Cold Lake city council has decided to maintain the current marina slip rental fee structure which charges based on vessel length, after reviewing the Recreation User Fee Policy during the December 10 council meeting.
The proposed change to a flat fee per slip, intended to simplify operations and stabilize revenue, was debated but ultimately rejected due to concerns about fairness, slip suitability for different vessel sizes, and potential pricing inequities.
Cold Lake’s Manager of Economic Development, Andrew Serba, noted that the existing vessel-length-based fees sometimes create operational inefficiencies. Discrepancies between registered and actual vessel lengths, often due to modifications like larger motors, require staff to adjust slip allocations and fees. He explained that standardizing fees could help stabilize revenue, specially when smaller vessels occupying full berths leave unallocated space.
Council members expressed varying perspectives on the matter. Mayor Craig Copeland strongly advocated for retaining the current system, arguing that not all marina slips are equally suitable for different boat sizes. He emphasized the importance of fairness, stating, “I’m a big fan of charging by the foot. I don’t think every marina slip in the marina is equal.” Similarly, coun. Chris Vining supported the existing structure, highlighting the challenges of a flat fee system when larger boats cannot access certain slips. He suggested leaving further policy reviews to the next council in 2025.
Coun. Bob Mattice inquired about practices at other marinas, such as Sylvan Lake, and Serba clarified that Cold Lake had previously used a flat rate fee system before adopting the vessel-length-based approach.
Council ultimately voted to retain the current fee structure, enabling staff to issue fee notices for the 2025 season. While this decision maintains the status quo, future reviews of the marina fee policy may be revisited by the next elected council.
