Keokuk, IA – Construction cannot get underway until the South Side Boat Club receives a flood permit and a building permit from the city. Keokuk cannot issue those permits until the two sides agree on a lease.
Mayor Tom Marion says he will have a long-term lease ready for the Keokuk City Council to consider during its meeting on Thursday.
"We are working off the old lease," says Marion, "because that is basically the price we are going to charge them. But there are some trade-offs like providing public bathroom space, boat tie-ups, recreational vehicle registration."
The South Side Boat Club's former lease with the city included a $100 monthly fee. The trade-offs are designed to make up for the lower lease payments, by a private organization, for public property.
President Kathy Ferris says the club wants to build a three-thousand square foot facility. It will replace its previous headquarters, which was destroyed during the flood of 2008.
Ferris says the South Side Boat Club qualifies for additional insurance money if the building permit and lease are completed before June 1. The club has received a special use permit from Keokuk for the project.