Call Meeting to Order

Chairman David Paulson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Members Present

David Paulson, Michael Kelly, Pete Onstad, Jim Van Bergen, Ed Towey, Marc Anderson, Steve Pavek, Sue Jerutis, Council Liaison Keith Kask, City Administrator Dana Young

Members Absent

Larry Parkhurst

December 12, 2007 Minutes

The Committee approved the December 12, 2007 minutes on a motion by Marc Anderson, seconded by Jim Van Bergen. Motion carried 8-0.

Matters from the Floor

There were no Matters from the Floor this evening.

2008 Chair & Vice-Chair

The Committee recommended the appointment of David Paulson as 2008 Chair and Pete Onstad as 2008 Vice-Chair of the Boat Committee on a motion by Steve Pavek. Seconded by Mike Kelly. Motion carried 8-0.

Boating Packet

The Committee continued their review of the Boating Packet provided by staff member Deborah Hicks.

David Paulson suggested including the Mooring Space Usage Report that is used by the Police Department to record daily usage in the Boating Packet.

Motion by Pete Onstad to include the Boat Committee’s Mission Statement in the Boating Packet. Seconded by Steve Pavek. Motion carried 8-0.

David Paulson encouraged the members to continue to review the packet to determine whether there is any additional material to add.

Sub-Lease Language in Boat Ordinance

The Committee reviewed the recommendation from staff member Deborah Hicks to change the term “sub-leasing” in Section 900.07 Subd. 1 (a) of the Watercraft Space Ordinance to “joint-leasing”. Dana Young stated that the City no longer permits sub-leasing and, according to Deborah Hicks, this term has created confusion among residents who read the ordinance. He stated that Deborah Hicks recommended using the term “joint-leasing” as a more appropriate term.

Ed Towey suggested that “sub-leasing” is probably a more proper term than “joint-leasing” since “joint-leasing” implies some sort of ownership position.

Marc Anderson described his experiences with joint ownership of his boat.

David Paulson noted that the procedures outlining joint ownership are not clearly described in the ordinance and recommended that additional language should be included that better clarifies this arrangement.

It was the general consensus of the Committee to not change the “sub-leasing” language at this time.

B2 Slide Leasing

Brief discussion was held regarding the ongoing difficulties in filling B2 Slide Spaces. Dana Young stated that staff has heard feedback from residents accepting B2 Slides that the spaces are too narrow and they find it increasingly difficult to find boats this narrow.

Wide Boat Permits

Brief discussion was held on the difficulty in filling slide spaces next to boats with a Wide Boat Permit. Dana Young stated that when one of the smaller boats on a slide pallet give up their space, the City is left trying to fill a space that might actually be less than 5’4” wide.

Other

David Paulson stated that he had a recent conversation with Councilmember John Wheaton, who is the Council liaison to the Park Committee, concerning the proposed improvements to the Platform Tennis Court. He stated that the Park Committee is considering replacing the wood floor with a metal floor and making some improvements to the screens for an estimated cost of $30,000. He stated that he wouldn’t object to contributing $7,000 to this project from the Marina Fund, which has a fairly sizable reserve, to help improve the quality of the proposed improvements.

Marc Anderson stated that the Marina Fund reserves could disappear quite quickly if more of the docks were rebuilt.

Pete Onstad added that it is an admirable idea to assist the Park Committee but it would set a dangerous precedent to use Marina Funds for a purpose that was not Marina related.

Brief discussion was held regarding the breakwater structure and the need to improve the riprap along St. Louis Bay. The Committee recommended additional discussion on these two issues next month.

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn by Marc Anderson, seconded by Steve Pavek. Motion carried 8-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Boat Committee will be held on Wednesday, February 13, 2008.