Starting in the fall or early next year, it will cost $5 per launch or $50 for an annual pass to use the boat ramp at Lake Meridian Park.

Money from the fee paid by boaters will be used by the city of Kent to maintain the launch, as well as to control weeds in the lake that’s just west of Covington.

The Kent City Council voted on Aug. 5 to establish the fees, which had been under consideration by the council since June. The launch and park are maintained by the city.

Lori Flemm, director of Kent’s parks system, said officials haven’t decided when to start charging fees, but a ticket machine will be installed at the ramp this fall. The machine will accept only credit cards for payment and will issue a ticket for a boater to place on their vehicle’s dashboard.

Annual passes will be sold starting next January at the city’s Kent Commons recreational facility.

The idea to charge a fee started with a public meeting in 2004 at Lake Meridian Park, Flemm said. People living near the lake, brought up the idea of a fee to help pay for boat launch improvements and to limit overcrowding on the water. Residents felt more boaters use Lake Meridian because it was one of the few lakes without a launch fee.

“It’s the only lake in the area that doesn’t charge a fee,” said Flemm. “We also made significant improvements to the boat ramp. Because of the investment we made, the user of the facility should help take responsibility for the privilege to use the launch.”

Contractors for the city installed a new boat launch last fall. A state grant helped pay for the $305,000 project.

The boat ramp was widened from eight feet to 16 feet. Three floats for tying boats were added for easier loading and unloading, officials said. No handling floats existed at the old launch.

“Now you can launch a boat without getting wet, and you can tie up a boat,” Flemm said. “And the ramp is wider so you will not drive over the edge.”

Flemm said the city hasn’t estimated how much money the fee will generate each year. “A lot of it will depend if people are honest and pay,” she said. “But by far, we expect most to pay.”

Non-payers will be subject to a $100 fine.

The fee won’t apply to light watercraft such as kayaks that can be launched from the beach. But if someone uses the ramp to launch a canoe, for instance, the fee would be required, officials said.

Flemm said the boat-launch fee makes sense because the city charges users of other city-owned recreational facilities and programs – for instance, golfers at Riverbend Golf Course and players in a city-sponsored adult softball league.

“We haven’t heard from anyone” who objects to the boating fee, Flemm said. “And we will have funds to replace the ramp in another 25 years.”