Lake Geneva's Andy Gump

The Committee for the Beautification of Lake Geneva should really be called the Lake Geneva Concrete Committee, for their plans to “beautify” Flat Iron Park appears to involve a lot of concrete. This private group presented their plans on April 14th, 2010 to spend what appears to be over a million dollars of Tax Increment Finance (real estate taxes which are being diverted from the schools) to:

• Put speed bumps on Wrigley Drive and Center Street, despite the fact that traffic does not speed there and would make bicycling extremely hazardous.
• Put roundabouts at the Center St. boat launch & Wrigley Drive. This will allow for the eventual closure of Wrigley Drive.
• Building a new brick bypass road between Wrigley and Center St. through the park.
• Putting a “splash” public pool in the park. This would be better named a “pee” pool with little children “using” it during the day and Lake Geneva Wisconsin’s drunks “relieving” themselves at night.
• An elevated stage in the center of the park.
• A Ceremony Space/Ice Rink.
• Three piers with sixty boat slips in front of Andy Gump. This last “beautification” will make even old “Andy” LOL. Boat slips on the southeast shore of Lake Geneva without shore stations is asking for it from Mother Nature and result in a “great”  (sic) view of Lake Geneva.
• Removing the city boat slips from the Lagoon.
• Planting about $50K of  “perennials and shrubs”, so during Lake Geneva’s annual Venetian Festival, the carnival and beer tent patrons can have at them.
• Cutting down eight mature trees and the loss of 20 parking spaces.
• Squeeze in a series of concrete sidewalks throughout the park, or what is left of a park.

Several alderpersons in attendance questioned Grace Eckland, the person who presented the plans, about who exactly on the committee put the boat slips in front of old Andy, and who put the roundabouts in the plan. Grace Eckland refused to say, only that it was “WE”.

Alderperson Mary Jo Fesenmaier stated that the council would have to look at the project and decide. Then Dan Winkler from the Utility Department stated the plan has already been approved. It has not. Park Board President Alan Kupsik tried to make this “presentation” an official Park Board Meeting, so as to approve it. This did not fly. I guess “They” were hoping a different mayor would be elected in the recent election who would promote this pork barrel project.

The Committee’s plans call for doing this in multiple stages so as not to have to need voter approval via referendum.

Several members of this private group where in attendance, they are various contractors and relatives such as Mrs. Tom Jacobs of Otto Jacobs Ready Mixed Concrete. The Committee for the Beautification of Lake Geneva is registered to a Lake Geneva post office box by Richard Torhorst. Attorney Torhorst is also a member of another private group that doesn’t have to pay taxes, The Geneva Lake Development Corp.

Who will really benefit from this “beautification”?

• Not the tax payers who will have to pay for it and ultimately have to pay for it’s costly maintenance.
• Not local residents who need Wrigley Drive and Center Street to get across town.
• Definitely not the local downtown merchants, who surely will feel the effects of the closing of Wrigley Drive and the added traffic to Center Street.

Beside the concrete companies, the big winner in this so called “beautification project” will be the Cove of Lake Geneva who will have very accessible boat slips, an “event area”, a public pool, and easier lakefront access—all at taxpayer expense. The same Cove of Lake Geneva which has been very late three years in a row turning over to the city the room taxes they collect.

On December 14^th, 2009 the city council will decide if city taxpayers will continue to lease boat slips and buoys to three corporations at below market rates despite 133 persons on the city waiting list to rent boat slips and buoys.

According to Harbor Master Chuck Gray the city would have no problem renting the slips and buoys, “there is a 5 to 8 year wait for slips.” The demand is just as high for buoys because the city policy of giving persons who currently are renting buoys preference for slips when they become available.

City residents are unhappy with the city subsidizing (also known are corporate welfare) Marina Bay, Lake Geneva Boat Line and Gage Marine. William Trester thought last year would be the last year the city rented to these businesses. He is especially unhappy with Marina Bay renting our buoys out to make money which with to sue us. Marine Bay is suing the city to prevent it from enforcing the 100 ft. pier head ordnance. The market price for boat slips is between $4,000 and $8000/year. Gage Marine is currently paying $1883/year/boat slip.

Marsala believes there are not enough dinghy ramps to accommodate giving residents the buoys, but as the photo below shows, ramps were put next to the pier when Gage Marine rebuilt it in 2008/9.

Kent Martiski the President of Lake Geneva Boat Line (Elmer’s) want the city to give them a three year lease. He stated at council meeting on 11.23.09 that “The city was barely able to fill the available West End pier spaces this year…….and there is now a minimal waiting list, that’s if there is any waiting list, I am not sure at this point.” Spyro Condo wants to give all three corporations a three year lease.

Marina Bay Boat rental would once again get 10 buoys. Gage Marine would get 4 buoys and 10 boat slips to re-lease. Lake Geneva Boat Line, Inc would get 10 buoys and 4 boat slips.