Kelowna considering user fees for city boat launches

Kelowna forced businesses using city boat launches to pay a total of $140,000 in licence fees last summer and now the city will consider charging everyone to launch their boats.

Not much is going to change this year but city staff are recommending council expand boat launch fees to everyone in 2024.

The $140,000 the city collected in 2022 didn’t even cover the cost of dredging the Cook Street boat launch this year and doesn’t come close to the $365,000 the city spent on its four boat launches last year.

“While program revenues are not anticipated to increase substantially in 2023, the implementation of an all-user-pay cost recovery system in 2024 and beyond will see this important amenity entirely self-funded, with minimal reliance on taxation,” says a report going to city council on Monday, May 1.

There is no mention in the report about how much the city is looking to charge people for launching their boats.

The commercial fee system introduced last year requires commercial operators to apply for a licence. In most cases they have to pay $2,000 per year for each boat they operate.

READ MORE: Kelowna boat launch fees could cost companies thousands

The fees for non-commercial use have yet to be approved.

“Staff also continue to explore the viability and implications of expanding the licensing program to all users (commercial and non-commercial) of the city’s boat launch facilities, with the aim of having this amenity fully funded from user fees – with no direct impact on taxation – in future years,” the report says.

The $140,000 brought in last year will be used towards the rebuilding of the Water Street boat launch next to the Grand Okanagan hotel in the city's downtown. The city has also applied to the province for a permit to rebuild that boat launch and hope to have it done by the fall. No cost is listed in the report.

The other two boat launches are in Sutherland Bay and Cedar Creek Park but those are only suitable for small boats.

There will be some minor changes to the commercial licencing system this year to increase fairness and enforcement, the report says.

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