City, lake business owners compromise on boat cleats

CELINA - City officials have come to an agreement with lakeside businesses owners wanting to use boat cleats to attract customers.

The cleats allow boaters to secure their vessels along the West Bank walkway.

Bella's Italian Grille and Big Bamboo's Dockside Grille, both on West Bank Road, were permitted to reinsert boat cleats into a wooden panel alongside the walkway after signing documents absolving the city of liability, according to city law director George Moore.

"Right now it's a temporary measure that allows them to provide for customers and lake traffic," mayor Jeff Hazel said this morning. "We think we came to a really good compromise in less than a week's time."

Bella's owner Julie Fleck said the agreement was amicable and allows four boats to dock outside the restaurant.

As the walkway project is substantially completed, the city intends to replace 23 boat docks and fishing piers that it removed from north of the spillway several years ago in preparation of construction. The docks likely will be installed next year, Hazel said.

In the meantime, the city's new liability release will allow business owners to insert their own boat cleats into the wood panel of the walkway - at their own risk. Any harm to the walkway, boats or people will be assessed to the businesses, according to Hazel.

A city official last week removed several boat cleats on West Bank Road at the behest of the administration, according to city councilman Jeff Larmore.

However, Moore crafted a document stating that whoever installs cleats is responsible for any damage arising from the installation. This includes harm to boats, the walkway or people, Moore told the newspaper this morning.

Owners of Bella's Italian Grille and Big Bamboo's Dockside Grill signed the agreements, Moore said.

The issue of liability was initiated a few weeks ago by Larmore at a city council meeting.

"As soon as we finished that walkway they were out there putting cleats in the protective wood facing which is only an inch and a half thick. That's not going to hold a boat," Larmore said at the meeting.

"I don't want the city to have liability for a $40,000 boat that parallel parks when underneath the waterline they're putting all the big rocks to hold the bottom of that," he added.

Larmore further stressed to the newspaper this morning that big, jagged rocks that could damage boats are underneath the water near the shore.

"The city does own the walkway, kind of a perpetual lease to have it there," Hazel said at the council meeting two weeks ago. "Those cleats were not authorized or permitted by the city."

"I don't want that to turn into the wild wild west out there," Larmore replied. "Luckily they put (cleats) in the wood plank, they didn't drill our new concrete, but it will happen. I don't know how we're going to get ahold of these folks and let them know ... because they'll do it."

Fleck said she prefers boat cleats to the expensive alternative of a boat dock. Boat cleats do not create as much concern over maintenance, ice-related damage or vandalism, she told the newspaper.

"The summer is our biggest season and the walkway, we have been waiting for it for a long time," she said this morning.

Several years ago, Bella's had 14 boat dock "fingers" that were ultimately destroyed by ice. The cleats, which she intends to reinsert today, allow four boats to dock outside the restaurant.

The city, according to Hazel, is waiting on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to provide dock specifications. Though a combination of fishing piers and boat docks were removed, the city plans to install only boat docks, Hazel said.

Furthermore, Hazel said ODNR requires the city to own and maintain the docks.

"Some people claimed they built them, others inherited them, some (were) in really bad shape," he said.

Once the docks are installed next year, at a tentative cost of $4,500 a dock for a total of $103,500, a lottery will be held to determine use, he said.

"Because the city will own them, they won't be owned by individuals and so they will be public docks," he said.

The docks will be paid through the $1.285 million in the state capital budget bill awarded to Celina in 2014 for the development of three softball fields at Westview Park and the completion of the walkway.

City council members will further discuss boat docks, as well as drones, excessive junk and handicap parking, at a community betterment committee at 6 p.m. tonight in council chambers before the regular meeting at 7 p.m.