State denies Lake Iola harvester grant

IOLA – Property taxes could rise next year for Lake Iola property owners after the lake district was denied a state grant that would have covered half the cost of a new weed harvester.

The district had sought funding from the Wisconsin Waterways Commission toward the $389,930 cost of a new weed harvester, but was among 10 applicants rejected after only one of the lake districts seeking harvesting equipment was awarded a 50% matching grant during this state cycle.

At a commissioner meeting on Aug. 6, Iola Lake District officials said the district’s grant application scored 16 out of a maximum of 27 points, tying with four other applicants for the fourth-highest score. Lauderdale Lakes Lake Management District in Walworth County was the sole harvester project funded, securing an $85,967 grant.

The Iola Lake District currently has $129,830 in its harvester capital fund. If the district eventually secures the state grant, it will still need to raise about $60,000 more to meet its required $194,965 matching portion.

It was noted at last week’s meeting that state officials plan to keep the grant list open until January to see if additional funding becomes available. If funding is not restored, the district will have to restart the grant application process and may need to accelerate its next lake management plan, originally scheduled for 2030, to remain eligible for future grants.

The funding rejection comes as the district deals with increasing maintenance costs for its current aging machinery. Harvester repairs and labor reached nearly $4,500 in July alone due to issues with bearings, conveyors and a leaking diesel motor.

Despite the mechanical setbacks, harvesting manager Oscar Knoeck reported that operators successfully removed 55 loads of weeds from Lake Iola so far this season, equivalent to about 206 tons, putting the district ahead of last year’s pace.

After holding taxes flat for four years, Lake District Chairman John Bertelson warned that escalating maintenance bills mean local residents may soon have to pay more

“The last four years I’ve gone with, let’s not increase the tax,” Bertelson said. “I hate to say I might think about saying we may have to.”

The potential tax increase would affect approximately 600 properties within the taxing district, which encompasses the entire Village of Iola and several Town of Iola properties near the upper end of the lake. Although the tax supports lake management, only about 100 of the affected properties are considered riparian, or lakefront, properties.

“When the boundaries were established around 1990, enough supporters recognized that the lake benefitted the community, not just those who owned property bordering the lake,” Bertelson said.

Bertelson said his developed riparian property is assessed at $168,800, and he paid $70.90 in lake taxes last year, compared with $73.52 the year before. The Lake District levied $44,349 in both of those years and is levying the same amount this year.

The district also discussed fish stocking due to concerns over pelican predation, but a proposal to spend up to $1,500 on the effort was indefinitely tabled after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) indicated it would deny the necessary permits.

It was noted at the meeting that DNR Fisheries Biologist Elliot Hoffman warned that adding new fish could backfire by disrupting Lake Iola’s current ecological balance, creating an “offset” that would actually lower the populations of other species. Because the lake’s fishery is currently self-sustaining, the DNR recommended installing “fish sticks,” which are submerged trees placed along the shoreline to create natural woody habitats for the existing fish population, instead of introducing new stock.

In other Lake Iola updates, work on a new handicap-accessible public fishing pier is moving forward despite delays. The project was originally scheduled for completion by Memorial Day but was pushed back because of spawning regulations protecting a special concern baitfish species in the lake. Installation is now slated for later this summer. Commissioners are also coordinating with the Waupaca County Greenways Commission to secure funding for a handicap-accessible public kayak launch near the park.

The meeting also included discussion on potential new lake regulations following community complaints regarding a local short-term rental property. Commissioners noted that a lakefront home, currently listed on Airbnb for up to $743 a night, had guests operating high-speed jet skis over the previous weekend.

Because Lake Iola currently has no wake or speed restrictions for jet skis, the board agreed to research the legal procedures required to implement local watercraft regulations if the behavior becomes a persistent nuisance.