Osceola County commissioners continue to have lingering worries over private enterprise – specifically commercial airboat operations – being allowed to use public boat docks and boat ramps from which to conduct business. Their action Monday reflects that concern.

Commissioners wisely chose to initially offer one-year rather than five-year contracts to airboat operations to use two public sites out of five that staff recommended for picking up and dropping off paying tourists. The two sites – Whaley’s Landing on Lake Tohopekaliga and a site on Lake Marian – may not be enough for airboat businesses but then again, these operations should not be allowed to use publicly-maintained facilities for free and unrestricted. This concession and a related ordinance set to go into effect in June is aimed at small airboat operations that cannot afford to rent or own private facilities on county lakes.

In limiting the number of sites offered in an upcoming request for proposal for airboat operations, commissioners weighed public recreational use of particular facilities against private use, with families and recreational users winning out. Commissioners also agreed to consider the number of noise complaints about particular airboat operations when contract renewal time comes around, thereby reducing the potential conflict between boat operators and current and future nearby residents. Impact on wildlife, such as the endangered snail kite, was also a consideration, as it should have been.

Commissioners made good decisions on two other issues as well: commercial operations on Sundays will have restricted hours – from noon to 5 p.m. rather than from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and no refueling will be allowed from public facilities.

We concur with the county on not wanting to put any small airboat operation out of business, but allowing free commercial use of publicly-funded facilities cannot continue, especially when you consider that small airboat businesses have the option of banding together and finding private facilities from which they could operate unhampered by the county.

The county during the one-year trial period will not be demanding much in the way of fees from vendors that will go toward needed improvements at the two sites, and that is as it should be. That will come once five-year contracts with vendors are negotiated after the trial period.