(Des Moines)– The first of two public hearings on a proposal by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to reduce boat speed limits on all Dickinson county lakes between sunset and sunrise will be held at 11:00 a.m. today (Tuesday) at the Wallace State Office Building in Des Moines. Another hearing is set for 7:00 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 26th) at the Arnolds Park City Hall.
Lowell Joslin, Chief of the DNR’s Law Enforcement Bureau, says the hearings are the result of a petition they agency received from the East Lake Okoboji Improvement Corporation. While that group wanted a 30 mile-per-hour nighttime limit, the Joslin says he’s recommending a 25 mile-per-limit from a half-hour after sunset until sunrise. Joslin says even that proposal is coming under fire from some who say the limit should be more like 10 miles-per-hour. Joslin says they’ll base their recommendation on comments made at the public hearings.
Another issue sure to be brought up is over how the new limits will be enforced and the number of Lake Patrol Officers that will be available to do it.
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