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Morris officials to consider plan for boat launch |
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A possible resolution to the long-standing debate over what to do about the town-owned boat launch on Bantam Lake in Morris could be at hand.
The Board of Selectmen and an ad hoc committee established to develop recommendations for the launch are scheduled to review a proposed ordinance governing use of the launch between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the busiest period on the lake. Town Attorney Charles E. Roraback is drafting the proposal and will present it to the board and the committee on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.
Selectmen and the committee are expected to fine-tune the proposal before it is brought to a town meeting for approval. The goal is to have an ordinance in place for the start of the boating season. As recommended by the committee, the proposed ordinance would give town residents free use of the launch. Non-residents would be charged for daily or season passes that would be available at Town Hall.
It will be up to selectmen, with help from the committee, to determine the cost of the passes. Former First Selectman Philip Birkett and Bantam Lake Authority Chairman Thomas Weik of Morris will also be involved in Wednesday's discussion. Use of the launch has been limited to residents since June 2009, when voters at a town meeting decided to keep non-residents out. Without an ordinance, however, there is no way to enforce the vote of the town meeting. It is uncertain how an ordinance would be enforced. That will be up to selectmen to determine. Managing the launch is new to the town, which leased the facility to the state Department of Environmental Protection from 1980 to 2009. The state, which covered the maintenance costs of the launch, was unable to reach agreement on a new lease with the town. The town has picked up the maintenance costs but would offset them by charging for daily or season passes. |
