COLD LAKE - City of Cold Lake council has reviewed the Recreation User Fee Policy, focusing on whether to change the marina slip rental fees from a system based on vessel length to a flat fee per slip, during the Dec. 10 regular council meeting.
After discussion, council decided to retain the current structure, citing concerns about fairness, the varying suitability of slips for different vessel sizes, and potential pricing inequities.
Council members debated whether a flat fee would simplify operations and stabilize revenue but acknowledged the marina's layout makes not all slips equally accessible to all boats. They also noted challenges in enforcing accurate vessel length declarations under the current system but ultimately agreed that charging by the foot better reflects the value and use of each slip.
Marina Fee Structure
“As part of the 2025 budget process, staff were looking at finding efficiencies within the City's operations, and one of the matters that rose to the top of the discussions on the recreation side of things was the possibility of standardizing, or streamlining rather, the rates charged for marina slip rentals,” said Andrew Serba, Cold Lake’s Manager of Economic Development.
Currently, marina fees are based on vessel length, but discrepancies between registered and actual lengths - often due to modifications or larger motors - can create challenges for staff.
These discrepancies lead to operational inefficiencies. “Staff do report at times having to rejig the slip allocations and recalculate fees based on the actual length of the vessel as it appears versus what they see on registrations,” Serba explained.
A standardized fee could stabilize revenue and simplify operations.
“Standardizing the fees would also ensure that revenue is more stable from year-to-year since smaller vessels still occupy one complete berth with any extra space in the berth unable to be allocated and gain revenue.”
Mixed opinions
Council members expressed differing perspectives on the proposal. Coun. Bob Mattice asked about comparisons with other marinas, particularly at Sylvan Lake.
Serba replied, stating, “I'm unaware of the comparison with any other operations, but I do know that a per slip fee was the process that Cold Lake did use before moving to a fee based on length of the vessel. So, it has been in practice in this community before.”
Mayor Craig Copeland voiced strong support for retaining the current system. “I'm a big fan of charging by the foot. I don't think every marina slip in the marina is equal,” he said.
He emphasized practical considerations, including the variability of slip suitability for different vessel sizes. “There’s no way you’re going to put some of these big monster boats in certain spots in the marina,” Copeland added.
Coun. Chris Vining echoed concerns about standardization, noting, “If all berths were accessible for all boats, then I’d be okay with saying, let’s go to a standardized berth, but not all berths are going to be available to all boats.”
He suggested either maintaining the status quo or gathering more data.
Nagoya emphasized the urgency of a decision, stating, “If council wants to defer this and not make a decision tonight, that would mean that we would probably have to proceed without the increase then, because the notices will be mailed imminently.”
Vining suggested maintaining the current fee structure and leaving further review to the next council elected in 2025. Council approved a motion to maintain the current fee structure.
