Boaters address Regal Marina issue with PdC common council
By Correne Martin
Three boaters and users of Regal Marina urged the Prairie du Chien Common Council, Tuesday night, to work in better faith with the Regal family in an effort to assist the longtime business toward resuming all operations.
John Bell, of McGregor, Iowa, and Everett and Vickie Rowland, of Clermont, Iowa, spoke to the council about their concerns of a gridlock between the city and Regal Marine Group, which have leased the city’s marina property since 1963. Two members of the Regal family were present for the meeting but did not speak on the family’s behalf.
“I think you should have a committee and go down and talk to the Regals,” Bell proposed. “They deserve a chance to work with the city council.”
“These actions and inactions have been a problem for us boaters who are missing out on fun days on the river, but they’re devastating to the Regal family who’ve invested their lives into the marina,” Vickie Rowland said. “I ask the city to work with them in good faith. Why can’t some compromise be allowed to let boats in the water?”
As the Courier Press first reported May 16, electricity to the docks at Regal Marina was disconnected on May 1, mainly because state electrical code and other safety violations were uncovered by state inspectors.
“The conditions are so dangerous, the city simply had to do something to assure safety,” City Attorney Lara Czajkowski Higgins said at that time. “The Regals have to complete the repairs in order for the electricity to be turned back on.”
Both Bell and Everett Rowland questioned City Administrator Aaron Kramer’s interaction with the Regals in relation to the situation.
“I don’t think your council realizes how much of a personal attack this has been by your city administrator on the Regals,” Bell stated at Tuesday night’s council meeting. “I don’t think it’s [a good example] of the city working with a business that’s been here as long as the Regals. [All issues] he’s come up with have been taken care of except one issue, the electrical, and that’s very expensive to fix. (A figure of $75,000 to address all violations has been stated by the Regals to city staff.) They need a long-term lease.”
Everett Rowland took issue with Kramer’s actions, particularly how he handled the use of generators and extension cords on the marina property. He accused Kramer of strong-arming the Regals with repeated visits from city staff, such as himself, police, the fire chief, the city inspector, etc. Rowland said, according to his own research, he could find no place in Wisconsin code that had to do with generators being illegal. He also alluded to Kramer providing him with incomplete information regarding the state violations against the Regals.
In response to Everett Rowland, Kramer said state building inspector Anthony Tadysak confirmed that no temporary power source could be used at the docks and marina, though boats parked at the slips could use their onboard generators.
Vickie Rowland asked about a common rumor that’s been floating around the community: if the city’s recent actions were due to its desire to operate its own marina on St. Feriole Island. She pointed to a 2012-2016 outdoor recreation plan, which, according to Kramer, simply referenced a list of assets on the island, not any future plans. The rec plan contained no language indicating the city’s intentions to operate a marina itself, Kramer said.
“All I will state for the record is that there has been nothing personal against the Regals,” Kramer said. “We have not made up rules as we’ve gone along.”
He referred to a recent letter sent to the marina by Zachary Hetfield, an attorney with the Wisconsin Division of Industry Services, which lists 27 violations of the state building and electrical code at the marina that need correction. (For a complete copy of the state’s violations and orders notice, find this story on pdccourier.com.)
Alderwoman Karen Solomon also shared her opinion at the council meeting: “The city would be totally missing the mark by going into a lease with a business that has the state telling them they cannot operate.” It is Solomon’s hope that the Regals will address all violations sooner than later.
According to Kramer, it seems the Regals may be doing so. “I’m happy to say the Regals have pulled a permit to do the work and it’s been expedited by the city,” he said. “They have until Aug. 1 to comply with orders from the state.”
Following closed session, the council unanimously voted to offer a lease to Regal Marine Group, calling for a five-year term, with three, five-year options, renewable by both parties. The council also directed city staff to have a certified survey map of the marina done.
