DEEPHAVEN BOAT COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Minutes
Chairman David Paulson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
David Paulson, Pete Onstad, Oliver Arrett, Marc Anderson, John Gresens, Steve Pavek, Ed Towey, Darel Gustafson, Council Liaison Keith Kask, Administrator Dana Young
Larry Parkhurst
The Committee approved the February 9, 2005 minutes on a motion by Oliver Arrett, seconded by Pete Onstad. Motion declared carried.
Chairman David Paulson presented Joe Ladner with a plaque thanking him for 18 years of service on the Boat Committee.
The Committee welcomed Darel Gustafson and Marc Anderson as recently appointed members of the Boat Committee.
Dana Young stated that there were a total of 8 openings for canoe racks this year and a total of 41 residents on the canoe rack waiting list. City staff has contacted all 41 residents and 13 out of the 41 residents expressed interest in obtaining a canoe rack for 2005. He stated that the City could install 5 new canoe racks and satisfy the entire waiting list demand for canoe rack space in 2005.
Dana Young also provided a brief summary on the progress in filling existing openings on buoys, slides, shore space, and street end slides. He stated that all spaces have already been filled.
Further discussion was held on whether to construct new canoe racks to accommodate the five individuals on the canoe rack waiting list who are requesting a canoe rack for this year. Dana Young stated that there would be space available for the new racks north of the St. Louis Bay docks near the Parkway. Steve Pavek stated that the racks could fit right next to the existing rack on the north side of the docks.
David Paulson stated that he would like to see canoe racks constructed in one of the street ends. He stated that the racks could be installed next to the street end slides at the Bay Street fire lane. Dana Young stated that he is having the City Attorney provide his opinion on whether street ends can legally be used for any purpose but as street right-of-way. He stated that he expects the Attorney’s opinion in about two weeks.
The Committee recommended the construction of six canoe racks at the Bay Street street end if legally permissible or at the north end of St. Louis Bay on a motion by Ed Oliver, seconded by Steve Pavek. Motion declared carried 8-0.
Discussion was held on whether to require all slide permit holders to purchase rollers. Steve Pavek stated that it is difficult to determine where rollers should be installed until all the boats are out on the slides later this spring. David Paulson stated that he would prefer to see the installation of rollers move forward this year as the rollers provided a much more efficient use of the slides and accommodated larger boats more easily. Further discussion was held regarding the 5’ 4” width requirement for slides and whether the width should be increased to allow for easier access to the boats. At present, the current maximum width requirement could result in the excessive crowding of boats to where assess would be available only from the bow of each boat.
Further discussion was held on the number of winches that have been installed on the slides. David Paulson suggested that the City could require permit holders to replace their winches with rollers. Keith Kask asked who would build the rollers and set them on the slides? David Paulson stated that the rollers would be built and installed by the permit holder. Pete Onstad stated that there was sufficient justification for requiring rollers instead of winches including safety and aesthetic reasons. He added that the City could negotiate with the vendors to obtain a discounted price for Deephaven residents. Steve Pavek stated that he had found a second vendor that sells aluminum rollers for around $1,200.00. He stated that the City had purchased five wooden rollers last year for around $300.00 each. David Paulson asked Steve Pavek to draft a flyer that could be sent out to slide holders informing them that they are required to replace their winches with a roller or remove their winches.
The Committee recommended that all winches or other similar devices be removed from all City slides and that slide permit holders be offered the option of purchasing a roller from either of the two selected vendors or be required to remove their winch by June 15, 2005 on a motion by Ed Towey, seconded by Steve Pavek. Motion declared carried 8-0.
Keith Kask stated that he would not support the June 15th deadline because it didn’t give the permit holders adequate time to purchase the rollers and install them on their slide. He stated that he would present this request to the City Council on April 18th and asked Steve Pavek to provide brochures from each vendor and the proposed flyer for Council review.
