In a report to Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak and City Council earlier this year, Parks Director Bob Martin said that the fifth full season of the boat launch ramp produced revenues of $9,948 - less than half of the 2008 revenues. The reason? In 2009, the payment method was changed to a drop-box method to reduce operation costs. The boat launch attendants were cut from the budget.

"It cost more to have the attendants than we brought in revenue," Martin said. "We lowered the season pass rates and then used the honor system. Nobody was there to collect money. We had envelopes and a drop box and relied on people to complete the envelope and pay even though no one was there to actually pay."

That method will remain in place for the upcoming boating season for now, he said. However, he said the cost to pay a few attendants amounts to roughly the same as the revenue drop.

"We basically broke even," he said. "Would I like to have boat attendants? Sure. Can I afford them? Not at this time."

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com