Boaters would have needed a permit on the aging reservoir
In response to public comments, Pearl River Valley Water Supply District officials voted May 21 to rescind a proposed user fee for boaters on the 33,000-acre Barnett Reservoir.
The PRVWSD Board of Directors had voted in April to begin charging boaters the fee in an effort to create funding for renovation and repair to boating- and recreation-related infrastructure on the 50-year-old lake.
Under the now-scuttled plan, effective Oct. 1, 2015, all boats launched or moored in Barnett Reservoir would have been required to have a decal displayed on its forward hull near its state registration decal. Annual fees would have ranged from $35 a year for boats under 26 feet, to $50 for boats 26 feet and longer. A $10 10-day permit was also proposed. Three-year permits were to be offered at a reduced discount.
The projected annual revenue from the program ranged from $250,000 to $300,000, which was to be put in a special fund account to be used solely for recreation and boating infrastructure.
“We received many comments both pro and con on the proposed user fee, and after taking those into consideration, the Committee decided it would be best to send it back to the staff for further study,” said John Sigman, general manager of the PRVWSD. “This serves as an example of our board’s willingness to listen to its constituents and involve them in the decision-making process.”
Sigman said the Board of Directors has tasked the PRVWSD staff with seeking and developing additional revenue sources to fund the recreational needs of the District, and he said that work would continue.
Reservoir officials have met with Senators and Representatives, both at the state and national level, seeking financial support, and Sigman said his staff looks at every possible opportunity to acquire grant money.
“No way are we done looking at alternative sources for funding, and we recognize how much work needs to be done to maintain our infrastructure,” he said.
This is the second time the PRVWSD Board of Directors approved a user fee. The first time, in 2008, the state agency had already collected over $200,000 in fees, which had to be refunded after legislative pressure forced the board to rescind the action.
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