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Commissioner Ginn believed that there will be a problem if the Board does not <br />proceed with caution and warned that ecotours are on the rise. <br />Vice Chairman Macht agreed with Commissioner Ginn's concerns and was not in <br />favor of restricting anything until there has been an opportunity to research the matter from <br />all standpoints. <br />Commissioner Adams did not agree. She felt this is a compatibility issue that Mr. <br />Taylor's operation brought to the forefront and did not believe the County would be out of <br />line to guard the buffer preserve. She suggest prohibiting anything over 5 horsepower (e.g. <br />trolling motor). <br />Vice Chairman Macht believed something should be done to control the problem but <br />felt more information is needed. <br />Mr. DeBlois interjected that prohibition of anything over 5 horsepower would impact <br />many of the riverside residents with pleasure boats docked at their property. <br />County Attorney Vitunac suggested the Board could pass the ordinance as presented <br />and modify it later if they wished. <br />MOTION was made by Commissioner Adams to <br />adopt the proposed ordinance with a modification <br />that only airboats above 400 horsepower be banned <br />in the St. Sebastian River, bringing the item back for <br />further restrictions in the future. <br />MOTION FAILED FOR LACK OF A SECOND. <br />Director Keating assured the Board that staff had tried to find all the studies that had <br />been done. He suggested the Board direct staff to come back with an ordinance adopting the <br />State's criteria of 90 decibels and authorize them to meet with the Sheriff's offices of both <br />Indian River and Brevard Counties in an effort to get more enforcement of the current law. <br />Chairman Tippin felt that ecotourism is growing and is not going to go away. <br />Commissioner Adams stated that the concerns about personal watercraft use on lakes <br />is just beginning. <br />Mr. Taylor asked if the ordinance would mean that he cannot dock his airboats at his <br />property on the river, and Chairman Tippin informed him that the public part of the meeting <br />had been closed and he could ask this question of the County Attorney after the meeting. <br />JUNE 291998 <br />-70- <br />