WHEN, WHERE, WHAT, HOW AND WHY-Required Boating Safety Class and Schedule
TO: East Lake Lot Owners FROM: Ken Colburn, ELLOA President SUBJECT: WHEN, WHERE, WHAT, HOW AND WHY-Required Boating Safety Class and Schedule _____________________________________________________________ I would like to share some information and answer some questions I have received about the Boat Safety class we are asking everyone to attend this year in order to receive decals. I will post additional updates as needed.
Q1. WHEN AND WHERE will the boat safety classes begin? A1. The schedule is still being finalized but we plan to offer our first two Boat Safety Classes in March beginning on Saturday morning, March 14, 9:30-11:00 am at the Clubhouse. We will offer our second class on Thursday evening, March 26 at 6:30-8:00 pm at the Clubhouse. Here are all currently scheduled dates through April 30.
Saturday March 14
Thursday March 26
Saturday April 4
Thursday April 16
Saturday April 25
Thursday April 30
Additional classes will be offered in May and June. All classes will be held at the Clubhouse and are offered on either Saturday morning from 9:30 am-11 am or Thursday evening from 6:30- 8:00 pm.
Q2. WHAT and HOW? What will our Boat Safety Class include and how will it be conducted? A1. Our safety class will be led by board members, community volunteers and law enforcement when possible. There are two parts to our class: a) The first part of our course consists of home preparation viewing a 33 minute boater education video playlist we have compiled that we ask you to view prior to attending class: ELLOA BOATING SAFETY playlist is on YouTube at the following web links:
The above playlist of about 29 brief videos covers Coast Guard and Indiana boating regulations relevant to our private lake. These include items like boat passenger and load limits and operating a boat while legally intoxicated. Lot owners will be asked to affirm they have viewed the above safety video playlist or have completed the Indiana (or other state) boaters’ education course when they attend class. Lot owners should understand it is their responsibility to ensure that all family members and guests who operate their boats are familiar with the information presented in this ELLOA Safety video as well as ELLOA specific Rules and Regulations.
b) The second part of our class will focus on a detailed review of Indiana and ELLOA Rules and Regulations led by Board and community volunteers and law enforcement personnel when available. A question and answer period will follow. The class should last between 60-90 minutes.
Q3. Why is the Board asking everyone, longtime residents as well as newcomers, to attend this class? A1. The Board had little choice in this matter, for several reasons: Last fall I received a phone call from the Princes Lake Police Department about the department having been contacted a dozen or more times last summer by several residents with complaints of alleged boating violations. Chief Greg Southers visited our November Board meeting to discuss the situation and together we discussed possible solutions in everyone’s interest. Obviously such a pattern of complaints/violations cannot continue without PLPD or DNR coming onto our lake this upcoming year. The Board and Chief Southers agreed that a boat safety class requirement was a good first step to ensure every resident was familiar with Indiana boating rules and safety as well as ELLOA specific rules. A2. The Board had already been planning to introduce a boat safety class before meeting with Chief Southers. A very large number of new residents have moved onto East Lake since 2012 and we have witnessed a significant increase in boats and pontoons on our lake during fast boating hours from noon to 5:00 pm. A large number of residents have expressed their strong support in the last two years for a boating safety class, including nearly unanimous support at the Annual Meeting. A3. Education will be the first of several steps to promote boat and water safety on our lake. We plan to step up enforcement of Rules this year. We therefore want to ensure all lot owners who operate watercraft on East Lake—longtime lot owners and newcomer alike—are familiar with relevant Indiana and ELLOA Rules and Regulations pertaining to boat equipment and safe operation on East Lake. It is impossible for us to know or decide who among us has safe boating experience or knowledge and who does not. Some new arrivals may know a great deal while some longtime lot owners do not. We face a critical situation where all of us must come to understand that boating safety is a top community priority and everyone’s responsibility. A4. I have myself lived, boated and fished on this lake since 1992, and I believe that longtime residents will not only benefit from participation in our safety class, but we can also show our good faith commitment to boat safety by attending ELLOA’s boat safety class with newer residents (of which there are now very many). Personally I find it difficult to understand how anyone committed to boating safety could object to donating an hour or so of their time to attending a boat safety class. If any lot owners would like to assist with future classes after attending a class, please let me or another Board member know. We would like community volunteers to assist with safety classes after they have attended a class. A5. All Board members and safety patrol officers will also be required to attend at least one safety class (most Board members will be attending and assisting with multiple safety classes). No one will be privileged or exempt from this requirement.
Q4. Will a safety course be required of everyone again next year? A1. NO! Lot owners will be required to attend only one safety class to receive boat decals. In future years only those who request decals but have not yet attended our boat safety class will be required to attend a class before receiving decals.
Q5. When will I receive my boat stickers or decals? A1. We expect to deliver most decals to lot owners when they attend their boat safety class. In order for lot owners to receive their decals when they attend boat safety class, they will need to ensure the following three items are done beforehand: 1) you must have paid your 2020 annual dues and be in good standing (no back dues or assessments owed) at least five days prior to class attendance; 2) you must have previously provided the Treasurer with proof of boat insurance or bring proof with you to class; 3) you must have contacted the Treasurer at least five days before attending class the number of decals you are requesting along with the types of watercraft you own.
THE TREASURER CAN BE REACHED EITHER BY US MAIL AT:
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