The city of Soddy-Daisy is considering ways to add more boat parking at Holly Circle.
Greg Payne, owner of Soddy Custom Bait and Tackle, approached commissioners at their meeting May 1 to address the need for additional boat parking spaces.
He said the city is missing out on a lot of revenue by not providing a sufficient number of boat parking spaces.
"You can't host a good size [fishing] tournament the way it is now," Mayor Janice Cagle agreed.
However, when City Manager Hardie Stulce said the cost to install the possible 12 additional spaces for trucks and trailers would be between $60,000 and $80,000 just in gravel and asphalt, excluding the cost of excavation, she said she "couldn't justify voting for that."
The lot currently has 22 boat parking spaces and 60 vehicle parking spaces.
Payne asked commissioners if Soddy-Daisy was seeking all possible grant funds available, stating that it seems nearby Dayton gets far more in grant funds for its parks.
"It's competitive, but we do apply for everything that comes along," Stulce said, explaining that Soddy-Daisy has to compete with all the municipalities in Hamilton County for grant funds, while Dayton does not.
The city plans to continue to look at possible ways of adding more boat parking at the site when the time to set the city's budget approaches.