Lake buoy placement, safety and enforcement discussed; commission asks staff to coordinate with police

Commissioners spent substantial time discussing proliferating private buoys and floating platforms on the lake and possible enforcement steps. Members told staff they are seeing more red and white buoys 50–80 feet from shore, often forming improvised swim areas that can create potential navigational and safety hazards. The commission said its permitting practice has historically limited permitted mooring buoys to 40 feet from shore.

Commissioners and staff discussed two categories of buoys: safety/channel markers (often governed by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) and private mooring/swim buoys established by residents. Commissioners said they are finding many privately placed buoys beyond the 40-foot practice and that tracing ownership is difficult because many waterfront properties do not post addresses. Proposed next steps include asking the town police marine patrol to flag obvious violations during summer patrols, having staff compile an inventory of suspected illegal buoys, and sending polite notice letters to property owners asking them to bring buoys into compliance. The commission also discussed a more heavy-handed option — removing unpermitted buoys and holding them for owner pickup — if education and warning letters prove ineffective.

Members emphasized safety concerns, noting boats and tubes passing through buoyed swim areas and near shorelines. Commission leadership said staff will coordinate with police and internal leadership to return with a short enforcement plan for the commission to consider at a future meeting.