RELATING TO BOATS AND WATERWAYS

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

Ordinance relating to boats and waterways in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County, creating Section 7-40.1 of the Code to adopt overnight anchoring regulations, providing exemptions, and providing for enforcement by civil penalty and other remedies; amending Section 8CC-10 to update the schedule of civil penalties. The ordinance makes it unlawful for any vessel to be anchored for 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, excluding time anchored overnight within a marked mooring field or for permitted marine construction, installation, or maintenance work. Exemptions include vessels owned or operated by a governmental entity engaged in a governmental function, construction or dredging vessels on an active job site, and commercial fishing vessels actively engaged in commercial fishing. Civil penalties are $500 for first offense, $1,000 for second offense within five years, and $2,500 for third or subsequent offense within five years. The ordinance applies to both incorporated and unincorporated areas. The Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee forwarded the item to the BCC with a favorable recommendation following a public hearing on 7/14/2026. The ordinance is scheduled for the BCC agenda on 10/20/2026. The effective date is ten days after enactment unless vetoed by the County Mayor. File Number: 261278. Prime Sponsor: Vicki L. Lopez. Introduced: 7/9/2026. Status: Second Reading. This is a substitute to File No. 260878. The ordinance is based on House Bill 481, which expanded local government authority over anchoring for counties with a population of 1.5 million or more; Miami-Dade County's population was estimated at 2,838,461 as of July 1, 2024. The ordinance cites proliferation of vessels anchored for extended periods in Biscayne Bay as impeding use and enjoyment, creating navigational hazards, and causing environmental impacts such as harm to seagrasses. No specific street address, parcel, acreage, or project size is stated. No public comment sentiment is stated in the document.