LAKE COUNTY — Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) moved forward Tuesday with the adoption of an ordinance amending county code to establish a fee-based inspection program for all water vessels launched in Lake County. An additional amendment pertaining to the education and outreach factors of the program is expected to come back before the BOS in 60 days.
Amendments to the ordinance include an increase of penalty to a misdemeanor and $1,000 fine for entering a boat into Clear Lake that has not been properly inspected and stickered; an annual residential sticker and inspection rate of $10 per vessel; and elimination of non-residential bands in exchange for $10 stickers good for a month.
Definitions of resident boats were also amended to include DMV registration showing Lake County address; vessels that are moored or stored in a commercial facility in the county; and other means deemed acceptable by the director provided the boat is on the county tax rolls.
Additionally, the screening process was amended to require visual verification that the vessel is clean and dry and that decontamination stations are to be operated by the county at no cost to the vessel owner.
Taken off the table was the possibility of establishing a “fleet rate” for residential owners of multiple boats and marine rental operations. “One of the big items that generated quite a bit of discussion at the last meeting was the issue of a ?fleet” and ?fleet pricing,”” Water Resources Director Scott De Leon said.
De Leon said that in his recent conversations with constituents, most are opposed to a fleet discount. Some, he said indicated that if a fleet rate is established a “fleet” should consist of four or five boats not just two or three.
De Leon continued to explain to the board that if a boat owner goes directly to the county rather than to a participating inspection location such as a bait store, the boat owner can obtain a sticker for $7 rather than $10. He said the additional $3 is a service charge provided to the participating inspection location. The board recognized this as a 30 percent savings that could potentially cut the costs of multiple boat owners.
District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said he received an e-mail from a citizen who suggested that if a person owns four boats they should be able to afford the $10 stickers for them and if they can”t, they should sell a boat. Smith said as an owner of four boats, he agrees with the citizen”s assessment.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said he opposes charging marine rental businesses for every boat because those boats generally do not leave the lake.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said she felt a higher concern conveyed by multiple boat owners was for the hassle associated with hauling their boats to an inspection location each year. Online registration was suggested for further exploration.
Citizen Jim Steele suggested adding a requirement for resident vessel owners to attend an educational session within a year of acquiring their sticker for their boat. The suggestion was met with positive response by the board. Sheriff Frank Rivero also supported the suggestion stating that he believes the education and training components are very necessary. He said he will be meeting with De Leon in the near future to discuss enforcement policies.
Rushing said she didn”t think a requirement for attending an educational program should be included until such a program is established and active. De Leon said he would like to move forward with the amendments to the ordinance and address the educational program requirement as a future amendment. He said he could have a program in place in 60 days.
Amendment to the ordinance was advanced for its second reading to Jan. 25. De Leon is expected back before the board to address the potential educational program requirement in 60 days.
Contact South County reporter Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
