Boat-launch Fee Increase Considered

Proposed change could raise prices for more types of businesses

Fees for launching boats at City of Sturgeon Bay facilities would increase next year under a recommendation backed Oct. 26 by the city’s Joint Parks and Recreation Committee/Board. The committee also favored reviewing those fees in two years.

Municipal services director Mike Barker said the city has not increased boat-launching fees since 2011, and with the rising costs of hiring an attendant, conducting repairs and needing to replace docks, it’s time to do so.

Based on the launch-fee totals this year through Oct. 1, he said the proposed fee increases would raise an estimated $6,510 in additional annual revenue.

Under the recommendation, which Barker said is being forwarded to the city’s Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee before being considered for final approval by the Common Council, the city’s daily launch fee would increase by $1 to $8.

A seasonal launch pass for city residents would go up by $6 to $50 under the recommendation, and nonresidents would need to pay an additional $7 for a seasonal pass, going up to $80.

The seasonal commercial launch fee would double to $100.

To apply that fee to more businesses than only CenterPointe Marine, which is currently being charged it, Barker said a definition of “commercial” would be implemented with the fee hike to apply to boat sales/repair facilities, fishing guides and rental businesses that use the city’s launch facilities.

He said people who rent Jet Skis, for example, use the city’s boat-launching ramps and are generating income when they currently pay the same fee as a city resident.

Barker said the proposed daily fee increase is based on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) guidelines establishing the maximum allowable launch base fee to be “the charge of a state resident vehicle for entrance to the state parks,” which is now $8.

Though the city would be allowed to charge an additional 20% above the base fee for having on-site toilet facilities, and another additional 20% above the base fee for having an attendant on duty, Barker said he didn’t want to pursue those multipliers. He said the Sunset Park launch facility does not have an attendant on duty, and the park’s restroom facilities are not near the ramp.

Committee/board vice chair Gary Nault said the $8 daily fee would be a dollar more than the fee charged at Door County’s launch facilities, which don’t have fish-cleaning stations like the city has at Sawyer Park.

“They are really nice to come off the water and clean the fish,” he said. “In talking with the county, they will never have a fish-cleaning table.”

Barker’s report to committee/board members noted that Sister Bay is now charging a $10 daily launch fee, and Egg Harbor’s daily fee is $12, prompting a motion that was defeated on a voice vote to raise the city’s daily fee to $10 instead of $8.

Randy Morrow, who backed the motion, said he thought the city would be “leaving money on the table to get some of this repaired” by increasing the daily fee only to $8.

Nault said the $8 daily fee would be the same as for residents in Algoma.

“In order to go to $10, you’re going to have to get permission from the DNR,” he said.

City administrator Josh VanLieshout said he agreed the city would be “leaving money on the table” by increasing the daily launch fee only to $8. But he said if the city’s objective is to “provide a clean, safe, reasonably accessible marina, and if you think you can get that done for $8, do it for that.”