Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - Rental fees for pier spaces rented by the town along the canal were increased by the town council Tuesday and local property owners protested the 150 percent hike.
Resident costs will increase from $100 per season to $250; nonresidents' prices will increase to $300 per season.
"We need to raise funds to dredge the canal," said board president Jeff Carroll. "Costs are expected to be from $55,000 to $100,000."
Island property owner Jan Nelson said she rents four spaces "for land that's in front of our homes" and her costs would increase from $400 to $1,000. "It's outrageous," she said. "You keep people from parking their cars and boat trailers there.
"Dredging was never a big deal until you gave away a piece of property and people were being negative about your recent decisions," Jan Nelson said.
Nelson and others have questioned the wisdom of recent restrictive parking ordinances.
Town coordinator Craig Allebach said the canal needs to be dredged from the south of the Rodeheaver parking lot toward the park. Greenway funds can be used to install a seawall on the east side of the canal. Another seawall needs to be installed on the west side.
Art Gakstatter, who also owns land on the island, said the canal is losing a foot of land each year. He said he rents seven pier spaces in front of his property. He asked that the current renters be given the first right of refusal.
An Indiana Department of Natural Resources seawall installation permit has been approved.
Prices of other pier rentals, like $300 at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds and at least $500 at Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee, were another justification given to raise the prices.
Town Clerk Retha Hicks said the town receives $8,500 per year from the pier rentals. and funds available for dredging total about $45,000.
"Its not fair to the other 4,000 people in town to use taxpayer dollars," she said.
"Are you saying other taxpayers don't use the canal?" asked Jan Nelson. "So if you use the lake, you don't affect the lake? As taxpayers we pay for a lot of things that do not directly benefit us."
Only two nonresidents rented the pier space last year.
Dredging permits must be approved by the Army Corps of Engineers and IDNR. The waiting period can take two years to process.
Resident Jerry Nelson continued his comments regarding the town easement adjacent to Jim LeMasters' property on the island. Nelson has appeared before the council several times regarding the lawsuit, filed in 2003, by the Winona Lake Lions Club against LeMasters and the town.
Last night Nelson read a letter written in November that he sent to Douglas Morton, the presiding judge from Marshall County. Nelson said councilman Jerry Clevenger also received a copy of the communication.
He warned the council that a precedent has been set for any easements the town is not currently using.
The council also:
• Welcomed Paul Heaton as a full-time police officer, after Heaton took an oath of office.
• Elected Jeff Carroll president and Rolly Ortega vice president.
• Reviewed a contract with Larry Long Associates for engineering services.
• Appointed Carol Schuler to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Judy Reneker to the Redevelopment Commission.
• Reviewed upcoming events as: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., housing authority meeting; Monday, 2 p.m., WRSW-107.3 "Talk of the Town" radio program with Jeff Carroll; and Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m., Lakeland Community Concert featuring the Konevets Quartet, Rodeheaver Auditorium.
Town council members are: Carroll, David Delp, Clevenger and Joy Loshe. Rolly Ortega was absent.
