County evaluates boat-landing dredging; attorney opinion blocks charging launch fees at site

County staff updated the committee on plans to dredge a small boat landing area and on the legal and logistical questions around dewatering material and collecting fees. Staff said they had queried a harbormaster and Coral Beach to learn how to move dredged material from a barge to a parking lot for dewatering and that the sampling committee may require lake-bottom testing if contamination is a concern.

On user fees, staff said the county cannot charge a launch fee at the landing because, when the county acquired property for the landing about 20–25 years ago, a condition of transfer preserved free use for residents of the town of Sanborn. "The county agreed they would never charge a resident of the town of Sanborn to use that landing. And the state attorney general has decided and opined that if you don't charge 1 user group, you can't charge any user," the presenter said. That condition would prevent the county from imposing a launch fee on other users without risk of losing access or creating legal exposure.

Staff said they are pursuing a secure donation box and have been discussing dewatering logistics, including possible sample analysis for contaminants if required. The presenter noted heavy use at the landing and said the county is working with town and DNR contacts on dredging logistics; no dredging contract was approved at the meeting.

Why it matters: Dredging and maintenance affect boating safety and access, while fee restrictions limit revenue options for maintenance. The committee will need to consider legal constraints and logistically feasible dewatering locations before proceeding with dredging work.