OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon This structure is used to dock the Chautauqua Belle. The Bemus Point Stow Ferry would like to be able to use it when it needs to get its inspection done.

MAYVILLE – A lease between the village and Chautauqua Belle has been renewed with no additional changes, despite a request by the Bemus Point Stow Ferry to be guaranteed use of the dry docks.

During the October Mayville Village Board meeting, officials unanimously approved a five-year lease with U.S. Steam Lines, TLD of Jamestown, which operates the Belle.

The lease permits non-exclusive use of existing parking facilities and the right to moor the Belle in the lake. Other key points include permitting the Belle to be placed on the premises for inspection, maintenance, repair or storage purposes, as well as the ferry.

In regards to the ferry, the lease states, “to allow the Bemus Point Stow Ferry on the premises for purposes of inspection, maintenance or repair for periods not exceeding 10 consecutive days unless approved by the Village Board. While on shore, proof of insurance with the village listed as additional insurance and held harmless must be provided.”

At the village board meeting, Jay Kuntz with the Bemus Point Stow Ferry discussed the lease.

He noted that every 10 years, the ferry must be inspected by the state. “We do not see using the dry dock facilities for repair work, or maintenance. We have very minimal needs and that is to meet the state requirements,” he said.

Kuntz said if they need repairs, dry docking in Stow is a better option.

He asked the village board to modify the lease to change the word “allow” to “guarantee” for state inspection.

The note about insurance concerns Kuntz.

“We have now basically the same insurance that we’ve had, having used in the past. Apparently now, U.S. Steam Lines is wanting more defined insurance. We have yet to find out what those definitions are, what they want insured,” he said.

According to Kuntz, between 2007 and 2019, the dry dock was a shared resource between the ferry and the Belle. Before then, the two entities operated under one single organization.

Kuntz offered to pay the village for access to the dry dock facility.

“We’re not asking for charity. We realize that there are costs involved and to have a business relationship, you have to have some skin in the game,” he said.

Kuntz said it’s going to cost the ferry between $15,000 and $20,000 more to dry dock elsewhere for the inspection.

“The ferry is a non-profit organization. We are run entirely by volunteers. We survive by donations. We are not a flush organization, so we do have to be careful with our expenditures,” he said.

Kuntz said he doesn’t know when the next inspection is due. It failed in 2018 and passed in 2020, so he doesn’t know if the inspection will be in 2028 or 2030. He’s waiting to hear from the state for when it’s up.

Mayor Rick Syper said the existing lease is written in such a way that the village cannot modify it this time around.

The renewal will last for another five years. At that time, Mayville can modify the lease agreement, which will take place in 2029.

At this point, Syper said the lease will automatically renew, no matter what action the village board takes.

He was critical of the lease which was adopted before he was mayor, but said there’s nothing the village board can do about it now. In the future, he said he wants more control over all lease agreements, so they can be negotiated instead of automatically being renewed at the request of the leasee.

For now, Syper said he is encouraging both the Belle and the ferry to figure out an agreement where the dry dock can be used by both organizations fairly.

“This is good for Mayville. This is good for Stow. This is good for Chautauqua County. It’s a simple thing,” he said.

When the time came to vote, there had been a discussion to table the lease agreement, however because Syper said it will be renewed automatically, officials agreed to give approval.