Boat Club FAQ

Q. What is the mission of the Boating Club?

 

A. The mission and purpose of the Spider Lake Boating Club (the “Club”) is to promote boating activities on the Spider Lake Chain of Lakes.

 

Q. How does one become a member the Boating Club?

 

A. Any person who desires to support the mission and purpose of the Club may contact us via email regarding membership, which will be considered and approved by the Board of Directors.

 

Q. How often will the Boating Club meet?

 

A. The Club will meet at least once a year for an annual meeting and at other times as necessary to confer about present issues affecting the Club and our mission.

 

Q. Does the Boating Club support the Town of Spider Lake’s proposed ordinance #02-2024?

 

A. No. The restrictions contained in this ordinance run contrary to the mission of the Club. The Town had already submitted this ordinance in substantially similar form to the DNR without soliciting any public input and the DNR found the ordinance to be neither “enforceable” nor “practical.”

 

Q. What other issues did the DNR have with the proposed ordinance?

 

A. The DNR has a concern with the enforceability of a 10 mile-per-hour speed limit. In addition, the imposition of a 10 mile-per-hour speed limit with exceptions for only waterskiing between 11 – 3 was also found to be overly restrictive while unnecessarily limiting the activities of other boaters. The DNR also found that the Town failed to include a “statement summarizing the arguments of the interests opposed” to the ordinance.

 

Q. What about the concern over shoreline erosion?

 

A. The DNR took exception to the Town’s argument that the speed limit would help limit shoreline erosion. In fact, the DNR stated that a boat on a plane produces a smaller wake than one traveling at slower speeds.

 

Q. How will the Town enforce the proposed ordinance?

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A. The DNR noted that only the Town is authorized to enforce ordinances it creates and that neither conservation wardens nor sheriff’s deputies are authorized to enforce

local ordinances. The ordinance proposes that “officers of the Town of Spider Lake” would enforce the ordinance. It’s unclear to us who exactly this would include.

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Q. What can we do?

 

A. Contact your local Supervisor or Town Chair Tim Sheldon and let them know you oppose the proposed ordinance!