City likely to approve higher fees for recreational boaters

Published 11:21 am Wednesday, March 25, 2009

After subsidizing Waterfront Park dock and restroom upgrades, the city will raise boating user fees in an attempt to balance the costs of maintaining the downtown park.

During tonight’s council meeting, the city is expected to approve plans to increase fees on moorage, parking and recreational usage of Waterfront Park.

“This is a better effort to cover the costs,” said city Harbormaster Tami Allen. “In my time here every little expense has come out of the (city’s) general fund. All the moorage revenue will continue to go straight into the general fund, but we still won’t be making a profit.”

According to Allen, the aim of the new bill would be to tax a variety of users who rely on the park to access the water.

Under the guidelines of the bill, there will be temporary parking passes for those who are kayaking or canoeing. Allen said the parking pass was needed to accommodate boaters who felt reserved downtown parking for car-trailer combinations sidelined their needs.

A $5 pass will allow paddle-boaters to park their vehicles on Bjune Drive and Brien Drive beyond the two- to four-hour limits.

For the lunchtime crowd of boaters – those who tie up for three hours or less – a new fee of 10 cents per foot is being set. Prior to the recommended change, it was free to moor for less than three hours.

For boats moored overnight or longer than three hours, there will be a 50-cents-per-foot fee, up from the original 25-cent fee that was set when the dock was first built in 1985. Those that pay for overnight moorage will also be given entrance codes to the city’s new waterfront restroom and shower facilities. As it stands now, the restrooms close in the evening.

A fee of $8 per day will be charged for car-trailer combination parking. There is an $80 annual fee for those who frequently use the trailer parking facility just to the north of Waterfront Park.

Boaters groups, such as educational camps or tourist boating operators, will have to pay group-rate fees for using the park and launch facilities. Those fees will range from $20 per day to $200 per year.

The tie-up buoy system run by the city will remain the same fee – 25 cents per foot. However, dinghies that are tied to the city dock over night will be charged at 50 cents per foot.

If approved by the council tonight, the enforcement of new fees would go into effect within the month, in time for opening weekend on May 1.

Boaters will be able to pay the fees at an envelope drop box located near the city dock.