Find way to ‘play by the rules’

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Find way to ‘play by the rules’

Opinions

Thursday, 14 January 2010 03:07

Some local business owners have legitimate concerns that a new county ordinance that tightens regulations on Osceola County’s public boat ramps will put them out of business.
The ordinance, which county commissioners approved Dec. 21, restricts certain use of boat ramps and county-owned facilities for commercial purposes unless a business first has some kind of agreement in place with the county. The law applies to all 18 county boat ramps, and commercial watercraft launching off these ramps.
We can see the county’s point of view on this issue: Public boat ramps are paid for using public funds and permitting businesses to operate from them unrestricted should not be allowed without having an agreement in place. You wouldn’t allow a café to operate out of the county courthouse, for example, without some kind of agreement.
The new ordinance limits the number of passengers on commercial motorboats launching off public boat ramps without prior agreements to four (including the guide) and the number of trips being made to twice daily. In addition, the ordinance prohibits any users from taking longer than 15 minutes to load and unload passengers.
The small airboat and fishing guide companies that now are taking advantage of the public boat docks that exceed the minimum use allowed without paying anything need to pay something, perhaps through a fee based on the number of times a particular dock is used.
Officials enacted the ordinance after it was discovered some businesses providing airboat rides were listing the address and phone numbers of the boat ramps as contact information. We view that as inappropriate, and the practice should be stopped.
At a Jan. 4 meeting, owners of small airboat tour businesses and fishing excursion guides asked commissioners to lift some restrictions and amend the ordinance. We agree some restrictions perhaps should be eased but we also agree the ordinance that commissioners passed is intended to protect both the public and the county. As one business owner said, “Everybody should get to operate, but everybody should play by the rules.”
County commissioners will revisit the ordinance Feb. 1, and hear from owners of both large and small-scale airboat tour businesses.