new speed limit public hearing Sept 25

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Airwaves

So did anyone go and want to offer a summary or recap? Is there another public hearing scheduled or a date set for a decision?

This is the report as filed by WMUR-TV. They claim that speakers were about evenly split on the issue. I am sure there will be much more in tomorrow's Union Leader & the Foster's/Citizen papers.

Skip

[Airwaves]

From WMUR:
The commissioner of the Department of Safety will decide whether the petition should move forward, and lawmakers will have the final say.

Is that accurate?

I thought the speed limit folks chose going this route in order to bypass the legislative process (which they lost once) and that the commissioner has the final yay or nay decision.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Airwaves

Is that accurate?

I thought the speed limit folks chose going this route in order to bypass the legislative process (which they lost once) and that the commissioner has the final yay or nay decision.

Under the procedures for establishing Administrative Rules, the submitting agency (in this case the Commissioner's Office) after holding the required public comment period, submits the proposed rule for adoption. During a 45/60 day window following this submission a ten member legislative committee (made up of five members of the House & five from the Senate) can move to modify or kill the proposed rule. If they do so it starts a whole new subset series of actions.

If the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules takes no action during the allowed review process then the rule becomes law for a certain window of time, depending on the type of rule invoked.

You can read and learn about the entire process here.

Skip

[Lakegeezer]

Make your opinion known - by October 1.

Office of Safety Commissioner
C/O Richard Flynn
James H. Hayes Safety Building
33 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H. 03305

[Woodsy]

I was there...

It was the same arguments and horror stories heard last year. The sponsors of the petition had no new info other than thier horror stories and the requisite Lake George comparisons... They did bring up some of the boat accidents on other lakes, however none of those lakes have a 150' Safe Passage law. The opponents of the petition (myself included) presented the simple fact that while boat registrations are up yet again, accidents are down. Out of the 102,000 registered boats in the state there was only one speed related accident... the Bass boat that flipped over on Ossipee Lake.

To paraphrase Ben Franklin... those that would give up liberty for safety deserve neither....

Woodsy

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

Make your opinion known - by October 1.

Office of Safety Commissioner
C/O Richard Flynn
James H. Hayes Safety Building
33 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H. 03305

Since this is an electronic forum, perhaps the following info is in order:

Originally Posted by Laconia Citizen Online Tuesday, September 26, 2006 By GEOFF CUNNINGHAM Jr. Staff Writer

Those unable to attend Monday's hearing can submit their testimony by mail, fax or e-mail by Oct. 2.

Items may be e-mailed to safety-hearingssafety.state.nh.us or mailed to the department at State of New Hampshire Department of Safety Bureau of Hearings at 33 Hazen Drive, Concord NH 03305.

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...208/-1/CITIZEN

[jrc]

Don't you need an @ in an email address.

Maybe it's:

safety-hearings@safety.state.nh.us

[Airwaves]

APS, Equivilant sized lake with no speed limit or not it isn't relevant since the speed limit folks are now focused ONLY on Winnipesaukee and are claiming Winni is frightening and dangerous.

There is nothing backing up their argument except their own fear, wish to eliminate a class of boat from the lake and desire to turn back the clock to the days when the classic wooden boat was king.

Unless I misunderstand the following rule, the Commissioner of Public Safety already regulates the types of activities that you bring up and can deny the permit and/or require the folks to take special precaution.

Section 270-D:4
1. 270-D:4 Permit for Water Events. – Any person who undertakes any of the following activities on the public waters of the state shall first obtain a permit from the commissioner, subject to such conditions as he shall establish by rule:
I. Sponsor a water event, including but not limited to, a carnival or exhibition.
II. Place a water ski jump.
III. Tow a kit glider or parasail.
IV. Tow more than 2 skiers.
Source. 1990, 171:1, eff. June 26, 1990.

As my tracking of boating accidents in NH have shown, there have been no accidents on Winnipesaukee this year related to speed.

For anyone who might not know what we are writing about. The was an accident that left 5 people dead during a Poker Run on an Oklahoma lake over Labor Day weekend.

The link to the AP story via Boston dot Com is here:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/ar...ake_killing_5/

Skip: Does the administrative rule give a time frame for the commissioner to make his recommendation to the legislative committee?

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Airwaves

...Skip: Does the administrative rule give a time frame for the commissioner to make his recommendation to the legislative committee?...

This is where the whole process becomes very complicated. Using this particular process you are basically allowing Department Heads with a handful of the members of the Legislature to enact and enforce rules that have the full effect of law. The law wisely forces the individuals involved in this process to tread very carefully!

There is much latitude to allow the entity making the proposal to extend the public hearing deadline, add additional public hearings and add additional time to the public comment process. In addition, if the members of the JLCAR so choose, they can hold additional public hearing and public comment periods while ammending the proposed rule!

In a nutshell, if the Commissioner does choose to go forward with a proposal the final adoption could stretch out in excess of six months.

If the Commissioner chooses not to go forward with a proposal I would suspect we would know those intentions within 30 to 60 days.

Like any piece of legislation that works it way through the halls of Concord, the process can become very complicated and highly convoluted with time.

I suspect the good folks in the local media covering this current proposal will keep us abreast of the situation as it develops!

Skip

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Airwaves

"...APS, Equivilant sized lake with no speed limit or not it isn't relevant since the speed limit folks are now focused ONLY on Winnipesaukee and are claiming Winni is frightening and dangerous..."

Why isn't a closing speed of 330 miles per hour a possibility on Lake Winnipesaukee?

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by jrc

Don't you need an @ in an email address.

Maybe it's:

safety-hearings@safety.state.nh.us

How true, how true...

So much for quoting the Media...

From the Bureau of Hearings' web page regarding contact info:

mailto:safety-hearings@safety.state.nh.us

http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/h...contactus.html

P.S.- Thanks for correcting the error in my post.

[Rayhunt]

Here we go again.. Ive lived on Winni for 40 years ! I think we can all agree that there are some problem areas on the weekends.. Lets have a speed limit in these areas, perhaps more expanded no wake zones like we have had the past couple years.. From where im sitting the biggest problem is lack of education.. To me anyone who does not know the right of way laws or know who the stand on or stand down boat is doesnt belong out there ..and there are plenty of them ! How about a 10,000 LB limit .. the big cruisers are the worst wave makers and law breakers ..Too big to slow down or give way ..WRONG !
I have to laugh when I go out in the boat after labor day.. There is noone out there !
I would also suggest that the non voting proponents worry about making laws at home , not were they visit for 20 days each year !

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Skip

I am sure there will be much more in tomorrow's Union Leader & the Foster's/Citizen papers.

Skip

Here's the NH Union Leader's article:

http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...5-364e0b83f4b7