Members and staff spent a substantial portion of the Dec. 4 meeting on navigation, enforcement and channel congestion in the New River. Bob Franks and several captains presented GIS imagery showing docks and boats encroaching beyond the 25-foot repair/setback lines and, in some cases, exceeding 30% of the channel in tight bends.

"If we can define what that waterway is and actually come up with what that waterway should be," Franks said, "then we have something we can tell neighbors about how much room we need." He urged the board to identify high-priority areas ("the Wiggles," Little Florida) where waivers could be restricted and enforcement prioritized.

Board members and staff noted that state statute and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have authority to act on navigation hazards: "FWC is law enforcement," a staffer said. Members worried about selective enforcement and litigation risks if the city inconsistently applies the 30% rule; they recommended a coordinated approach: clear identification of navigation fairways, proactive code enforcement, and a recommendation to the commission to consider a full-time marine code compliance officer in a future budget cycle.

The board discussed practical next steps: systematically document current code violations, expect code to cite clear overages (rather than piecemeal tolerance), and craft a narrowly tailored proposal (special navigation districts or mapped fairways) that can be presented to the commission and partner agencies, including the Coast Guard, FWC and South Florida Water Management District.

Members asked staff to return with a draft recommendation and to consider enforcement resourcing as part of the next budget conversation. Several members urged immediate action where violations are plainly documented.