The City of Morro Bay has hired a new Harbor Vitality Director. Chris Munson is the first to hold the new title.
On the job now for three days, one of Munson’s first priorities is protecting the waterfront.
“We have a lot of revetments out here that are decaying, docks and piers that need work on them,” Munson said.
That includes piers like the North T Pier.
“Wood is getting eaten up by the environment and critters down here. We’ve got piles that are rotting away, utilities that are corroded,” Munson said.
With the marine environment, Munson says they’re constantly battling maintenance and repairs.
“And those can get very costly, so it’s just a matter of prioritizing and getting funding,” he said.
A Cal Poly graduate, Munson says his previous work at Port San Luis helped prepare him for this new role.
“Big projects like rehabilitating the Avila pier, rehabilitating the Harford pier, building that new campground up on the hill, repairing the breakwater, so a lot of similarities and differences between the two harbors,” Munson said.
Twenty-eight people applied for the position, which now includes a new component stretching beyond the harbor.
“The city’s strategic planning goal, one of them, has always been economic vitality. The harbor being the city's heart, it really is a good fit to articulate our community’s desire for economic vitality,” said Yvonne Kimball, Morro Bay City Manager.
Another goal for Munson is revitalizing the downtown.
“But the delicate balance there is revitalizing it while also maintaining the character that everyone loves about Morro Bay,” Munson said.
He says he is excited for this new role.
“Who wouldn’t want to work in Morro Bay? This is the top of the mountain or top of the 'Rock' I should say,” Munson concluded.
