San Mateo County rejects Harbor District proposition to become a port authority

The suggestion was born after the San Mateo County Local Agency Formation Commission — which controls the boundaries of cities and special districts — conducted a review of the Harbor District. 

Though LAFCo’s report didn’t recommend any changes to the agency’s sphere of influence, which was rated at zero, it did note that dissolving the organization could save the county money. 

The Harbor District, which currently maintains the Pillar Point Harbor and Oyster Point Marina, responded to LAFCo’s draft report by suggesting its sphere of influence be expanded by managing county-owned airports and marinas. 

“We’re very interested in running Coyote Point Marina, taking over ownership of that … then it grew into the discussion with the board where other special districts in California have it in their legislation from the state that they could run the local county airports,” Harbor District General Manager James Pruett said. “So instead of just being a county harbor district, we can become a county port district.” 

While LAFCo did not include that suggestion in its final report, which will be reviewed March 19, Pruett said the idea could allow for more specialized review of county harbors and airports. 

“We’re really focused on the harbor, water and the marina,” he said. “Same thing if we had the airports, we focus on airport issues, and the level of bureaucracy, the level of management in the county would be reduced just simply to the Harbor District.” 

Both airports are within the district of San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, who said that the benefit of jurisdictional reorganization had not been illustrated to him. 

“After hearing of this idea, indirectly, I asked the county professional team their opinion, and the consensus was it wasn’t necessary nor would it improve services,” he said. “The Harbor District has not reached out to me, or provided any explanation how the idea could benefit San Mateo County taxpayers.” 

Significant changes would be required to give the Harbor District authority over county-run airports, including legislative action at the state level, Pruett said. The district would also have to get county approval and then submit a report to LAFCo to receive official permission. 

The county-run Coyote Point Marina would benefit from the Harbor District’s expertise, Commissioner Tom Mattusch said. 

“I think that you have to look at the county and say, ‘Hey, County of San Mateo Parks Department, why are you not improving Coyote Point Marina the way the Harbor District is improving Pillar Point Harbor and Oyster Point?’” he said. 

Pruett took a more diplomatic tack. 

“The county is more concerned about overall safety and security, and the work the Harbor District is [doing] would be more focused on simple operations of specialized activities,” he said. “I’m not saying for a second that the county is not doing a good job.” 

While the Harbor District has never had any experience managing and running airports, California harbors and navigation code technically makes it permissible, Mattusch said. 

“When the harbors and navigation code that says we can do it, and why not?” he said. 

Pruett also noted that the Harbor District has made significant strides in recent years, improving its managerial and efficiency practices. 

“The Harbor District was really dysfunctional, wasn’t operating properly, wasn’t transparent in what it was doing, and was really the laughingstock of the state,” he said. “In the last five to six years, the district has completely turned itself around and made significant improvements in finance, administration, management, governance and getting projects completed.” 

Regardless, the idea of the Harbor District expanding its authority was untenable to Callagy, who reiterated the fact that the county was not briefed on the idea. 

“It doesn’t seem logical to me and I think our staff does an outstanding job,” he said. “It seems like a solution looking for a purpose.”