Introduction of minimum wake zone ordinance Gulf Islands Lagoon

1:23:59Good morning, Commissioners. Christina Cordone, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources. With the assistance of the County Attorney's Office, we want to introduce a proposed ordinance to establish a minimum wake zone in the Gulf Islands Lagoon. Next slide. So our department was contacted um by several homeowners um to uh establish a speed restriction in the Gulf Islands Lagoon. A stakeholder meeting was held

1:24:29with the Pasco County Marine Sheriff Patrol Unit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the homeowners. At that stakeholders meeting um all parties agreed that a speed restriction in the area, you know, would be re um would be requested. Per the Per section 114-41 of the Pasco County Code of Ordinances, it authorizes the board to restrict the wake of vessels in waters

1:24:59within its jurisdictions. Um attach for um For you, as an introduction to the proposed ordinance, it amends Chapter 114, Section 41 of the Pasco County Code of Ordinance, creating a minimum wake zone in and around the Gulf Island Lagoon. The ordinance will establish a so slow-speed minimum wake boating restriction area within 300 feet of the bridge on the northeast side of the lagoon. and

1:25:29three hundred feet of the canal entrance on the west side of the lagoon. If you look at the map attached, the 300 feet buffer is that yellow circle that you see around. So per the Florida statute, that's what we were able to set the minimum speed zone. So that's that yellow circle. In addition, on the map, there's two yellow crosses. Per the residents, they also wanted to install some informational signs, so there'll be some danger. blind curve

1:26:00signs on those sections so as boaters come around those curves those will be informational signs.

1:26:09Um so um the recommendation is to approve the introduction of this ordinance and direct the board records to schedule and advertise the final public hearing on the December 6th board meeting in Newport Reti.

1:26:23Uh so I have a question.

1:26:26Just a comment. Um I'm uh in a partnership with property that butts this uh area. I No the resident and the board member that brought the side issue forward. I didn't even know about the stakeholder committee having participated in any conversations with it. I will be abstaining from the vote and not commenting.

1:26:43Oh, okay, now I know where it is. I didn't I wasn't sure what that never heard of the Gulf Island Lagoon. Um It's located just south of the

1:26:53of Hudson Beach.

1:26:54Okay. Um I have a question for you because this is something that I've been trying to do. And Mike, are they able I sent you a text, are they okay. Um I have a home on the South Channel in Gulf Harbors and I've mentioned this to Mr. Wiley and others that um I and my my neighbors Seth. First of all we have a channel that is supposed to be a no wake zone. And in high tide. people will get one foot out of the it's an unmarked

1:27:25channel

1:27:25mm

1:27:25but they they speed yep and put a wake. And um I hear my neighbors running out and yelling at the boats all the time. But So that that's troublesome but what's more troublesome to me is to watch the uh boaters run over the manatees and I see it happen over and over again. Um because in high tide There's it's people like to come in there and fish and they go full speed in there and they don't realize that 'Cause I I see them.

1:27:58The uh Manatees are in the little channels that are deeper uh And they hit 'em. And so I wanna see this area Um It's got a name, I'm trying to think of what it's called right now. Filmman's Bayou.

1:28:15Okay.

1:28:16It needs to be uh uh uh a no uh there needs to be um Slow speed. Or watch for the bandatees or whatever they do. And whatever you're putting over here, we need to extend it to that portion in there. And can you zoom in

1:28:32more?

1:28:35Um Yeah, you see Philman's Creek there? And okay, now look south. Yeah. Um Yeah. Right in there in that in that filmman's creek. That's where um They're getting hit. Not all the way in, but at the mouth of that. Okay. And um I'd like to see this kind of protection extended here. Can that be added to this or does that have to be a whole separate ordinance?

1:29:03Um I can talk to Mr. Wiley and see um this particular ordinance is specific for the Gulf Island Lagoon, so we'd probably bring in another one, you know, for that area.

1:29:14The area you could combine it into one ordinance, but the areas would have to be specifically identified in that ordinance. So you couldn't just you couldn't just take a paintbrush and say it's all

1:29:25right. But do you agree with me that this this I'm watching Yeah.

1:29:30Doesn't have a house there but boats in that area and fishes in that area quite often myself. So I I know the area that is on the agenda today. Um things you mentioned, obviously the vanatees, but also the effects it has on people's personal seawalls too. Yes Deteriorates them faster. Um and not everybody has seawalls. So we you know what happens then with with the wakes. Obviously it's gonna obviously continue to spoil that air. Yeah. But I listen, I even think about um the South Channel Gulf Harbors.

1:29:59That's what

1:29:59I'm talking

1:30:00about.

