Aldermen to continue discussion on pier options
The pier system in the city lagoon, located in the 100 block of Wrigley drive, recently was removed because it was in deteriorating condition. City officials are now considering options for the lagoon.
Lake Geneva officials are still floating around ideas about what to do regarding the pier system for the city lagoon.
The pier system at the lagoon, located in the 100 block of Wrigley Drive, was removed earlier this spring because it was in deteriorating condition.
"The piers were removed because they were absolutely rotted out," Alderwoman Linda Frame said. "They weren't safe at all underneath and that was the biggest problem. We knew the were not safe on the decking but we did not realize how terrible and how unsafe they were underneath. So that's why they were removed, for safety."
City officials have since been trying to determine whether to install a new pier system, not install a new pier system or dredge the lagoon first and then install a new pier system.
Earlier in the year, three companies submitted a bid to install a new pier system in the lagoon.
Representatives from Radtke Contractors, Inc. of Winneconne submitted a bid of $309,342; officials from Lakeshore Pier Services of Palmyra proposed a bid of $176,801; and representatives from Bruceskis, Inc. of McHenry, Illinois submitted a bid of $189,000 to install a permanent pier and $220,000 to install a floating pier.
Members of the City Council's Piers, Harbors and Lakefront Committee were set to recommend a bid to the full City Council during their March 12 meeting.
However, during that meeting, Harbormaster Steve Russell informed the committee members that the project had been placed in the city's 2025 budget and not the 2024 budget.
About $350,000 has been budgeted for the project. The committee members then discussed whether funding for the project could be transferred to the 2024 budget or whether to conduct the project in 2025 and dredge the lagoon this year.
A special Piers, Harbor and Lakefront meeting was scheduled to be held March 28 to continue discussion on the issue; however, that meeting was cancelled as well as a meeting in April.
City aldermen discussed the issue again during the May 14 Piers, Harbors and Lakefront Committee meeting.
Frame proposed that city officials consider installing a floating pier system.
She said a floating pier system would cause less damage to the lagoon's seawall and could be removed when the lagoon needs to be dredged or when the spillway needs to be inspected.
"When it comes time to dredge or when it needs to be moved for inspection, whatever you need, we can unlock them and move then back from the spillway. So you can get in there and see what is going on with the spillway," Frame said. "When there is dredging going on, this whole system can be moved."
The floating pier could accommodate about 18 boats and 12 personal watercraft vehicles.
"There would be one boat on one side of a finger pier and one on the other side," Frame said. "So there would be two in each open section that would be tied up."
The floating pier system would cost about $220,000 to install.
Frame said if the floating pier option is approved then city officials would probably have to increase the boat slip rental rates for the lagoon.
The cost to rent a boat slip or buoy in the city lagoon is $920 for residents; $1,604 for non-resident dwelling property owners; $1,920 for non-resident lot or rental property owners; and $2,236 for non-residents.
Personal water craft slip rentals in the lagoon are $1,296.
"They would be very much higher than what they are now," Frame said. "Because they are paying $900-some now for a slip and it would have to be increased."
Mayor Todd Krause said if a new pier system is installed the boat slip rental rates for residents would probably have to be increased to about $2,200 or $2,400 for the city to break even for the costs to maintain the piers and dredge the lagoon.
