HARBOR DEPARTMENT

Los Angeles City Charter tit. I, art. VI, pt. HARBOR DEPARTMENT

in effect

Los Angeles City Charter § 650 Board Composition.

Sec. 650. Board Composition. The Board of Harbor Commissioners shall consist of five members appointed and removed as provided in Section 502. The board shall include at least one member who resides within San Pedro and one member who resides within Wilmington, as those areas are defined by ordinance. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Charter Amendment HH, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 651 Possession, Management and Control of the Harbor Assets.

Sec. 651. Possession, Management and Control of the Harbor Assets. (a) The Board of Harbor Commissioners shall have the possession, management and control of all navigable waters and all tidelands and submerged lands, whether filled or unfilled, situated below the line of mean high tide northerly and easterly of the United States government breakwater at Los Angeles Harbor and within the limits of the City of Los Angeles; and all harbor and port improvements, works, utilities, facilities and watercraft owned, controlled or operated by the department, as well as those properties referred to in Section 602(b) and (c). The lands and waters, and interests therein, under the possession, management and control of the Board of Harbor Commissioners shall be known as the Harbor District. The Harbor District and all harbor and port improvements, works, utilities, facilities and watercraft owned, controlled, or operated by the department shall be known as the Harbor Assets. (b) Prohibition of Sale. The City of Los Angeles and the Harbor Department shall not grant, sell, convey, alienate, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of the right, title or interest of the City in and to the tidelands and submerged lands of the Harbor District, or any part thereof; except that grants of these lands may be made to the State of California or to the United States for public purposes, when approved by a majority vote of the registered voters of the City voting upon the question. (c) Public Use of Water Frontage. (1) Reserved Space. Not less than ten thousand feet of the water frontage of Los Angeles Harbor, linear measurement, measured along the United States harbor lines, together with the necessary coterminous and adjacent tidelands and submerged lands as may be determined by the board and approved by the Council by ordinance, owned or controlled by the City, are hereby forever reserved for public use to be improved, controlled, maintained and operated by the City. (2) Included Public Uses. The following uses are considered consistent with the public use requirement of subsection (c)(1) above: (A) The assignment of berths or landings for the use of vessels at any wharf located in the reserved portion of the Harbor District if the assignment reserves to the City the right to use the wharf or other facility when the assigned space is not required for the use of the permittee or licensee. (B) The assignment of space in any warehouse, elevator, or like facility operated by the City, located in the Harbor District at the established rates for the use of these facilities.

Los Angeles City Charter § 652 Powers and Duties of the Board.

Sec. 652. Powers and Duties of the Board. The board shall have the power and duty to: (a) Rules and Regulations. Make and enforce all necessary rules and regulations governing the maintenance, operation and use of the Harbor District, and enforce penalties for the violation of those rules and regulations. (b) Harbor Traffic. Regulate and control the piloting, anchoring, mooring, towing and docking of all vessels and watercraft in the Harbor District. (c) Control Over Harbor Facilities. Regulate and control the construction, maintenance, operation and use of any railroad, wharf, warehouse or other facility, utility, structure or improvement used in connection with the Harbor District. (d) Dredging. Regulate and control all dredging, filling and excavating in the Harbor District. (e) Rates. Fix and collect rates and charges for the use of the Harbor Assets, pilotage and towage, and any other service provided by the department. (f) Development of the Harbor District. Acquire, provide for, construct, maintain and operate all improvements, utilities, structures, watercraft, facilities and services for Departmental Purposes and to acquire and take, by purchase, lease, condemnation or otherwise, in the name of the City, any property, real or personal, or any interest therein, and to designate the site for any public buildings, structures or facilities in the Harbor District. The power of condemnation shall only be exercised with the approval of Council.

Los Angeles City Charter § 653 Rates, Rules and Regulations.

Sec. 653. Rates, Rules and Regulations. (a) Council Approval. The board, by order, shall make and enforce rules and regulations of general application, and fix, regulate and collect rates and charges. These orders must be approved by the Council by ordinance before they become effective. (b) Temporary Rules or Rates. Notwithstanding subsection (a), the board shall have the power to enact, suspend or modify any rule, regulation, rate or charge, without Council approval, for a period not to exceed 90 days. (c) Penalties. The Council shall, by ordinance, prescribe penalties for violation of the provisions of a rule or regulation adopted under this section. The Council may provide that violation constitutes a misdemeanor, and may declare penalties that include a fine not to exceed the maximum amount provided by the general laws of the state or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both.