1:30:00Yeah, they didn't all the way out though. I mean that thing people fly. People fly. Yeah. Listen I I I'm not trying to be both police here, but at the same time I I don't disagree with you. I mean it's it's it gets pretty pretty sketchy out there at times, especially on the weekends. That's why I prefer if I can go on on a weekday. It's much better.

1:30:17That's not a no wake area next time. It's supposed

1:30:20to be.

1:30:20Yeah.

1:30:21But there's no signs. There's no signs. People put them on their docks. They put watch for manatees and no wake signs, but it's not hosted.

1:30:28Right. Yeah. But yeah. But so you have the safety aspects, you have the environmental aspects. Actually, you mentioned Chair. And then um then you have the personal property side of things where it deteriorates that as well. So I'd be supportive of you adding that as well.

1:30:44Okay. All right. And we don't take a motion on this today, right?

1:30:49Yes, you do. Oh we do. Okay. You would take a you would

1:30:52have to do that.

1:30:52So I'll take a motion with the modification. And an advertisement.

1:30:57So I'll I'll I'll I'll move to approve with the modification to Oh you did? Oh then you need to modify your

1:31:04Modify it to include the other can we do that? Yeah.

1:31:07So long as they have the information to bring it forward, you could bring it forward on December sixth. I don't know whether staff has all the data that they need for these additional

1:31:17Well maybe they have to bring it the next meeting, but we might as well just g add it to this one. It's the same thing.

1:31:25Except you'll have two abstentions if you add this to this won't come back.

1:31:29This won't come back to

1:31:31December sixth.

1:31:32Well I wouldn't be here.

1:31:34Well, it will have two abstentions on the ordinance if we're not going to be able to You Tie them together. Oh because both Why do

1:31:42I have to uh

1:31:43same reason the commission they bring with the

1:31:45Filman's Creek has is nothing to me. I mean it's

1:31:48But you also wanted to add the South the South Champ.

1:31:52So there's not enough houses there to not enough boaters to come out to negate my personal

1:31:58I would recommend that you take the same position Commissioner Mariano is

1:32:02taking with his

1:32:02own.

1:32:05Three abstentions. I'm still okay too uh

1:32:11by the by the three, can I jump in real quick? So this one's On today.

1:32:16Right.

1:32:16And I don't know if you want to push this this one either farther out, so why don't we just bring back your item? Because you want this one to pass.

1:32:23Alright, but what what does that mean for staffing issues up to have to go through a whole new ordinance? Do you have to go to the ordinance committee and all that kind of stuff?

1:32:34Um so ultimately we would need to, you know, do some research um per the resolution. resolution you have to have exact locations where the markers are going to be. So we would need to gather that data. Yeah let's go ahead and do this one.

1:32:45Okay, but what but what I'm saying is what is the procedure for you to start a new ordinance and how long does that take? Um Because there's a process and you have to get in line, right?

1:32:57Well no, we're we're we're not creating a new ordinance. We're just the ordinance itself right now just has areas called out. So what parks will need to do is do the research that is required to to bring that forward. So there is some geographical information that has to be done, and I'm I'm not sure if there's speed studies or other things that they have to observe as well as part of that. If that can be done by December sixteenth, I

1:33:20You can add this one today, Madam Chairman

1:33:24to add add those other

1:33:26We can amend it at any time. That's what we're doing with

1:33:28this one right

1:33:28now.

1:33:31But

1:33:31the motion requires

1:33:32but but if you would like us to to bring that back as a as a condition, that's fine. And as long as you know Parks has the the bandwidth to do that, we'll we'll we'll accomplish that.

1:33:42So let my motion is to go ahead with the ordinance today and then we'll have them bring that other one back to the right-of-way.

1:33:48Be a sake of

1:33:48separate motion.

1:33:50Kit the clear this one real quick and then come back with another motion.

1:33:53And amend

1:33:54it at the second hearing. Yeah.

1:33:56There's no second hearing.

1:33:58Yeah.

1:33:58December sixth?

1:34:00There'll be a new hearing.

1:34:01This is there's one hearing on this. It's on December sixth. Okay. So it sounds like the motion on the floor is to go ahead with it the way it is proposed by staff and to bring Gulf Harbors back as a separate.

1:34:16No. Is that what you guys are saying? Yeah, exactly. Is that what you said? Bring

1:34:20it separate? That would provide certainty. I mean and that would not slow this one down.

1:34:26Just continues.

1:34:29Maybe you can bring the other one on December 6th, too. We will try. Okay. Okay, we have a first, a motion, and a second. All in favor? Aye. It passes. Thank you. Can I

1:34:40abstain?

1:34:41Yes. And one abstention. Thank you. With Commissioner Mariano. Okay, we are on to our commissioner items. What do we have to do? Yes.