Delafield council discusses paid parking, monitoring and rules for new pier; refers policy to Park & Rec and Lake Welfare

Councilors spent a significant portion of the March 16 meeting discussing operational rules and potential fee structures for a planned public pier. Alder person Price led the discussion with multiple proposals for tracking users and raising modest revenue to offset maintenance.

Price suggested using modern parking‑meter apps or reservation systems that would allow users to pay for blocks of time and provide contact information tied to a boat number. "You could maybe sell blocks of, you know, set it up for 30 minutes, for an hour or for a dollar," Price said, arguing that an app would both limit time‑overstay and create a record of users if incidents occurred.

Park and Recreation representatives urged a cautious approach: post hours and signage first, gather operational experience, and consider an ordinance only if problems emerge. Park staff emphasized the pier is low maintenance and that capital and maintenance costs were considered in the current budgets. Several council members warned that grant agreements or construction permits might prohibit charging for public access; Tom said he would review the construction permit and the grant agreement before any fee program moves forward.

Councilors agreed the policy questions should be noticed and heard at Park & Recreation and Lake Welfare so the public can participate; Alder person Pavin and others asked that the matter be fully discussed there before the council takes action. A Lake Welfare member will bring the item back to that committee for consideration.