The Committee reviewed a site plan showing the revised dock plan for Carson’s Bay. The plan showed a three-dock configuration that provided additional 13 slips over the current dock configuration. The Committee offered the following comments on the proposed dock plan:
1. Setbacks - Confirmation is needed on the east and west setback lines. As currently shown, the east setback from the Yacht Club is 25 feet and the west setback from Randy Boyd’s property is 48 feet.
2. Westernmost Dock - Remove Slip 111, square off the end of the westernmost dock to better accommodate boat parking, and increase the entire width of the westernmost dock to 4’ to provide better accessibility for the disabled.
3. Buoy Relocation – Move Buoys No. 179 – 183 to the west side of the buoy field or eliminate these buoys entirely.
The Committee recommended that the proposed dock plan for Carson’s Bay be presented to the City Council on April 18th to obtain further Council comments and direction on the proposed dock plan on a motion by Pete Onstad, seconded by Oliver Arrett. Motion declared carried.
Dana Young stated that the 25-year lease between the City of Deephaven and Minnetonka Yacht Club for lease of dock space off of Park Avenue is set to expire on April 1, 2006. He stated that while the Yacht Club is certainly interested in working with the City on a joint dock/fishing pier at the location of the existing shore spaces, their primary interest is in securing another long-term lease agreement. He stated that David Gross, LMCD Representative and member of the Yacht Club, has submitted a proposed lease agreement for Committee review that includes a statement that requires the Yacht Club to participate in the dock/fishing pier project if, and when the project was initiated.
Skip Dickel, a former Commodore of the Yacht Club, was present to discuss the proposed lease agreement and answer any questions from the Committee. He stated that the Yacht Club is a vital community institution that not only provides sailing instruction but also provides approximately 60 watercraft spaces on Bug Island and 15-20 spaces on Lighthouse Island. He stated that the Yacht Club is a public facility providing a public service to the entire community.
David Paulson stated that he didn’t have a lot of issues with the proposed lease agreement with the exception that he felt that liability insurance in the amount of $500,000 was too low. Skip Dickel agreed that the liability insurance should be in the amount of $2 million.
Ed Towey stated that the Yacht Club is an important part of the community and they should be considered as one of the key stakeholders when discussing any possible changes to St. Louis Bay. He stated that he was glad to see the Yacht Club address potential dock reconfigurations in the lease. He added that he felt a 25-year lease might be too long but won’t object to language that would include the ability to terminate the lease only after a 1-2 year lead time that couldn’t be excersized for 10 or so years. He added that he didn’t favor the Yacht Club’s request for a perpetual easement in exchange for the Yacht Club’s offer to give the City $10,000 toward the new dock configuration.
Pete Onstad stated that he was concerned about the rental fee in light of the number of boat spaces that the Yacht Club would be requesting. He added that he would like to think about the proposed lease agreement for a month and discuss it at the May Boat Committee meeting.
The Committee tabled further discussion regarding the proposed lease agreement with the Minnetonka Yacht Club until next month on a motion by Pete Onstad, seconded by Marc Anderson. Motion declared carried 8-0.
Paul Gesme, 3860 Honeysuckle Road, was present to discuss his concern regarding the slow turnover on the dock waiting list. He stated that at the current turnover rate, he would not obtain a dock slip in his lifetime. He stated that he doesn’t mind waiting 20 years but not forever. He stated that boat slips should not be a lifetime resource for select individuals and there needs to be a lottery or term limits.
Committee members explained that it currently took around 17 years to obtain a dock slip and that there were a multitude of issues involved with establishing a lottery or term limits that have been discussed at length by the Committee. Pete Onstad stated that the issue is complicated by the fact there is one group of residents who have slips that want to keep them in perpetuity, another group who do not have slips who want them sooner, and a third group of lakeshore owners who don’t want any docks. Keith Kask stated that he opposes increasing rental fees to market value that would force residents off of the docks and stated that a lottery or term limits would not be fair to those residents who have waited years to obtain a dock slip.
The Committee thanked Mr. Gesme for his comments on this issue.
Motion to adjourn by Pete Onstad, seconded by Steve Pavek. Motion declared carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Boat Committee will be held on April 13, 2005.