THE BRIGHT SIDE

 Steve Russel, Lake Geneva’s harbormaster. 
This man has been here just about a year and has impressed city officials with his efficiency and management skills when it comes to anything to do with Geneva Lake. The piers, especially the west end pier, are always in need of repairs, and this year is no different. The level of repairs at the end of the year, especially the west end pier, came to the attention of the harbormaster.

Gage Marine has the contract for the city piers, which includes service, installation, removal, and repairs, along with the city. An estimate, in the amount of approximately $30,000, was submitted at the end of the year and the west end pier took up the majority of that estimate. This is a pattern, and every year the west end pier has the highest cost in repairs for at least the last three years, costing the city approximately $23,000, averaging 74% of the repair budget for all piers a year in maintenance.

This year alone, fifty-one pallets of decking, seventeen stringers, four or five horses, amongst other things were purchased. Gage has described yearly repairs to this pier as ‘rather significant.’ The west end pier is not only the highest costing pier but also the most talked about, with most issues revolving around complaints, causing the city to spend more time on fixing the issues than on any other pier.

There is a west-end pier replacement fund in the amount of approximately $330,000. The fund is to be used according to the rules of the ordinance.  The money is to be used for major repairs or replacement, to be decided as needed by the city council. Harbormaster Russel would like to know if any of that fund could be used toward the maintenance of this year’s piers?

Alderman Hedlund was under the impression the money put into that fund was for major repair and replacement, replacement referring to an additional pier to potentially go in next to the west end pier at some point in the future. In the past eight or ten years there was talk about an additional pier, but the issue has received no real backing or formal discussion. The harbormaster believes the ordinance is worded in a way that attaches funds to the existing pier for major repairs or the replacement at such time repairs become too substantial and replacement would make more sense. There are funds set aside for yearly repairs far above and beyond this fund.

There was a motion by Hedlund and a second by Yunker to utilize the major repairs fund for the west end pier repairs. Now the recommendation will be discussed at the Finance, license, and regulation committee and, if approved, move on to city council for final discussion and a vote. With the repairs being so substantial every year, is it time to replace the entirety of the pier complex? This is the question expected to be brought up at upcoming meetings.