Travis County Commissioners Court
July 12, 2005
Citizens Communication
Citizen's communication is next, and this gives residents an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda. One citizen has signed in, mr. Rob barstow.
>> good morning.
>> morning.
>> Commissioners, judge, I’m bob barstow. I started windy point park on Lake Travis, and four years later you started a park in competition there on lcra land adjacent to me. My park owns an easement to launch motor boats from the lcra land and your park. You built a boat ramp for my exclusive use for motor boats, and you refused to enforce an lcra regulation that prohibits swimming within 50 feet of a public ramp on lcra land, and you lease that land from the lcra. You claim that the ramp that you built with public funds for my use is a private ramp and therefore the rule does not apply. I think if that is the case that you misappropriated public funds to improve my property. Nevertheless, the rule -- there's an argument whether it's private or public. Let's throw that window -- that rule out the window and not pay any attention to it and solve this problem with land management. You've leased the lcra land subject to my easement use. I am the dominant user of its land. You agreed when you signed your lease not to interfere with my use. A judgment requires me to use a boat ramp if you build one. You did, and you put it in a lousy location. It's not safe for those who launch, and you won't keep swimmers out of the water there. Let's go to land management. There are three things that you can do with land management and throw the rule out the window. The first thing you can do to end the danger is to move the ramp to a less populated area. Right now it's in the most popular swimming area on the whole windy point peninsula. You can stop your customers from getting in the water near the ramp. Create a buffer zone. That will keep people out of the water, and that's a management function. And you can keep your customers out of the area where trailers are turned and backed to the ramp. Currently there's no protection for people there. They lay on blankets, their children dash across this area. I’m giving free access to motor boats through the area. Many people are inexperienced boat -- you know, with backing trailers, and they go out of control quickly. Children dash, many do not understand english, and someone is undoubtedly going to get hurt unless there is some management to keep people out of the way of those trailers that are being turned around to back down on to the ramp. Visibility is poor when you're backing. You don't have 360-degree visibility, and children dash. Someone's going to get hurt. It's inevitable. Do what is right and manage your park safely for the people that you put in the water and in your park, and you charge to be there in a safe environment. You're cheating them.
>> thank you, mr. Barstow. Anybody else for citizen communication, whether you signed in or not?
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Last Modified:
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 3:46 PM