The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
VOTERS TO SEE LAGOONS ISSUES
City Council seeks charter amendment for marina upgrades, marsh access
“Nothing’s been changed from the current language where any development, any disturbing of the natural areas in there, anything of that nature, would require voter approval.” — Law Director Joseph Szeman
Mentor officials remain united in an effort to make improvements at the Lagoons Marina.
City Council and administration members recently made their cases for going back to voters for a charter change to that effect.
An ordinance, passed unanimously Aug. 18, provides for a charter amendment that would distinguish between the marina and the natural areas comprising the Lagoons Preserve, and permit council to manage the marina without resorting to mandatory referendums. It would still reserve voters’ right to decide all issues related to the property’s sale, lease and development other than non-marina uses.
The amendment also would afford “maximum legal protection” to the preserve, according to the legislation. The item will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
A similar amendment failed last November with about 51 percent against.
The latest attempt was worded with the intent of clarifying for voters what exactly they would be deciding, said Law Director Joseph Szeman.
“I think it’s a lot clearer, now, that no development occurs at the marina that’s not marina-related, that there’s no sale or lease of any of the marina without voter approval, there’s no residential or industrial development of any nature whatsoever at the marina without voter approval, and then the prohibitions relative to the nature preserve are really fairly absolute,” Szeman said.
“Nothing’s been changed from the current language where any development, any disturbing of the natural areas in there, anything of that nature, would require voter approval.”
Councilwoman at large Janet Dowling noted that the charter restrictions hobble the city’s ability to compete with commercial marinas.
“This (change) just has to happen,” she said.
“We can’t continue to operate a marina if we can’t be competitive.”
City Manager Ken Filipiak piggybacked on her point.
“The less revenue we are able to generate because of our lack of competitiveness means that the general fund and the residents of Mentor who never use that will have to subsidize it, so this is important for everybody,” he said.
Restrictions in the charter were added to the property by referendum in 1998 shortly after the city bought it from developer Richard M. Osborne Sr. for $13.8 million, including interest.
Because of the restrictions, Council also passed legislation last week to put on the ballot a boardwalk project to be built off the east side of the 360-acre site.
The three-phase project, for which the city received a $115,050 matching grant, provides for an ADA-accessible boardwalk, observation deck and a tower from the lagoons into Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve.
“This is not carte blanche to do any other construction activities at the lagoons and marina, and I think it’s again important to underscore that fact,” Szeman said.
“If any substantial changes were to be made, that would require a new referendum under the current construction of the charter.”
Ward 4 Councilman John Krueger emphasized that failure at the polls would lead to loss of the grant money as well as the project.