City continues rent moratorium on lake lots

On Monday, the City Council said it would not collect rental income from Lake Olney leaseholders in 2022 as it finalizes new rules and lease terms aimed at curbing illegal usage and property disputes at the city-owned lakeside lots.

Mayor Rue Rogers said a council subcommittee is studying how to stop illegal construction of permanent structures and docks and disputes over a decades-old survey that has to be deciphered to determine the actual number of lots – somewhere between 47 to 50. He said the committee intends to have new lease terms finalized by June 1.

“It was a jumbled mess, and it had been ignored for years and years,” Rogers said. “There is no good map of the lots. We [must] resurvey. We are working off a hand-drawn map that’s been photocopied several times, and it is inaccurate, and it’s not updated.”

Last March, the city stopped collecting rent after leaseholders called Olney Police multiple times to mediate disputes over access to the lake. The council learned of multiple violations of city codes and the current lease agreements. About a dozen residents actually live at the lake, and many other leaseholders use the lots for boating.

“The police were being called out there which caused it to be brought to the council’s attention which then … we realized there were other issues out there, from substandard structures, accumulated debris, taking water from the lake,” Rogers said.

Tenant Latisha Jones, who has lived on Lake Olney for nine years, asked the council to mail the information to her and the other tenants. “We never know, and we would like letters because some of us know there are means, and some of us know there’s not.”

“We are updating the lease terms June 1 and will distribute to whoever wants to lease a lot out there,” Rogers told her. “We will distribute it to whoever wants to lease a lot out there. Want to make sure we are all on the same page.”