Public information meeting held by the Chautauqua Lake Protection and Rehabilitation Agency (December 1, 2022)

Several dozen people attended the third public information meeting on options for funding a potential Chautauqua Lake District.

Consultants from Barton and LoGuidice went over three funding options that included a tiered flat fee, equivalent residential units, and a formula based fee. Other funding options could also include a near-lake district tax, a watershed/drainage district tax, a user impact fee and a boat user fee.

Barton and LoGuidice Environmental Scientist Jack Williams said a legal analysis determined that a county-wide tax could not be done as local funding mechanisms must be based on the benefits achieved by lake improvements or the impact to Chautauqua Lake. As not all communities are located within the watershed for Chautauqua Lake, by law they’re not considered as receiving direct benefits or having direct impacts on the lake.

The next steps will include the Chautauqua Lake Protection and Rehabilitation Agency reviewing feedback and then selecting a funding mechanism in January 2023. A fourth public information meeting will be held in February 2023 to present the findings.

To view the presentations on the funding mechanisms or to provide feedback, visit bartonloguidice.mysocialpinpoint.com/chautauqua-co-lake-fund