Los Angeles City Charter § 654 Limitations on Franchises, Permits, Licenses or Leases.

Sec. 654. Limitations on Franchises, Permits, Licenses or Leases. In addition to the limitations set forth in Section 607, franchises, permits, licenses or leases shall be subject to the following: (a) Maximum Use of Water Frontage. (1) Board Approval Required. Unless approved by a four-fifths vote of the board and approved by a two-thirds vote of Council, no franchise, permit, license or lease shall be made to any one person, firm or corporation to use in excess of 3,000 feet of the water frontage, linear measurement, measured along United States harbor lines of the Harbor District. (2) Automatic Termination for Violation. No assignment, transfer, gift, hypothecation, or grant of control of a franchise, permit, license, or lease shall be valid for any purpose unless first approved by the board. Any franchise, permit, license or lease shall be terminated by operation of law if the holder of it attempts to assign, transfer, sublease, give, hypothecate or grant it and the result would be any usage by another person, firm or corporation of more than the 3,000 foot limitation described in subsection (a)(1). (b) Prohibition on Leasing Harbor Property as Excess. No wharf, dock, pier, mole or transit shed owned or controlled by the City shall ever be leased for non-departmental purposes under Section 605(b). (c) Revocation Upon Notice. Every assignment of a berth or landing, or of space in any warehouse, elevator or like facility operated by the City, or grant of a revocable permit shall be revocable by the general manager, without compensation to the grantee or lessee, upon notice.

Los Angeles City Charter § 655 Powers and Duties of the General Manager.

Sec. 655. Powers and Duties of the General Manager. In addition to those powers and duties described in Section 604, the general manager of the Harbor Department shall have the power and duty to: (a) enforce all orders, rules and regulations adopted by the board relating to regulation, operation or control of the Harbor District; (b) supervise and manage the design, construction, maintenance and operation of all work or improvements authorized or ordered by the board; (c) designate and assign berths or landings for the use of vessels at any wharf or like facility at the established rates or charges, subject to the rules and regulations of the department; (d) designate and assign space in any warehouse, elevator or similar facility at the established rates or charges and subject to the rules and regulations of the department; (e) subject to approval of the board, grant revocable permits to use the lands and waters, or interests therein in the Harbor District, or any structure or appurtenance thereto, for any and all purposes which shall not interfere with commerce or navigation, and are not inconsistent with any trusts upon which the land may be held by the City; (f) revoke any assignment made under subsection (c), (d), or (e) of this section in accordance with Section 654(c); and (g) carry out all powers and duties of the department delegated by the board.

Los Angeles City Charter § 656 Harbor Revenue Fund.

Sec. 656. Harbor Revenue Fund. (a) Creation of Fund. All fees, charges, rentals and revenue from every source collected by the Harbor Department in connection with its possession, management and control of the Harbor District and Harbor Assets, shall be deposited in the City Treasury to the credit of the Harbor Revenue Fund. (b) Use of Funds. The money in the Harbor Revenue Fund shall not be appropriated or used for any purposes except the following: (1) Operation and Maintenance. For the necessary expenses of operating the Harbor Department, including the operation, promotion and maintenance of the Harbor Assets for Departmental Purposes. (2) Development of Assets. For the acquisition, construction, completion and maintenance of Harbor Assets for Departmental Purposes, and for the acquisition or taking by purchase, lease, condemnation or otherwise of property, real or personal, or other interest necessary or convenient for Departmental Purposes. (3) Payment of Bonds. For the payment of the principal and interest of bonds issued by the department or by the City for Departmental Purposes. (4) Pension Contributions. For defraying the expenses of any pension or retirement system applicable to the employees of the department. (5) Reimbursements. For reimbursements to another department or office of the City on account of services rendered, or materials, supplies or equipment furnished to support Departmental Purposes.

Los Angeles City Charter § 657 Port Police.

Sec. 657. Port Police. The Los Angeles Port Police shall remain under the independent and autonomous control of the Harbor Department.

Source: City of Los Angeles, Charter and Codes (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/laac/0-0-0-3202Fetched: 10/24/2026