City silence frustrates Chippewa Park Sandy Beach lease-holders
Residents worry their leases won't be renewed with City of Thunder Bay
Some Thunder Bay area lease-holders told city council last night they're upset with a lack of communication from city hall.
They say they're trying to extend leases they have with the city on properties along Chippewa Park's Sandy Beach — without success.
The current agreements between the city and 22 families expire at the end of the year.
The chair of the Leaseholders Association said the group notified the city in May that the residents want to renew their leases on camps and homes for another 13 years. But Bob Hupka said there's been nothing but silence from city officials.
“[I’m] very disappointed, even this evening,” he said.
“They passed the recommendation [and] they haven't told us what the recommendation is.”
Hupka said he's had a cabin in the Chippewa Park area for more than 30 years, and the two sides have always negotiated.
“This is the first time we've been locked out like this.”
City 'very secretive'
The lawyer representing the Leaseholders Association, Randall Johns, attended the Monday night council meeting as well.
“In my experience, it's difficult to address an issue when you really don't know what the other party is thinking,” he said.
Hupka said he believes the issue is due to water quality on the properties. He said the city had contractors testing everybody's well.
"But we're prepared to sit down and work out a solution."
Johns added some of the properties have potable water and some don't. A number of leaseholders have signed acknowledgements that they understood their water wasn't potable, and would be responsible for that.
Hupka said leaseholders are "very despondent, they don't know which way to turn. You can’t get an answer out of the city. They're very secretive.”
He added that he’s “most concerned ... that we won't be able to stay out there."
City manager Tim Commisso said the situation is both a property matter and a legal matter, with concerns about liability — and that has kept discussions confined to closed session meetings.
“[It’s a] difficult issue, there's no question,” Commisso said.
“I can understand fully the tenants' desire to be kept in the know.”
Council passed a resolution on the issue Monday night. No details were made public.
Commisso said he now wants city staff to meet with the leaseholders next week.