For the third time, a proposal to locate a boat rental business on Fountain Lake was brought before the Albert Lea City Council.

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

For the third time, a proposal to locate a boat rental business on Fountain Lake was brought before the Albert Lea City Council. And for the second time it was defeated.

This time it was a close vote – with councilors Mary Kron, Ron Sorenson, and David McPherson voting to deny council approval and Al Brooks and Mayor Bob Haukoos in opposition. Councilors Warren Amundson and George Marin were absent.

The boat rentals would have been located near the city beach, possibly at a public dock which the city would build for the use of Fountain Lake boaters. The council discussed the issue at its Monday night meeting.

David Berg, the operator of the proposed boat rental business, and Tony Trow, a lakeside resident of Fountain lake, both spoke to the council in support of the proposal. Trow told the council that he thought boat rentals would make the lake more accessible for more people, not just the landowners lucky enough to own property on the lake.

But council member Sorenson told the council that he had received letters from four other residents of Bridge Avenue who were opposed to the boat rentals. The letter writers were unable to attend the public hearing, according to Sorenson, but are neighbors of Berg or live near the city beach area. The writers of the letters were not identified.

Council member Kron made the motion to deny the use of the city beach for the rental business because of the possibility that the city might end up locating a public dock near the beach. It would not be a good idea to give the appearance that the city is building a dock for the use of a private business, she said after the meeting.

Karen Trow is a lakeside resident of Fountain Lake who is disappointed in the council’s decision.

&uot;There should be a public dock for people to use on this lake,&uot; she said. Her husband Tony Trow agreed. It’s a public lake and the public should be able to use it more easily, he said after the meeting.

At previous public hearings and actions on the boat rental business, the city council first approved a proposal to locate the operation at Berg’s residence, and then rescinded its approval after nearby residents objected. Berg then asked the council if they would allow the rentals to take place near the city beach area. This last proposal was the issue before the council at Monday’s meeting.