Board Delays Charter Boat Permit as Salmon Season Looms

The San Mateo County Harbor District Board of Commissioners waded into a charged debate over who gets to fish Pillar Point Harbor's waters when salmon season opens April 11 — the first opening in years — ultimately punting a Berkeley charter boat's permit to a special meeting while ordering the first-ever review of a 40-year-old permit system. The board also green-lit a 2.2% rate hike, previewed a $16 million budget shadowed by a Genentech property tax hit, and heard residents clash over a departed restaurant and accusations of misconduct by the general manager.

• Board votes 4-1 to delay outside charter boat permit, ordering a special meeting March 26 as harbor tenants warn against undercutting local operators before salmon season

• Finance committee tasked with overhauling the 40-year-old charter permit ordinance that commissioners say no longer fits today's small fishing boats

• 2.2% rate increase and three new fees initiated unanimously, generating $63,000 in additional revenue starting July 1

• First-look budget projects $16M in revenue but working capital drops nearly 45% after major capital projects

• Genentech property tax appeal cuts district revenue by $60,000, with commissioners warning more corporate reassessments may follow countywide

• Resident demands investigation into General Manager James Pruett over an alleged retaliatory letter sent on official harbor letterhead

The longest and most heated discussion of the evening centered on a commercial activity permit application from Big C Charters, a Berkeley-based operation seeking to bring its vessel Outer Limits to Pillar Point Harbor through Dec. 31, 2026. The item was pulled from the consent calendar for separate debate — and the debate ran for more than 50 minutes.