Parks director asks for direction after county ended launch lease; commissioners set follow-up and allow emergency repairs

Kootenai County Parks and Waterways Director Nick Snyder told the Board of Commissioners on March 4 that the county's January 6 notice terminating a 2015 lease with Lakes Highway District has left boat launches at Bayview, Maiden Rock and Lower Twin in a state of uncertainty and asked for a date certain for county removal of signs and infrastructure.

Snyder said the county paid Lakes Highway District about $221,000 in lease payments from the general fund since 2015 and estimated total county costs to provide launch services'including dock replacement, maintenance, restroom supplies, staff time and utilities'at a conservative $350,000 to $375,000 since 2015. He said the county collected just over $50,000 in vehicle/launch fees at Bayview over the same span, producing an approximate net loss to the county of $300,000 to $350,000 since 2015.

Nut graf: Faced with the financial burden and practical enforcement challenges of collecting launch fees at Bayview, county staff said they need a clear direction on whether to remove county signs and infrastructure; commissioners agreed to reconvene after Lakes Highway District's public meeting and allowed Parks to handle safety issues in the interim with written authorization.

Snyder asked the board for direction on whether Parks should remove signs, infrastructure and staff presence where the county no longer holds a lease. He said Parks had already constructed a replacement dock and was waiting for an Idaho Department of Lands encroachment permit, a roughly 30-day process, and for some materials. The new dock is a poly-float, steel-frame structure with concrete decking; Snyder said it should last 25 to 30 years if installed.

Commissioners discussed options including returning to the prior arrangement (a nominal $1 lease), transferring management responsibility to Lakes Highway District, or finding another partner such as Idaho Fish and Game or Idaho State Parks. Snyder cautioned that Bayview is difficult to enforce for launches because many parking spots are in town and away from a controlled parking lot where the county could collect fees. He suggested removing the $25,000-a-year lease burden would allow Parks to rely more on boater-derived funds such as vessel registration fees.

The board set a follow-up: commissioners asked Lakes Highway District to respond following its public meeting scheduled for March 17 and agreed to reconvene on the issue at the March 25 board meeting if no agreement is reached. Commissioners also directed Snyder to seek authorization from Lakes Highway District to install the dock and to submit the Idaho Department of Lands encroachment permit; Snyder said he preferred installation before Memorial Day, with a permit submission no later than April.

On immediate operations, the board authorized Parks to address public-safety or environmental hazards at the three sites in the interim if Snyder obtains written authorization (email) from Lakes Highway District. Public comment suggested possible revenue-collection options such as license-plate readers at launches.

Ending: The board left the facilities in temporary status pending Lakes Highway District's response and set March 25 as the reconvening date to issue firm direction about signs, maintenance and management.