PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Punta Gorda city leaders are weighing whether boaters should start paying to park at the city’s public boat ramps.
Currently, the city's two boat ramps at Laishley Marina and Ponce De Leon Park are free to use and park at. But surrounding areas, like Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota Counties charge to park at the boat ramps. (Charlotte County has suspended fees for the time being).
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the proposal:
City Manager Melissa Reichert told Fox 4 the idea for a fee comes up periodically, often from a council request. This time, she said it was also tied to a previous discussion about the management at Laishley Marina.
If approved, the city would still need to decide how much to charge and how to collect payments, with potential options including kiosks, online payments, or paying directly inside the marina office.
Reichert said while the use of the funds that would be collected hasn’t been finalized, “it would be likely that the funds would support maintenance of the ramps and parking lots.”
Some boaters who use the ramps often, said they aren’t on board with the idea.
“It’s an inconvenience,” said Captain Tom Knapp, who runs Knapp Outdoor Expeditions. “Yeah, it might add some revenue, but it’s more of a pain in the butt, if you ask me.”
Fox 4 also posted this story on social media, where dozens of also voiced their disapproval of the idea in comments:
The council will take up the discussion during its regular meeting on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
