SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
County council has agreed to be a signatory to an agreement that will allow continued public access across private property to Lake Newell Marina.
The multi-party agreement will be signed by Lake Newell Land Corp, the county and the Lake Newell Marina Association. The marina association will also receive the $65,800 for upgrades that was committed by the county in August 2023.
The road to the facility stretches across private property and the owner wants to ensure that if the parcel is developed that the route across the property can change.
“The property owner has said yes, he’s committed to making sure there will be guaranteed access. Where that access is across the property will in large part be determined by how that property is developed in the future,” said Layne Johnson, the county’s director of corporate services.
“Right now it’s a vacant piece of ground with the exception of the boathouse facility.”
The agreement will be a legal document that will be registered against the title so if the land is sold the road access condition will remain in place.
County administration also sought council’s OK to spend up to $20,000 to cover the cost of the agreement which councillor Dan Short questioned.
He said it seems as if money was given to them to fix the launch and now they want more for the legal fees.
“Not a very ‘partnery’ way to do things to get one guy to pay all the bills. There’s benefit for him as well whether he wants to admit it or not. In a partnership he should be paying his side, I think,” he said.
CAO Matt Fenske explained that last year the condition of the funding was that there is public access across the private land to the launch.
“The condition placed on those funds actually being spent was that the public would have access. To guarantee that we have to go through a legal process and it costs money. That’s what that issue is. If public funds are being spent to approve that boat launch the public needs access to the boat launch for the life of the boat launch,” he said.
Councillor Greg Skriver said the boat launch is a vital piece of infrastructure to the county and the growth of Lake Newell Resort depends on the marina.
“I don’t want you to say that the county is flipping the bill for this because we’re not. It’s in conjunction with the EID, the landowner and the marina association are flipping the bill for this,” he said.
Johnson told council the estimated cost for the entire project is $500,000. The marina association has spent $350,000 to upgrade the boat slips and the wharfs.
An updated agreement between the EID and the property owner for placement of the marina on the district’s shoreline will also be signed with the EID paying for the agreement.
Johnson said, “The marina association is a non-profit organization that is run by volunteers and they’ve got limited access to funds and definitely need help to secure public access across private property.”
The association will seek other grants.
