Punta Gorda workshop directs staff to expedite Lashley Marina repairs, weigh parking and management changes

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — At a Nov. 18 workshop in the Lashley Community Room, city officials agreed to move forward quickly on repairs at Lashley Marina while studying new fee and management options aimed at restoring service and revenue.

A council member said staff should "go ahead and move the project forward, add the federalized language to the contract" so work can begin with FEMA reimbursement eligibility in mind. Staff reported some contractors are willing to accept federal contract language, which could speed work but carries the risk that some costs may not be reimbursed.

Boyd Lawrence, Punta Gorda planning director, said the marina's submerged‑land lease was renewed in September 2021 and remains in force; he listed the lease's permitted footprint and said the city previously had as many as 84 slips in service before hurricane damage but currently has only about 22 operational slips and 43 inoperable. "The infrastructure is not that old — around 15 years — though it has been battered," Lawrence said, and he urged balancing a quick rebuild with long‑term resiliency.

Finance director Kristen Simion and public works staff gave a preliminary financial picture. Lawrence said 2019 was used as a baseline showing dock‑slip rental revenue fell sharply after storms; net marina revenue in 2019 was roughly $202,000 but the operation has run deficits in recent years. Simion said roughly $182,000 of recent costs appear on the city side (utilities, insurance and related overhead) while the Marina Park management contract is about $215,000.

Residents and business owners urged faster repairs and better day‑to‑day management. Cole Kelly, a resident who identified himself as representing Maritime Digital, said in a prepared six‑minute presentation that "Lashley Marina is operating at a loss and has been since 2020," argued commercial use patterns may not comply with the submerged‑land lease, and urged a registry, stickers and minimum billing by slip length to capture more revenue. Kelly offered to provide the city with backup data.

Multiple speakers pressed for a dock hand or greater staffing, improved security and enforcement of the four‑hour day‑dock rule, and suggested mooring fields to reduce pressure on slips. Public‑works staff said many mooring balls were destroyed in the storms; an environmental engineer provided a preliminary figure of about $2,600 in materials per mooring ball, rising to roughly $6,000 installed.

Council members asked staff to research fee models used by nearby jurisdictions — including annual passes, launching fees and digital kiosks — and to consult Charlotte County and Naples for examples. Cara Venge, urban design, summarized fee‑collection options: traditional attendants, a digital kiosk appropriate for small lots (capital and subscription costs), and parking apps (higher setup and transaction fees but larger scale).

On regulatory compliance, a council member announced Public Works Director Ron Everts will schedule a meeting with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and include the city attorney, Steven Leskovich, to resolve questions about the submerged‑land lease raised during public comment.

Next steps: staff will prepare recommendations on repairs, fee structures and management/contract options; meet with FDEP and the city attorney about lease compliance; and hold breakout sessions with members of the public to collect more technical input. Council members left the workshop for other duties and directed staff to continue the technical work.

— Reporting in this article is based solely on the Nov. 18 Punta Gorda workshop transcript and on statements made on the record by city staff and public commenters.