By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Property owners crowded into city council chambers Monday night to save their boat docks at Lake Bloomington, but they weren’t pleased with the outcome.
Aldermen voted 7 to 2 to enforce a city ordinance requiring removal of non-compliant boat docks or else the owners could face $250-per-day fines through an administrative court.
Aldermen Scott Black and Jamie Mathy voted no. Mathy urged council members to meet with the owners and handle the problem on a case-by-case basis.
“It starts off with a fine, and I don’t know that I’m comfortable starting everything off with a $250 a day fine before we even get to administrative court,” Mathy said.
“We’ve been at this for over a year. I think it’s time we get on with it,” countered Alderman Joni Painter.
Lake Bloomington is the city’s primary water source, and city staffers say motor boat propellers and body contact water sports negatively impact water quality. The ordinance has been on the books for years, but the city was lax in enforcement, including allowing people who don’t own land at the lake.
In a staff report to the city council, staff said Lake Bloomington should also offer consistent community development and provide access to all.
Thirty-year dock owner David Brockmann said real estate agents have warned that losing boat docks will significantly reduce property values.
“We’ve all received the same answer. It would reduce your property taxes by approximately 50 percent,” said Brockmann.
“The city council needs to be presented with options that includes alternatives on how we can keep the use of our docks in question, not just ultimatums that state how we get rid of those docks off the lake,” Brockmann added.
Interim City Manager Steve Rasmussen said 18 people own the 15 boat docks that don’t comply with the city ordinance.
City officials haven’t said how long those dock owners will have to remove them before they would be in violation.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
