Waterways Commission selects DNR, not city, to operate Presque Isle Harbor

The Michigan Waterways Commission has selected the Department of Natural Resources, not the city of Rogers City, to operate Presque Isle Harbor in 2003. Waterways voted on the recommendation from its staff last Friday after the issue was tabled at the Waterways meeting in October, after hearing objections from Presque Isle Township. Waterways Commission asked the city to put in the proposal, which was submitted in September.

THE PROPOSAL ?was not acceptable to the state,? said mayor Beach Hall at Monday?s Rogers City Council meeting. Another organization, the Presque Isle Harbor Association, says it held back a proposal, believing Rogers City would be accepted by Waterways. The group now will attempt to persuade the state to allow them to operate PI Harbor for the 2004 boating season. ?We want to see the marina operate well. There have been problems in the past,? said Pete Kirchner, Harbor Association vice president.

The 2002 concessionaire?s contract was not to be renewed by the state. ?I attended a meeting in March and the DNR told me they were going to invite Rogers City and De Tour village to submit proposals,? said Kirchner.

?WE WERE glad to hear that because we knew Rogers City had one of the best marinas in Lake Huron and I told my group that Rogers City was going to be invited,? said Kirchner. The PI Harbor Association thought Rogers City would be a shoo-in to be selected to operate the Presque Isle Harbor because of its reputation. ?In fact, at the October meeting, two of the commissioners independently said that the best marina on Lake Huron was Rogers Ci

ty, so we held back,? said Kirchner. The PI Harbor Association had attempted to broker an agreement between Rogers City and Presque Isle Township,? Kirchner said. ?The unique part of it is there is a special provision in the Environmental Protection Act. It allows a unit of government to operate a harbor outside your own jurisdiction and the legislators put that in because many small communities don?t have the facilities to operate a harbor themselves,? said Kirchner. ?So they allow two units of government to come together. And together the theory is they can operate the facility. Well, that didn?t work,? he said.

TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS in September said they were surprised to hear that the state had asked another entity outside of Presque Isle Township to run the marina. Township officials said the concessionaire, Thunder Bay Shores, Inc. were ?excellent operators,? managing the harbor along with two of the three lighthouse parks owned by Presque Isle Township.