ATVs a problem at busy lake
Staff writer
ATV drivers caused issues on a crowded Memorial Day weekend at Marion County Lake, according to Lake superintendent Isaac Hett.
Drivers had children and open bottles of alcohol in ATVs, Hett said, and ATVs not licensed for on-road use reportedly were driven on Upland Rd. and US-256 to Marion.
Hearing of the problems, county commissioners decided at a meeting Monday to look into whether Hett could be deputized to enforce ATV ordinances and write tickets. They will discuss the idea with county counsel Brad Jantz.
He provided ATV owners a list of rules and warned they could be ticketed.
Hett said he phoned everyone on record as having an ATV and talked to them.
Some lake visitors brought ATVs from out of town but lake personnel “shut them down,” Hett said.
“I will say this weekend was much better,” Hett said.
Hett also told commissioners that a contractor hired to replace the lake’s heated fishing dock has located most of the needed parts and now awaits floats.
The company that makes the floats reportedly had been shut down because of COVID-19 restrictions and now is back in operation.
The dock originally was expected to be completed before Memorial Day.
“I’m at the point I need to see something done,” Hett said.