Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel at Boat User Fee meeting (April 12, 2023)
Chautauqua County will move forward with studying a potential boat fee for users of Chautauqua Lake.
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel hosted a public forum that was attended by about two dozen people Wednesday to see if there was a willingness to look at implementing the fee, “We saw a show of hands. The majority of people want to continue. So, we’ll go back. We’ll talk to Planning and Economic Development and start to implement what we’re going to do. Barton & LoGuidice were here. They’ll review what we do going forward and what the scope of work will be.”
Wendel said he expects some pushback but is optimistic about the process.
He said a boat fee would be used to help fund lake maintenance efforts that are currently being done as well to help fund the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance, who uses a metric system to distribute funds for lake efforts. Wendel said this would help reduce the amount local foundations have to support lake efforts.
For 2023, total funding requests for lakes and waterways is $2,953,296 with only $234,000 available funding from the 2% occupancy tax that goes toward protection of lakes and streams. The other 3% of the occupancy tax is designated toward promotion of tourism.
Wendel said a committee to study the boat fee could include members from fishing associations, boat clubs, elected officials, and travel and tourism, “What we’d be looking at is an annual fee. What that fee is is yet to be determined. But you purchase a sticker. The hopes are.. could we work with marinas could we work with other agencies that put the boats in and out, or working with local establishments. Again, we have a couple places that sell fish licenses every weekend. So, working with our businesses around Chautauqua Lake to provide those stickers for people, if they’re coming in for a day, for a week, and understand what that fee would be.”
Wendel said the county still needs to determine how the committee is implemented in terms of whether it needs legislative approval to appoint members or not.
Should a recommendation to create a boat user fee be approved by the Chautauqua County Legislature, it would still require Home Rule approval from New York State in order to be implemented.
State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, who was present at the meeting, said given the legislative calendar, if this moves forward this is something that likely wouldn’t be acted on by the state until 2024 for implementation in 2025.
View slideshow from the Boat User Fee Meeting.
Tune to Community Matters tonight at 5:00 p.m. to hear the Boat User Fee Informational Meeting.
When an additional amount was proposed to be added to vacation stays, it was decided (and reported) the amount of tourists might very well decrease. Chautauqua Lake is THE best (biggest?) in our County. DO NOT DISCOURAGE TOURISTS ON THE LAKE, either.