SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- One group of launchers on the central coast never had to pay a fee to get out on the water, but that will soon change.
Now the Santa Cruz Harbor is going after car-top launchers to pay up like everyone else who uses the harbor.
Starting Saturday, stand-up paddle boarders, like Tim Loomis, can't launch for free.
He claims without warning the harbor put up a sign with the new changes.
"I was like, 'Oh, my God. Now I got to cough up 10 bucks just to enjoy the community,'" he said. "We believe this sign was placed illegally without any public warning at all. All of a sudden it just appeared there."
The sign is causing a major stir in the community of kayakers, small boaters, and other car-top launchers, but the harbor said there's always been a fee at all of the launches.
Officials said these particular launchers just weren't aware of the fee, because they're sport is relatively new and there wasn't an active effort to collect fees from them.
But Loomis said he still shouldn't have to pay the fee.
"This has just been an easy access. I'm in the neighborhood. There's a lot of out-of-towners who come down here occassionally to paddle," he said.
Loomis said it boils down to safety. If people are unwilling to pay, they're going to launch from the ocean where the high waters pose a serious risk.
On the other hand, the harbor said since it's entirely self-supported and don't receive any tax revenues, it needs all the help it can get.
The $10-per-vehicle fee will be enforced Saturday.
The Port Commission will have a public meeting on Nov. 27 where the community plans to voice its concerns.
