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Safe boating urged over the Labor Day

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AUSTIN – Game wardens will be out in force patrolling the waterways over the Labor Day holiday weekend to help ensure Texans make it back home safely. They’ll also be educating folks about Kali’s Law, the new mandatory ignition “kill switch” requirement for boat operators that goes into effect Sept. 1.

Kali’s Law was established in response to the fatality of Kali Gorzell, a 16-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a boat propeller near Aransas Pass in 2012. An ignition safety kill switch shuts off the boat motor automatically if the operator is thrown from the helm. The law requires operators of boats less than 26 feet in length that are equipped with an ignition safety kill switch to use it whenever the vessel is moving at greater than headway speed. Headway speed is defined as slow, idle speed, or speed only fast enough to maintain steerage on course.

The new law does not require the retrofitting of older vessels that are not equipped with a kill switch.. It does not permit the removal of a kill switch device that was originally installed on the vessel. Wireless kill switch devices are permitted for those with concerns about the lanyard style devices.

“Game wardens will be educating the public on the kill switch requirement,” said Cody Jones, Assistant Commander for Marine Enforcement with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

In addition to wearing a kill switch, TPWD stresses all boaters follow important safety precautions while on the water, like wearing a lifejacket, checking the weather before entering the water, and knowing the rules of the waterway by taking a boater education class.

Another main concern during holiday weekends is Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) – or operating a vessel with a blood alcohol level over 0.08 percent – which doubles the risk of being killed in a boating accident. BWI is strictly enforced and carries penalties similar to driving while intoxicated penalties, including possible driver’s license suspension.

Basic boating safety precautions like avoiding alcohol and wearing a lifejacket also extend to paddlecraft. Paddlers can find a free online safety course on the TPWD website, and for larger vessels, anyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1993, must complete a boater education course to operate a personal watercraft or a boat with a 15 horsepower rating or more. Boater education courses are regularly offered in many locations around the state, or boaters can find a selection of online boater courses that can be taken anytime.

For more boating safety tips and information, visit the TPWD Water Safety page online or visit the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety page online.

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Amon Carter Lake Board to meet

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Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.

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Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal

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The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.

Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.

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City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair

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The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.

Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.

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