ALL MUST ATTEND PUBLIC WORKSHOP IN CITRUS COUNTY MARCH 10TH

[swampjet]

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW. If you ever want to run your airboat in Citrus County, you need to be at the Government Building in Lecanto on Thursday, March 10th, from 6 to 8 pm. Room 166. PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON THE PROPOSED NOISE ORDINANCE.

Send an email to workshop@citrusairboat.org for more information, including talking points and directions.

We can be assured the anti-airboaters will be out in full force!

CITRUS COUNTY AIRBOATERS: Be there, or prepare to scuttle your airboat.

ALL OTHERS: IF THIS NOISE ORDINANCE PASSES IN CITRUS COUNTY, YOUR AREA COULD BE NEXT! Join us on March 10th!

 

[swampjet]

Go to http://www.citrusairboat.org/currentissues.html for an extensive collection of resources to help in this fight, including talking points, sample letters, copies of the old ordinances being replaced, etc.

 

[CaneFan]

Swampjet, Thank you for posting this information and the related links. I've been following this story for several weeks now and have been receiving up dates from Janis Hoover wife of Bob Hoover, President of the Citrus County Airboat Alliance, a wonderful group of airboaters in Citrus County. These people are under attack by residence who have no doubt not been in Citrus County long. These people do not appreciate the history and contribution of airboats and airboaters both past and present in Citrus County and all over this country.
To be fair there are those who have moved into "airboat country" and embrace the culture as part of the charm of these areas. On the other hand too many more are not so open minded. They pay no attention to the fact that the boom in development that provides space from them encroaches on the areas WE hold dear. I can recall airboating as a child with my family in Conservation Area 2A in Broward County and feeling like we were at the ends of the earth. Now from most anywhere in that marsh if you look towards the southeast you will see a new multi use arena on the horizon. Does it spoil some of the beauty of the experience, sure, but it is there and you deal with it or you go some place else.
The fact is that airboating is under attack and if the new majority is able to succeed in killing airboating in Citrus County those opossed to it in my area and yours will be eboldened to do the same. Airboaters in Citrus County need every airboaters help. Visit the CCAA web site, get educated on the issues, and help in the effort to stop further regulations on airboating. 90Db's @ 50' is unrealistic and the opposition knows this. If this regulation is voted into law and enforcement is realized it will be the end of airboating. Don't think it can't happen and don't think you can't help prevent it.

 

[swampjet]

Janis attended today's Citrus County Board of County Commission meeting, and learned the following, which greatly impacts our actions at this Thursday's Public Workshop in Lecanto:

BOCC Chairwoman Vicki Phillips made the announcement today that the Public Workshop regarding the proposed Noise Ordinance is not so much a "workshop" as it is an informational meeting designed to answer the public's questions about not only the 27-page proposed Noise Ordinance, but also the 20-page proposed Nuisance Ordinance.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THURSDAY'S WORKSHOP -- nor do they plan to attend the second Public Workshop scheduled for Tuesday, March 15th, at the Courthouse in Inverness.

ONLY COUNTY STAFF WILL BE PRESENT AT THE WORKSHOPS, and they will be available basically just to answer questions. They will take input from the public, but "STAFF HAS NO INTENTION OF CHANGING ANYTHING BASED ON THESE WORKSHOPS. ANY CHANGES MUST BE ADDRESSED BY THE BOARD MEMBERS (COMMISSIONERS) THEMSELVES."

The actual PUBLIC HEARING will be held on April 12th, at 5:00 pm, during the regularly scheduled County Commission meeting. A vote by the Commissioners on the proposed Noise Ordinance cannot take place until after that Public Hearing, but that vote could happen just after, or weeks later.

Chairwoman Phillips apologized for apparently misleading citizens by calling Thursday's meeting a "Workshop" and giving the public the wrong impression that they could influence the Commissioners by speaking out at this and next Tuesday's events.

She also acknowledged that she has been surprised to learn that so many people are interested in this, especially as it affects airboats, and believes that the airboat portion of the Noise Ordinance discussion will be just a very small portion of the meeting. She pointed out that the Workshop will address not only the Noise ordinance but also the proposed Nuisance ordinance.
Based on this new information, I'd like to suggest that those of us who can attend Thursday night or next Tuesday afternoon should still do so. Our focus should be on asking questions that cause County Staffers to re-think their own positions, but realize that these are NOT the people who will vote on the ordinance.

THE CRITICAL MEETING FOR ALL OF US WILL BE TUESDAY, APRIL 12TH, AT 5:00 PM, IN ROOM 100 OF THE CITRUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 110 N. Apopka Avenue, Inverness.

Meanwhile, keep the letters and emails flowing to the individual commissioners themselves. Phone calls and PERSONAL VISITS TO THE COMMISSIONERS would help even more! Some EXCELLENT points are being made in the letters I've been seeing, and I'm PROUD to be aligned with such a great group of positive, responsible airboaters!

Thursday night will be our first chance to come together to strategize. I look forward to seeing many of you there. I just don't want you to push yourselves to make it to this meeting if it means decreasing your chance of attending the April 12th Public Hearing.

We will also give this matter our full attention at the annual CCAA meeting on Saturday, March 19th, just before the cookout at Armante's. Please bring every airboater you know!

Thanks to all of you for helping get the word out! This is not going to be over quickly -- please continue to stand with us!

Bob Hoover, President
Citrus County Airboat Alliance