Coast Guard may have say in Toho night airboat ban

If it was up to me, I'd be looking for a new Assistant County Attorney after she got up and lied to the public and the commissioners, it is obvious that she did not check with the Coast Guard.
If she knew of anything about the history of Osceola she would have known that these lakes where the main avenue of commerce at one time. The old steam boat channel runs right by the new courthouse. It was at one time (albeit long ago) a major avenue of commerce for the people of Kissimmee. You can still leave the lakefront in Kissimmee and travel to the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast. And if she would have took the time to read Title 33 of the Federal CFR’s she would have known what constitutes a navigable waterway.

“Assistant County Attorney Sherry Hopkins told commissioners the county had checked with the Coast Guard on whether the two lakes were considered navigable bodies of water when they passed the first ordinance. "And they are not," she said in the meeting.”

Osceola County has no jurisdiction over these lakes.

I believe one of the reasons they are so strongly against us is that they just approved a brand new housing project on Lake Tohopekaliga and are looking at bringing in more development in the near future on this lake. When people start moving in you knows what happens next, they’ll start complaining about our boats even more. The commissioners don’t want to deal with it. It doesn’t matter to the commissioners that we have been running these lakes for over 40 or 50 years now. This is my way of life they are trying to change. It doesn’t matter that we are running out of water according to SFWMD or Toho Water Authority which have been complaining of water shortages since 2004. I truly believe there is an underlying motive here.

I, for one, side with the airboaters. The doctor and his wife have been complaining since the first day they moved in! Whose fault is it that they were so stupid to invest in a property without researching the area they selected to reside in? It is exactly like people who move to within a block of the airport, which has been there for ever, and complain about the noise overhead.
TOUGH! People need to start using their brains, and not their butts, when looking at investing in to property!
For the Doctor and his wife, you're both dead wrong on this and shame on you for harrassing the county and the airboaters! Do every citizen in this county a favor and move.

The Osceola commission has used poor judgement on more than one occassion. I suggest they hire a new assistant attorney (one who is not so visibly biased) even in the presence of a hundred or more constitutents who oppose her viewpoint.
Again it is a case of people moving to a water body in the State of Florida and acting like they own it. I hope this does not have to go to court and Osceola commissioners will see the error of their ways. If they do not, I will be on the side of the airboating sportsmen who choose to make a difference. Lauren Brown, RN

Kumari-
Thanks for a great article. This issue is not about airboats, it's about fair & equal treatment under the law for all citizens and open government.
For a respected & educated person such as the assistant county attorney (a law degree is a PhD)to mess up as she did is either very stupid or an out right lie and if she lied, why?
There is more to this story than appears. With no tickets issued for vessel sound violations, few documented or widespread sound complaints (there were more barking dogs complaints in the same time frame) and the issue driven by a few chronic complainers, why is the Commission & County Attorney behaving in this manner bring a suit to the County that they will more than likely lose?
Keep up the good work as more discovery is coming &
Follow the money..........

They tried to stop the airboats on lake cypress years ago when the snow birds who make a campground there winter home. This is Osceola county fl and airboats are the only way to hunt gators to control the population. Stop the hunting and they will go unchecked and get big and gators will be eating pets and people that get in their habitat. See how the doctor likes that. A few people complain relentlessly and the state attorney should look into the campain donations to the county commisioners that voted to ban the airboats. Look into the donations from the developer who is going to place a huge housing project in one of the most sensitve areas in the state. In Yeehaw junction, I wonder how many retention ponds that will take to keep it dry when the water level rises. It will be jet skis and boats next they will try and restrict. Maybe they should work on saving the lake before you can drive across the hydrilla. I cannot see how an air boat several hundred yards from your home keeps you up at night. I lived at the end of Kings Point on the lake for 4 years and never lost sleep because of airboats. They make no more noise than the jets that are lining up for the runways at OIA. Maybe we should stop the planes from landing and taking off at night also. Get over it or move back to where you came from.

I live out on Kings Point and I will admit that sometimes the boats are a bit loud. However, I agree with pulse, I choose to live here because of the nice neighborhood and the wildlife so I've learned to appreciate the airboat noise, just like I have airplane noise. It's irritating that so many people keep moving into this area and trying to change things that have been traditions for years. I was born and raised in this area and I'm starting to feel like I'm losing my home.

Those folks who are complaining about the boat noise probably don't even go outside often enough to enjoy the biodiversity in this area. We have amazing wildlife in this area by day and by night. An airboat is a terrific way to see some of it.

Maybe you guys should stop gator hunting for a few seasons and let a few of these transplanted folks get their poodles and pomeranians eaten by our state reptile. They'll be begging for airboats then.