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Committee OKs bill regulating airboats
Jeff officials make headway in fight
May 06, 2005
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE, LA -- Jefferson Parish officials Thursday won a legislative battle in their ongoing attempts to control the operation of airboats in parish waterways, with a Senate committee approving a bill that would give the parish the power to regulate the boats.
Without objection, the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs unanimously approved Senate Bill 235 by Sen. Chris Ullo, D-Marrero, sending it to the full Senate for debate, probably early next week.
A cadre of Jefferson Parish officials, including Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner and Jefferson Parish councilmen John Young and Chris Roberts, told the committee the law is needed because the peace and quiet of residents along the intercoastal waterway and Bayou Barataria is shaken daily by commercial airboats giving tours of the area.
The bill would let Jefferson Parish and its municipalities adopt ordinances regulating the operation of airboats. Among other things, it would give them the power to spell out standards for the operation of airboats used for commercial and recreational purposes, including the kind of equipment used, how fast they can go, when they can be used and guidelines for inspections. It also would let the parish or cities set inspection fees.
Ullo's bill would authorize local police, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to enforce any resulting restrictions.
Kerner said his town adopted an ordinance regulating airboats but that it was tossed out by the state 5th Circuit Court of Appeal. He said the court ruled that a parish or city cannot regulate the use of a state waterway, so a state law is needed.
Young, one of the two at-large members of the Jefferson Parish Council, said the parish enacted an ordinance but was told it could not be enforced. He said the parish will either readopt the ordinance or tweak it in a rewritten form if Ullo's bill passes.
Young said he was surprised no opponents showed up to testify against Ullo's bill.
Roberts, who represents the Crown Point-Barataria-Jean Lafitte area of the West Bank, told the committee two tourists were killed last year in an airboat accident in the parish.
"A lot of lives are at risk," he said. "Some of these boats hold 10 to 15 people on each boat."
Kerner, who lives along the intercoastal waterway on the West Bank, said he personally is tired of "the miserable noises" created by the airboats.
"When you are using the phone, you have to stop until it passes," he said. "When you are watching TV, you can't hear a doggone thing . . . because of those irritating, miserable loud noises."
Kerner said there are about three dozen boats that travel past his and his neighbor's homes each day. "I have had friends who are sick and dying who just wanted to live in their own homes for the last few months of their lives in peace and quiet" but are disturbed every day by the airboats.
He said Jefferson officials don't want to put anyone out of business but only want to make operators obey rules and regulations for safer, more quiet travel.
"We are desperate," Kerner said. "We are begging for your help."
The 1997 ordinance adopted by Jefferson Parish, which cannot be enforced, set a limit on the airboats, preventing them from operating within a half-mile of a populated area. It also prohibited them from being operated from 30 minutes after sunset until sunrise.
The boats could not travel more than 5 mph, had to muffle their exhausts to control noise
Jeff officials make headway in fight
May 06, 2005
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE, LA -- Jefferson Parish officials Thursday won a legislative battle in their ongoing attempts to control the operation of airboats in parish waterways, with a Senate committee approving a bill that would give the parish the power to regulate the boats.
Without objection, the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs unanimously approved Senate Bill 235 by Sen. Chris Ullo, D-Marrero, sending it to the full Senate for debate, probably early next week.
A cadre of Jefferson Parish officials, including Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner and Jefferson Parish councilmen John Young and Chris Roberts, told the committee the law is needed because the peace and quiet of residents along the intercoastal waterway and Bayou Barataria is shaken daily by commercial airboats giving tours of the area.
The bill would let Jefferson Parish and its municipalities adopt ordinances regulating the operation of airboats. Among other things, it would give them the power to spell out standards for the operation of airboats used for commercial and recreational purposes, including the kind of equipment used, how fast they can go, when they can be used and guidelines for inspections. It also would let the parish or cities set inspection fees.
Ullo's bill would authorize local police, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to enforce any resulting restrictions.
Kerner said his town adopted an ordinance regulating airboats but that it was tossed out by the state 5th Circuit Court of Appeal. He said the court ruled that a parish or city cannot regulate the use of a state waterway, so a state law is needed.
Young, one of the two at-large members of the Jefferson Parish Council, said the parish enacted an ordinance but was told it could not be enforced. He said the parish will either readopt the ordinance or tweak it in a rewritten form if Ullo's bill passes.
Young said he was surprised no opponents showed up to testify against Ullo's bill.
Roberts, who represents the Crown Point-Barataria-Jean Lafitte area of the West Bank, told the committee two tourists were killed last year in an airboat accident in the parish.
"A lot of lives are at risk," he said. "Some of these boats hold 10 to 15 people on each boat."
Kerner, who lives along the intercoastal waterway on the West Bank, said he personally is tired of "the miserable noises" created by the airboats.
"When you are using the phone, you have to stop until it passes," he said. "When you are watching TV, you can't hear a doggone thing . . . because of those irritating, miserable loud noises."
Kerner said there are about three dozen boats that travel past his and his neighbor's homes each day. "I have had friends who are sick and dying who just wanted to live in their own homes for the last few months of their lives in peace and quiet" but are disturbed every day by the airboats.
He said Jefferson officials don't want to put anyone out of business but only want to make operators obey rules and regulations for safer, more quiet travel.
"We are desperate," Kerner said. "We are begging for your help."
The 1997 ordinance adopted by Jefferson Parish, which cannot be enforced, set a limit on the airboats, preventing them from operating within a half-mile of a populated area. It also prohibited them from being operated from 30 minutes after sunset until sunrise.
The boats could not travel more than 5 mph, had to muffle their exhausts to control noise