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WEBER COUNTY — Weber County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to add a new $15 anchor charge for boaters who wish to stay on Pineview Reservoir overnight.
"This really will give us the law enforcement tools we need to enforce the rules and regulations on the water," Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Brandon Toll said in response to the decision.
The new charge comes in response to concerns for the safety of deputies on the lake overnight and would cover costs to increase staffing there from one to three officers at night.
Toll says during the summer months, deputies often come upon situations that they can't handle safely alone.
"When you've got 30 to 40 boats tied up and you've got about 60 people challenging you on the laws, saying, 'What are you going to do about it?' makes it extremely challenging and dangerous for our deputies," Toll explained.
Initially, commissioners considered a curfew on Pineview, that would have shut down the lake at night. However, after several boaters opposed the idea in an April meeting, work began on a compromise. Some boaters say they're still not happy with the new plan.
"Having the commission decide that the way to resolve that is to have boaters pay an extra $15 fee is absolutely absurd," long-time boater Jim Williams said. "It's just a small group of people that feel they're entitled, and because of it, their behavior reflects that."
The large and sometimes uncooperative groups also create troubles for nearby residents, as Huntsville Mayor Jim Truett explained.
"It's the fighting. It's the noise. It's all that stuff. It's the parking issues. It's a huge issue up in the valley," he said.
While Truett is hopeful the added patrols will help, he still maintains an overnight curfew would have been better.
"I'm still leaning that way," Truett said. "I'm concerned about the deputies on the water. They're outnumbered. Their lives are at stake."
