When Penticton residents head to the polls this spring in a municipal byelection, voters could be asked if they would support the long-term private operation of Skaha Marina.
The byelection, which is expected to be held in June, is to replace Penticton city councillor and former three-term mayor, Jake Kimberley, who resigned in February after suffering a stroke.
The City of Penticton also wants to use the opportunity to get a mandate from the community to proceed with establishing a long-term agreement with a private operator to help fund capital improvements and operate the Skaha Marina on Skaha Lake.
The city recently wrapped up a 19-month engagement process to revitalize the east side of Skaha Lake Park. Council endorsed the $3.2-million plan last week.
What remains uncertain is how to fund desperately needed but costly marina improvements.
“Historically, the marina has been run by private operators under short-term licences. As a result of these short-term licences, necessary repairs have been delayed and the City’s taxpayers have carried the burden of maintenance and upgrades to the marina facilities,” staff said in a report to the parks and recreation advisory committee on Monday.
“Over the next 20 years, the Skaha Marina building and docks will require a capital investment of approximately $1.5 million to maintain the current structures, with a large portion of the repairs required within the next 3-5 years,” the report said.
City staff is proposing three options, which include taxpayer funding, private investment, or a management operating agreement.
The latter would be a way of obtaining private investment without the need for a lease and better maintain public ownership and protection of the lands.
The report noted if there is community confidence in a management operating agreement, the plan would go through several layers of approvals before a request for proposals would be issued.
The proposed ballot question is:
“Do you support the City selecting a private operator and entering into a long-term agreement of up to 25 years in order to fund the marina improvements and provide marina services (such as short-term and long-term moorage, marina repairs, marina retail store, gas dock with fuel sales, watercraft and equipment rentals and café or licensed restaurant) located at the marina area in Skaha Lake Park, 3885 South Main Street?”
The City of Penticton is trying not to repeat the mistakes of the previous city council.
In 2015, savvy businessmen approached Penticton city council with an opportunity to revitalize the Skaha Lake waterfront at the city’s south end.
The city entered a partnership agreement with Trio Marine Group to upgrade the marina and surrounding lands with an expanded facility, restaurant and waterslide attraction.
The prospect of commercializing a scenic chunk of municipally owned Skaha Park invigorated a movement Penticton had not experienced in years.
Hundreds of people descended on city hall in protest. Grassroots groups were formed to protect the park. Litigation swirled.
The city, Trio and legal counsel went back to the drawing board and amended the initial plan, opting to remove the waterslide park altogether, along with other changes. Eventually, the entire plan was scrapped.
Taxpayers were left on the hook for a $200,000 termination fee.
The current marina proposal will be discussed at the parks and recreation advisory committee on Monday afternoon.
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