Sailors and buoy holders:
Thank you for bringing your buoy installation concerns to my attention.
I too was disheartened to learn that the buoys on Calhoun and Harriet may not be available in a timely fashion, especially after such an early Spring. I have brought this issue to the attention of the Superintendent, the Lakes District Manager, and President Erwin.
Resources are being temporarily shifted to help install the buoys as quickly as possible. I have received a commitment from staff (weather permitting) that buoys will be ready on Harriet by Friday (April 30) and on Calhoun sometime on Wednesday (May 5th).
Moving forward, I will work on setting policy ensuring buoys are in the water no later than May 1st as long as ice is off the water in time.
My thanks to all of you, President Erwin, Superintendent Gurban, and staff for quickly addressing this issue.
Please forward this email to other buoy holders you may know.
Thanks for your patience and for choosing Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun to moor your boats this summer. In addition to providing a mooring space for your boat, your buoy fee helps maintain our park system and programs. Thank you for your business.
Enjoy the sailing season!
Brad Bourn
6th District Commissioner
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
612-230-6443 Ext 6
2117 West River Road
Minneapolis MN 55411
Thank you Brad Bourn - 6th District Commissioner.
Lake Calhoun Keel Boat Sailors
From Paul Hokeness - Lakes District Manager
We are realigning our crew strength and will start our buoy installation in the next couple days. If the weather cooperates and everything goes smoothly it takes us about 7 full days to install the 180 buoys at Harriet and the 139 buoys at Calhoun. Four days on Harriet and three on Calhoun.
We have all of the buoys freshly painted, the chains and parts are all on hand and the crew is geared up and ready to go. We have already installed all of the fishing and sailing docks and today we’re helping the carpenters with the wooden boat ramps (the tender ramps).
Thanks,
Paul
To all,
We are doing the best that we can with the staff that we have. Five years ago the Lakes District had 35 full-time staff, we now have 29. Because of budget cuts we haven’t hired our seasonal staff as yet. We will be bringing some of them on next week and we will probably be pulling maintenance staff out of their buildings to work on the buoys this week.
We are currently installing ramps and docks and will begin with the buoys as soon as possible.
The $400 buoy fee does not correlate with the number of staff that I have to get the job done. Early spring is enjoyable for all but it is very difficult for us keep up with all of our lake, park and athletic field demands. What I can commit to is that we will work as hard and as fast as we can to get the buoys installed.
Thanks,
Paul Hokeness
Lakes District Manager
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
3800 Bryant Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55409
(612) 313-7717
