Changes to Washington’s fee schedule for its waterfront docks will take effect Jan. 1, 2015.

That decision came during the City Council’s meeting Monday. The council voted 4-1 to implement the changes, with council members Bobby Roberson, Richard Brooks, William Pitt and Larry Beeman voting for the measure. Councilman Doug Mercer voted against it, saying he wanted more time to study the proposed changes, saying he has concerns the changes could reduce revenues.

“Because this is a little bit different business model than we normally see, we’d like to have the ability to come back to you guys as we evaluate rates — find out if we are either too low, too high — whatever it takes to get people down to our waterfront to rent boat slips,” Watkins said. “We’d like the ability to come back later in the year with a new plan, if we need to so we don’t have to wait until the (budget) cycle comes to make corrections.”

Roberson replied, “It’s a reasonable request.”

The city is going, basically, to a per-foot rate when it comes to renting boat slips and docking space to be more competitive with other places that offer those services, Watkins said.

“My understanding is that if you change the rates the way you have done it, that the potential revenue decreases,” Mercer said.

City Manager Brian Alligood said Mercer might have a point “based on the same volume.”

“The belief is that with these changes the volume will increase and your revenues will be (better),” he told Mercer.

“The purpose of this was to not miss out … because a slip sitting there empty is no revenue,” Watkins said.

The changes were suggested by the Washington Harbor District Alliance’s maritime committee. Last month, the council received recommended changes to the fee schedule for the waterfront docks.

Under the changes, boaters using the docks would pay $3 a day for 30-amp service or $5 a day for 50-amp service. Currently, no fee is charged for power usage. Also under the proposal, fees for renting boat slips at the T docks would decrease for some boats (small) but increase for other (large) boats.

The daily docking fee would increase from $7.50 to $10 (maximum of six hours) if the proposed changes were adopted. (Detailed information about the proposed fee changes may be obtained by contacting the city manager’s office.)