Paddock Lake rejects request for temporary no wake hours change

Photo by ajenyon via morgueFile.com

The Paddock Lake Village Board on Wednesday rejected a request from a resident to extend the wake allowed hours to start at 8 a.m. on the lake for June 14-18 to facilitate sessions with the resident’s children and others to be taught by a renowned barefoot water skier.

A motion to issue a permit to Dan Boerman was rejected in a 3-4 vote. Trustees Renee Brickner, Scott Garland, Robert Spencer and President Terry Burns voted against issuing the permit. Trustees Gloria Walter, Barb Brenner and John Poole voted for issuing the permit.

Boerman sought to have the internationally known barefoot skier Ben Groen coach his children and others. Boerman wanted to be able to start as early as 8 a.m., when weather conditions typically make the lake smoother, which is better for barefoot skiing, he explained at last week’s committee of the whole meeting.

“You have to have really calm water,” Boerman said.

Some board members saw the opportunity as a positive for the community.

“I think turning this event down would put a chill on anyone doing any racing or exhibition on Paddock Lake,” Poole said. “It may not draw large crowds, but it certainly shows off our lake to others.”

But other board members expressed concerns about creating a precedent and for granting the exception to allow a private use of a public resource.

“You have the ability to do this, but you work within the confines of the ordinance,” Burns said. “The happy medium is work within the wake hours that are already set. We don’t want to pick winners and losers here.”

Three residents in the audience spoke in support of granting the permit. One spoke against it.

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