Public Boat Dock Management Services

The City of West Sacramento has a public boat dock located on the west bank of the Sacramento River. The boat dock was funded n part by $1.5 million grant from the Division of Boating and Waterways from the BIG Tier II program. The purpose of the dock was to provide a public transient recreational boat dock for non-trailerable vessels (26 feet or longer) for no more than 15 consecutive nights. The dock is comprised of a 372 feet long floating dock with a 25-foot-long by 60-foot-wide berthing dock and a debris deflector located 60 feet upstream. Since opening the Dock up to the public for use, staff have experienced a series of challenges. A number of dock users took advantage of overnight berthing and violated the terms of the dock use. This misuse could have jeopardized the grant funding that paid for a portion of the dock. The City was forced to no longer allow for overnight docking and limit the use of the Dock to free daytime use only. The unexpected closure of the City of Sacramento’s public boat dock for construction in June 2024, resulted in a large group of derelict vessels tying up to the Dock illegally, and refusing to leave. The City was forced to shut the Dock down until the 2025 boating season, to conduct required dock maintenance and allow the City time to develop a dock management plan to allow for appropriate and safe use of the City's only public boat dock.

The City is now seeking dock management services to help the City provide a wonderful and safe recreational amenity along the Sacramento River waterfront. Dock management services would include assisting boaters with docking and departing, monitoring the collection of berthing permit fees and the appropriate issuance of berthing permits, greet and assist boaters and vendors, ensure that the dock and any associated equipment is maintained in a safe an working order, and report or cite any unauthorized or illegal berthing activity to the appropriate authorities.

West Sacramento is a vibrant riverfront community centrally located in Northern California. West Sacramento shares the Sacramento River with neighboring Sacramento, with the deep water ship canal serving the Port of Sacramento. Incorporated in 1987, West Sacramento encompasses approximately 22 square miles, with a population just over 55,000. West Sacramento has a Council/Manager form of government. Citizens elect four City Council Members by district (as of the November, 2022 election) who serve four year terms and directly elect the mayor who serves a four-year term. The City is full-service with nine (9) departments and over 400 full-time employees. The City provides the full range of municipal services including police and fire protection, park, street, fleet, and facility maintenance, economic development and housing, community development, capital projects, and parks and recreation. The City also provides water, wastewater, and solid waste services. In addition, the City maintains port, water, wastewater, and solid waste enterprise funds. Other activities and related entities include the West Sacramento Redevelopment Successor Agency, Reclamation District 900 and the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency.