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Pewaukee board weighs commercial fees and enforcement options for Lehman Park boat launch
Summary
Staff told the board commercial operators are often skipping launch fees at Lehman Park. The board asked staff to consult the Department of Natural Resources and local operators, gather usage data and return with options — including annual commercial passes, QR tracking, or targeted flat fees — for an August follow-up.
The Pewaukee Park and Recreation board discussed persistent nonpayment by commercial boat-delivery operators at the Lehman Park boat launch and directed staff to gather more information, including DNR guidance, before adopting a fee or enforcement approach.
Speaker 5, an unidentified meeting participant, outlined the problem: commercial organizations and delivery drivers frequently arrive without daily launch payment or an annual pass, and Beachside staff have had trouble consistently collecting fees despite adding a QR-code option. Speaker 5 said staff have documented multiple incidents and estimated the pool of nonpaying commercial operators at "at least 5, maybe 7 or 8." He suggested an annual per-business fee or other commercial fee structures and said the village has reached out to the DNR about whether that approach is allowed.
Board members discussed alternatives: charging a higher annual pass (the annual cap cited in-state is 10 times the daily fee), a flat seasonal fee for large fleets, license-plate or QR-code-based tracking, focusing enforcement on the largest operators, or exploring a gate or LPR camera. Several members warned that a gate or expensive camera system could be costly to buy and maintain and could create entry problems on busy weekends. Others favored a practical approach of identifying known commercial operators and requiring upfront payment for the next season if the DNR permits it.
Speaker 5 and other members suggested staff would contact nearby municipalities (including Oconomowoc and county launches) to learn how they handle enforcement, ask the DNR for explicit guidance, and return to the board with usage data and a recommended approach, targeting an update in August.
