off season.
Our municipal code needs to be revised so the way ships are welcomed to our town is not just whether there is available dock space but rather a code that respects the desires of the majority of residents and that states what time of year. Also, one which includes wharfage fees which more accurately reflect the value to cruise ships and their visitors.
Avalon wharfage fees currently are at $4 per passenger but not for crew members. Santa Barbara charges a $10,000 landing fee plus 100%of the entire manifest at $7 /head (in 2017). Avalon actually gives back 50% of fees for the 2nd ship as incentive for them to come off season. This amount is charged to the passengers and cost the cruise lines nothing.
We need no additional cruise ships in the summertime. In fact, we lose long-term visitors that make the mistake of visiting on a Monday or Tuesday when the many rental golf carts stop traffic to take selfies.
Golf carts and retail souvenirs are the basis of a cruise ship dependent economy. Businesses that supply recreational experiences sold on board (snorkel tours, bus tours, kayak tours, food tours, etc.) earn only a percentage of their normal fee. Retailers have been told by passengers they are advised on board to wait and buy cheaper in Ensenada.
Considering we have what cruise ships want, the only island with a town to visit on the West Coast one would think we could request greater fees. We have a 100-year-old infrastructure designed for a small town with seasonal visitors. Who will pay to barge our trash? Where does one go to find a rest room? Who will pay for the new waste management plant? Who will pay to repair the pot holes in our roads( golf cart rental companies)? Who will augment our Wi-Fi and LTE bandwidth?
As residents, we can only hope that the Chamber members attending the cruise ship conferences have at least some of these questions in mind as they plan the future of our town.
As long as the code remains as is, even our City Council is unable to control the number of cruise ships. Taking into account the impact on our lives that cruise ship visits represent, residents should have a say as well in the voting booth.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Mattingly
Avalon
