Port Authority to pursue boat launch, marina grant

Vermilion City Council gave the go-ahead March 15 for the city’s Port Authority to pursue Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant funding for marina and boat launch projects.

Port Authority Operations Manager Bill Yancar said during a March 15 City Council meeting that the ODNR is looking to award around $3 million in grant money to improve local boat access.

He said the grant provides 75 percent reimbursement on boat launch projects and 50 percent reimbursement on marinabased projects.

The Port Authority is looking to submit proposals for its most critical boat launch projects.

“What we’re looking for is approval of the $25,000 of our $32,000 reserve account, and what that would do is it would buy us $100,000 in buying power toward any projects that fall in the category of the launch area,” Yancar said during the meeting.

He said for invoices exceeding that total of $25,000, the city would front up to $75,000 until the state would reimburse it.

Port member Peter Corogin said the port authority has identified over $500,000 of projects that need to be completed in the near future.

Some of those projects that the port authority might submit include running a waterline extension to the South Street boat ramp and port authority headquarters to supply drinking water to the area, resurfacing the entrance point to the wastewater treatment plant and port authority and sustaining the South Street boat ramp’s bank for local fishermen.

Yancar said the boat ramp’s bank is as few as six feet from the parking lot in some areas and is one of the few areas in the city that provides shoreline fishing.

“It’s kind of a precarious situation,” he said.

Yancar said resurfacing the entire parking lot at the boat ramp would prove too costly, totaling more than $300,000.

Corogin said he believes the state grants provide a chance to leverage city funds.

“I think it’s a unique opportunity to leverage up the amount of money that we have with these grants that they’re publishing that are available,” he said.

Several council members agreed that the grant would be beneficial for the city.

“This is a great opportunity for us to update our marina or some launches,” Ward 5 Councilman Brian Holmes said during the meeting. “Obviously, that’s the big thing we do here; it’s what Vermilion is known for — it’s a great place to launch a boat and enjoy the lake.”

“What we’re looking for is approval of the $25,000 of our $32,000 reserve account, and what that would do is it would buy us $100,000 in buying power toward any projects that fall in the category of the launch area.” — Port Authority Operations Manager Bill Yancar