Chris Munson has been hired as the Morro Bay Harbor Vitality Director. Photo courtesy City of Morro Bay
Morro Bay has a new harbor director, one with a new direction to follow as well.
City Manager Yvonne Kimball announced on Dec. 2 that she had hired Chris Munson as the new “Harbor Vitality Director.” Munson started his job Dec. 3 and comes to Morro Bay with a lot of experience in harbor management.
Munson brings, “over 11-years of experience in harbor management,” Kimball said, “and a proven track record of enhancing waterfront operations and community engagement.”
Munson replaces Ted Schiafone, who retired in July. He was replaced first by Kimball and then Fire Chief Dan McCrain, both acting as interim harbor directors while the job description was reinvented by the administration and the job search was conducted.
“He was chosen from a competitive pool of 28 applicants,” Kimball said, “and after a rigorous selection process that consisted of several intensive interview panels with key city staff, a Harbor Advisory Board members, and the U.S. Coast Guard.”
The name change — from Harbor Director to Vitality Director — is symbolic of a change in direction the City Council wants the harbor to make.
For decades the Harbor Department’s limited funding has meant putting off needed maintenance to harbor facilities, and boosting the Harbor Department’s funding has long been a priority for the city council.
In 2022, a small group of citizens tried to pass Measure B (B-22), an ordinance establishing a $10 a month parcel tax to support the Harbor Department.
But B-22 failed, and the department’s money woes continue, as the list of maintenance needs grows. It was roughly estimated at over $10 million in 2022 when Measure B-22 was decided.
“The new title,” Kimball said, “reflects the ongoing City Council strategic goal of economic vitality while honoring traditional expectations of the role.”
That role includes the traditional duties Morro Bay harbor directors have always had such as, “overseeing all aspects of the department operations,” Kimball said, “including harbor patrol, safety and business activities; leading the management and negotiation of tideland leases to optimize property value and compliance; developing and executing long-term infrastructure and capital improvement plans; improving the economic vitality of the harbor, and fostering collaboration with deferent, state and local agencies to align harbor initiatives with community goals.”
Munson had been the facilities manager at Port San Luis Harbor District in Avila Beach. There he was able to pull together projects to repair the Harford Pier and the Avila Pier; developed the “Flying Flags” campground; replacing critical boating infrastructure, and maintaining facilities for commercial and recreational boaters.
As part of the PSL administration he “led efforts to enhance departmental efficiency, securing $4 million in grant funding, reducing costs and increasing revenue through management of the lease sites.”
Fire Chief McCrain had a hand in his selection. “Chris was selected because he brings a diverse skillset and work experience to address the many challenges facing the harbor department.”
Chief McCrain added that Munson has experience with managing grants, developing projects, lease management, “and extensive experience working with regulatory agencies such as the Coastal Commission, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
Munson said, “I’m committed to serving the community of Morro Bay and looking forward to engaging with the local community and businesses to support our waterfront.”
He added that he was honored, “to take on this new challenge and grateful for the trust of the community, the city manager, the fire chief, and the devoted harbor staff.
“I see an incredible opportunity in this position to contribute to the vitality of the waterfront and preserve its historical character.”
Munson came to SLO County to attend Cal Poly and has been here over 25 years. He, his wife and three children live in Templeton, so he’ll be joining the line of commuters plying Hwy 41 to the coast instead of the Cuesta Grade to Avila.
Munson said he enjoys “music, outdoor activities and community involvement.”
He becomes just the fourth full time harbor director in the past 33-plus years. The three previous directors — Rick Algert, Eric Endersby, and Schiafone — all retired.
He takes over just as a new city council majority is sworn in. Mayor Carla Wixom won re-election and Councilmen Jeff Eckles and Bill Luffee won council seats in an uncontested election. They were sworn in Dec. 10 and join mid-term Councilwomen Zara Landrum and Cyndee Edwards.
It will perhaps be the most harbor-focused council in a long time, as both Eckles and Luffee are past Harbor Advisory Board Chairmen, and Luffee was the driving force behind the formation of the non-profit, Friends of the Harbor Department, which has raised over $300,000 to purchase needed equipment for the Harbor Patrol and the department in general.
Luffee was also one of three men who brought Measure B-22 to voters.
As for the big-ticket items Munson may have to deal with, they include extensive repairs to the North T-pier, for which the City was given over a million dollars in a federal grant; and negotiating with offshore floating wind companies on what facilities or upgrades they’ll need from the City for maintenance and dockage of work boats.
But that’s assuming the three offshore leaseholders follow through with their projects. The prospects for offshore floating wind ever being built have been rocked by the incoming Trump Administration’s campaign promise to end the fledgling offshore wind industry.
Recently, one of two companies with leases off Humboldt County paused its project.
One study by the State Lands Commission estimated Morro Bay Harbor would need tens of millions in improvements to accommodate the needs for even the smallest of the three sizes of vessels the wind farms are expected to employ.
Ironically, Port San Luis Harbor District, where Munson was just working, is studying the potential to have that port become a maintenance facility for the offshore wind companies. The Harbor District is working with a private port developer on that study.
Morro Bay and SLO County are partners on a similar study that will look at Morro Bay as well as PSL.
As for lease site developments, the former Libertine Pub, which was originally The Fishbowl restaurant, and the Associated Pacific work yard and wharf on the south end of Embarcadero are both in different stages of re-development into mixed-use — restaurant, motel and retail — properties.
The City is also embarking on a project to update the Waterfront Master Plan, which is expected to plan out future growth and redevelopment in and around the bay.
