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Highlands Today

Lake Denton Committee First Meeting Set For Today

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: September 25, 2007

SEBRING – Recommendations that will come from the citizens committee on Lake Denton –– which will meet for the first time at 4 p.m. today –– could have implications for public access to other public lakes throughout Highlands County.

"More than one committee member has suggested that," said Highlands County Commissioner Don Bates, who chairs the committee as a non-voting member.

Bates agrees with that assessment.

County commissioners appointed the committee to recommend solutions to conflicts between large crowds of scuba divers and lakefront homeowners at Lake Denton. But, Bates said, "we're not working in a vacuum. There are other lakes in the county that are small" and may see similar conflicts arise between recreational users and lakefront residents.

"I'm sure that it (committee's work) is going to have some precedent setting conclusions that maybe apply to other lakes," Bates added. "That's a distinct possibility."

The Lake Denton committee's inaugural meeting will be held on the second floor of the Highlands County Annex, in the engineer's training room, at 505 S. Commerce Ave., across the street from the Highlands County Government Center.

That location was changed from the original meeting site announced last week.

Lake Denton, considered one of the top scuba diving lakes in South Florida, attracts large crowds of divers, particularly on summer weekends. For years, lakefront homeowners have complained about some of the divers causing safety, littering , parking and other problems.

On Aug. 21, the commissioners voted 3-2 to close public access to the lake for one year, starting Sept. 10, due to lakefront owners complaints about scuba divers.

All meetings of the Lake Denton committee will be open to the public and public comments and suggestions will be accepted.

At no cost to the county, Paul McGahee, a customer service representative for Glades Electric Cooperative, will serve as a facilitator for the committee. He will have the same role that Tommy Todd, CEO of Glades Electric, had in facilitating the commissioners' goal-setting seminars earlier this year.

McGahee will write down the ideas and comments "not just from committee members, but from the public. too," said Carl Cool, county administrator. People will be asked to identify "the strengths and weaknesses, the challenges and opportunities" at Lake Denton in "a brain storming session," Cool said.

After laying that groundwork, Cool said, McGahee will help committee members and citizens at the meetings "set out what they want to accomplish, try to distill it down, and ultimately you end up with goals and action items to accomplish those goals."

Bates, one of the two commissioners who voted against closing public access to the lake, said he's optimistic the committee can find solutions to the conflicts between divers and lakefront homeowners.

"The goal is to find a way that is workable, so that the lake can be utilized and the residents around the lake will be satisfied," he said. He said the advisory committee was formed "to reach the most amicable agreement that we can that satisfies all the parties."

"I'm excited to get started on it," Bates said about the committee. "And I think it's a worthwhile exercise."

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