The Trenton Times published the following article on June 28, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Trenton opens public docks on Duck Island open for first time in two years
By Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton
on June 28, 2013 at 6:21 PM, updated June 28, 2013 at 6:28 PMTRENTON — The city’s public docks on Duck Island were finally installed this week after weeks of delays attributed to weather.
The docks, just off Lamberton Road, are now open to boaters to tie up their vessels on the Delaware River throughout the summer.
Contractor Rick Steele, the owner of Buoy 98 Marine, is paid by the city to install the docks in the spring, but said this year he was not notified of when to put them in until late May. Then the weather was uncooperative and strings of rainy days pushed installation to late June.
While the anchor portion of the docks were installed last week, the entire docks had not been in place until Thursday.
The city failed to have the dock installed at all last summer and forfeited permit fees that help to pay for installation and maintenance of the docks. The city collects permit fees for boats that use the docks. Those fees help defray the tens of thousands of dollars Trenton has spent in recent years to have the docks installed, removed, stored and repaired after storms.
This year the city has already collected $775 in permit fees from boat owners to use the dock. In 2011, Trenton recorded more than $15,000 from the seasonal permits, according to a city memo.
Steele’s company has had a contract with the city since 2010, and in March the company was paid $6,500 by the city for winter storage of the dock and spring installation.
Contact Jenna Pizzi at (609) 989-5708 or jpizzi@njtimes.com.