It has not been smooth sailing since the Showboat Majestic first showed an interest in mooring permanently in Maysville. And there may still be some rough water ahead, following Thursday’s city commission meeting.

The ship was purchased by Joe and Cortnee Brumley of Winchester, Ohio, in early 2019 and plans were to dock the boat on the Ohio River next to Moyer’s Winery on U.S. 52, west of Manchester, Ohio. But after Moyer’s was destroyed in a fire, those plans changed.

Now, Joe Brumley is the sole owner of the boat and the city recently received documentation on the new ownership, City Manager Matt Wallingford said.

Under a lease agreement drafted by Maysville City Attorney Kelly Caudill and approved by commissioners earlier, the city will ask for $1 annually as a lease payment and will require the owners to name the city on its insurance policy for the vessel and pay for all utilities required to operate the boat.

Before asking Mayor Charles Cotterill to sign the agreement, Wallingford said he wanted to make sure everyone was still on board.

Mayor Charles Cotterill questioned the city’s liability should something unexpected happen to the boat, causing it to sink at Limestone Landing. He suggested that the city require some type of salvage insurance so clean-up and recovery of the vessel would not be the city’s responsibility.

Caudill said he was not sure such insurance is a product on the market but agreed to investigate if it is or is not available.

Cotterill also said if Brumley plans to bring more than one boat to Maysville — there have been some indications that he may also bring an operating tug — that brings up more questions of liability for the city and possible increased liability should the boat carry passengers.

The lease agreement written by Caudill calls for a start date of January 2021 with the agreement ending on Dec. 31, 2021. The boat’s owner will be required to clean the exterior of the boat before moving it to Limestone Landing and allow Maysville city staff to look over the boat’s exterior prior to the move. The owner of the Showboat Majestic will be given four months from its the boat’s arrival in Maysville to become operational, under the contract.

The lease contains a clause under which the city can opt-out of the contract, with or without cause with 10 days notice, Caudill said.

“I wrote the lease to protect the city as best as I know how,” Caudill said. Even with that, he said, “I understand there is risk and this lease does not eliminate all risk.”

The city is still awaiting proof of liability insurance from Brumley, Wallingford said, and the mayor will not sign until that is submitted and other questions are answered.

Brumley told commissioners in December he not only plans to move his boat to Maysville but also his real estate and development business and said he has signed a contract to purchase property on Second Street.

The 85-foot-long floating theater was an attraction on Cincinnati’s riverfront landscape beginning in the 1960s before being pruchased and moved by Brumley.

Also Thursday, city commissioners agreed to accept properties at 619 and 623 Germantown Road as donations. The properties have been condemned and the city plans to demolish any structures on the sites. The properties will be sold at the city’s next surplus property auction.

Commissioners approved the second reading of an ordinance establishing uniform pricing for tow charges when a vehicle is towed at the Maysville Police Department’s request.

The move came after Police Chief Jared Muse said he had received complaints that in some cases charges were excessive after a car was towed.

Wallingford said the amendment will establish a price for normal towing services and will allow for operators to request a higher charge if extraordinary measures are required.

The price guidelines will only apply to towing services requested by the city or police and will not impact any private calls for those services, officials said.

The list, once established, will be distributed to tow truck operators, Wallingford said.

Commissioners also agreed to solicit bids for the city’s liability insurance and approved a contract with Hydromax for flow monitoring for the combined sewer overflow project.