[Bboa-members] Letter to Waterfront Commsion - Pegasus Project Free Berthing

[Tom & Lori Jeremiason]

Berkeley Water Front Commission:

Over the last twelve years the Pegasus Project has been receiving free
berthing at the Berkeley Marina. This was due to its Non-Profit Status and
mission of taking school aged children for rides on the San Francisco
Bay. The majority of children came from the Shorebird Nature Center and the
Berkeley Boosters.

Over the last two years the Pegasus Project has dwindled and the boat is now
being used more for volunteer adult crew training and personal business
rather than for educating children. At one point during the same time period
the boat lost it's Non-Profit status.

During the 2005 Pegasus's Project Annual Report to the Berkeley Waterfront
Commission I questioned why they were receiving free berthing. The
Waterfront Commission continued to provide free berthing on the promise it
would ramp back up to previous numbers in 2006. That has not happened and I
am again asking why the Commission allows the Pegasus Project to have free
berthing.

*Based on the boat's length, upwind slip and power charge this equates to
over $7000 per year of free berthing*. Based on the number of children
Pegasus carried in 2006 the cost per child breaks down to over $60 per ride.


The Pegasus Project is also frivolously spending money on such items as
Single Side Band Radio (Not required by the USCG on an inland water
vessel) or paying Boat Detailers to varnish the bright work instead of using
volunteers at over $40 per hour. Figure in these expenses and the cost per
child probably exceeds $80 per ride.

I would ask the Waterfront Commission to look at this and consider if this
project worth the expense to the Marina?

Tom Jeremiason
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