Online Mooring calculates how much to charge in different situations, and calculates time periods when applicants are allowed to perform certain activities.
These calculations involve programming logic. The Online Mooring staff is responsible for implementing the correct programming logic. (Aren't you glad you don't have to do that??)
BUT, that doesn't mean you have to go to the Online Mooring staff to make simple changes to your fee structure or the dates when you want things to happen. For example, you might want to increase your per-foot charge from $1/foot to $2/foot. Or you want to change the deadline for submitting renewal applications. These kind of changes, which simply involve the entry of numbers, are ones that you can do completely on your own through the web site (Aren't you glad you have that power??)
Variable Sets
We can handle using different values in different situations, and you create a "variable set" for each different situation. For now, you can specify two things that tell us which variable set to use:
- A date range. Rate changes are usually effective on a certain date, and you'll want us to use the old rates for anything that happened before the rate change took effect, and will want us to use the new rates for anything that happened after the rate change took effect.
- Application type. Fees/timeframes might be different from one application type to the next, so in that case you'd create a set of variables for Application Type #1, and another set of variables for Application Type #2.
When we need to do a calculation, we see if there is a variable set for that date (see below) and application type. If there is no variable set, defined for that, we will instead use the variable set for that date that has no application type specified.
We handle dates on transient and non-transient applications slightly differently:
- For transient applications, the time period is based on the planned arrival date at the transient location.
- For non-transient applications, the time period is based on the application submittal date
You don't HAVE TO define multiple variable sets. If you have just one variable set, we'll use it all the time. But there is a possible downside if you don't. Let's say that you have different rates in 2024 and 2025, and that sometime around the end of 2024 you simply update the values for the current variable set, rather than creating a new period and updating the rates for the new period. As your boaters perform activity in 2025 they'll get charged the new rates as you'd expect. But, if you find that you have to retroactively enter something that happened before the rates changed (for example, you received a paper application and a check in 2024, but didn't record this in the system until 2025), we would ALSO use the new rates on that old 2024 application because we would think that was the correct rate for that time period. You can always override any of our calculations, so this wouldn't be the end of the world, but it would be an extra step for you to remember and to calculate by hand.
When you come to this page for the first time, the drop-down list likely has one entry, covering from "the beginning of time" (1/1/2000) until "the end of time" (12/31/9999).
If you want to define a new variable set (with different values):
- Enter the values you want in the new variable set.
- BEFORE clicking the Save button, enter information about the variable set to the right of the Save button. Specify the date when these changes should be effective. If these values should only apply to a specific application type select the application type from the drop-down list.
- THEN click the Save button.
You can delete any period that except the last one:
- Selecting the variable set in the drop-down box
- Clicking the "Delete" button that appears towards the bottom of the page.
- We will delete that period and all the values associated with that period.
- We will extend the period that was BEFORE the one you deleted, so that it extends to the end date of the deleted period.
- We will show you the values for the current period.
Viewing/Changing Values
You'll see one or more "variables" that our calculations can use. Each variable has a relatively short "name" that should be sufficient to explain what we use that variable for, but if that is insufficient you should also see some help text that should give you guidance you need. You'll also see a "Value" entry field where you can see the current value, and enter a revised value.
If you have rights to make changes to these values, you'll see a Save button at the bottom of the page, which you need to click in order for the values to be used going forward.