Charter Boats Should NOT be in the Ludington City Marina

[XLFD]

Almost every single agreement the City of Ludington has entered into with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MI DNR) or their subgroup, the Waterways Commission has included the following clause (although the number of that clause may vary): 

 

 

And yet ever since the City Marina came into existence in the early eighties, commercial operations have moved into the marina and conducted operations.  Charter boats, commercial businesses that operate for private profit by being hired to take folks out fishing or boating on the lake have crept into the facility since the beginning and remain there with the full understanding of the Marina Managers and Marina Boards, and city officials who sign these agreements (typically the City Manager and the City Clerk). 

 

Just a few years after it opened for business, at least five charter boat operations moved into the City Marina.  It came to the attention of the Waterways Commission (WC) indirectly, they had never okayed the businesses with prior written permission, but in their April 1985 meeting they clarified the policy, a policy which should have excluded those five charter boats and any others that moved in without written approval by both the community (City of Ludington) and the WC, but the City was allowed to 'grandfather' the rule-breakers into the City Marina against the old and new limits strictly defined by Commissioner Wilson:

 

 

Ironically we see 28 years later, tomorrow in Tawas City, the City of Ludington go back to the Waterways Commission to try to keep these charter boats operating out of a facility that was built solely for recreational watercraft, with solely State and Federal money.  There is a small contingent of Ludington private marina owners going to Tawas to see that this injustice will be corrected. 

Charter boats have operated at the Ludington City Marina for over 30 years before the first ever vote on having charter boats at the marina by the Ludington City Council took place at the September 23, 2013 meeting.  The first ever time the 'community' has ever given their 'written permission' for charter boats. 

 

That's part of the record, and part of the shameful history of how our City Marina has used all of its unfair advantages over our private marinas to effectively push them to the brink of insolvency.  And that is why it is imperative that the WC keep to the letter and intent of the law in making it clear to the City of Ludington that there shall be no more charter operations running out of the City Marina of Ludington. 

 

DNR Chief Ron Olson's letter, p. 2:

 

Here is the Waterways Commission 10-25-2013 Agenda

and further suggested readings about how our City Marina has played outside the rules:

Public Restrooms become private

Unfair Competition by the City Marina

Nepotism at the Ludington City Marina

Public money paid for this fish cleaning station, but the sign clearly states only City Marina slip holders may use it, in violation of the covenant agreement the City of Ludington signed with the MI DNR when they built it.

[XLFD]

Today, the Waterways Commission overrode Chief Olsen's recommendation and the written and oral pleadings of a united group of local private marina owners and other interested parties and voted to allow eight charter boats to continue operating out of the City Marina in violation of all these agreements between the City of Ludington and the State of Michigan, to the detriment of every private individual that lives and works in Ludington. 

The people who work for the City of Ludington that pushed for this result, including all the drones that comprise the City Council, can say "I love Ludington and its people" all they want, but their actions speak much louder than their false phrases.

[AQUAMAN]

Quite right, I just talked to an attending party that felt the same way. His long drive to Tawas, along with several other interested and financially affected business owners was for naught. Granted, you get your two cents time to offer comments and letters. Then, without any more fanfare and time-outs, the MWC voted just like a fixed agenda would, all in favor. The fact that 4 city marina charter boats were already moving on to retirement/other venues in 2014, and the mgmt. knew this, meant nothing was lost for the COL Municipal Marina. They have violated the terms of their very own charter with the State of Michigan, for many years, and by law and statute! So, what happens when they get caught in the cookie jar, absolutely nothing. No foul, no cancellation of charters next year, no fines, no warnings, and no way to stop the monster of unethical and illegal behaviors. Unfortunately, many are disheartened in this tragic scenario. But, we don't give in easily. It seems the only thing these people truly understand, is more legal suits, which, may just have to be done now. Waste of time and money to get true justice. Of course we can expect the same trivial excuse at some later date by the COL when they lose in court, just a technicality, not really guilty at all.

[XLFD]

The Michigan DNR made it resoundingly clear today that they are for lawless behavior and against the tax base, forgetting that the 15 or more grant-in-aid agreements they have made with the City of Ludington explicitly or implicitly deny use of the City Marina to charter boat businesses without express written permission from the City and State. 

The Waterways Commission should be ashamed with itself.

[AQUAMAN]

Ron Olsen, the Chairman of this Commission, either had a change of mind and heart, or he just flat out lied to private marina owners this past summer. He earlier stated categorically that he realized the illegality of having commercial boats in the COL Marina, and would put an end to it this fall for 2014 and forward. Usually, when the Chairman of any agency has a strong intent and feeling about anything, it follows that action is taken in that format. What happened this time, I dunno!

[XLFD]

As I am finding out more and more, State agencies, even State agencies that supposedly regulate Local government grants and actions, are protective of those franchises, not of the people outside of government.

This should not be the case, most of the agencies our government have for oversight are overlooking transgressions by our government.  This is why an informed electorate is truly the only safeguard, and why good people need to confront the corruption.