PUNTA GORDA — Five years of prodding by City Attorney David Levin paid off this week when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection finally agreed to allow the city to increase from 85 to 142 the number of boat slips in its marina.

That was one of several modifications the DEP approved for the city’s submerged land lease at the Laishley Park Municipal Marina that are coming in the nick of time, according to City Manager Howard Kunik.