RELATING TO BOATS AND WATERWAYS

Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee · 2026-07-14 · ordinance

This is a legislative item for an ordinance relating to boats and waterways in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The ordinance would create Section 7-40.1 of the Code, adopting overnight anchoring regulations that make it unlawful for any vessel to be anchored for a period of 1 hour or more between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise for more than 30 days in any 6-month period, with exemptions for governmental vessels, construction/dredging vessels on active job sites, and commercial fishing vessels actively engaged in commercial fishing. It also amends Section 8CC-10 to update the schedule of civil penalties, with a $500.00 penalty for the first offense, $1,000.00 for a second offense within five years, and $2,500.00 for a third or subsequent offense within five years. The item was introduced on 7/9/2026, and the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee forwarded it to the Board of County Commissioners with a favorable recommendation following a public hearing on 7/14/2026, with a request that it be placed on the agenda of the October 20, 2026 Board meeting. The prime sponsor is Vicki L. Lopez. The file number is 261278. The document does not state a specific street address, parcel, acreage, or number of units for a development project. Public comment included opposition from individuals who lived aboard vessels, who stated the ordinance would amount to a ban and make it impossible for them to live and work in the County, and support from mayors of North Bay Village, Bal Harbour, and a Miami Beach commissioner, who cited issues with derelict vessels and the need for a countywide ordinance to avoid a patchwork of regulation. Commissioner Regalado remained unsupportive and requested her district, which included Coconut Grove, be exempted. Commissioner McGhee expressed concern about the perception of directing the County's enforcement power against individuals who chose to live aboard vessels and needed more information. Commissioner Lopez agreed to work with the administration, Miami, and DERM to determine the number of residents living aboard vessels who never move them, and to study the impact of similar ordinances from Broward and Monroe counties.