LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — The Lake Norman Marine Commission is slated to be dismantled by July 1. But some have safety concerns, so some lawmakers are stepping in.
Lawmakers drafted a bill during a committee meeting last week to update and refurbish the old commission, creating a new one with more authority, according to Senator Vickie Sawyer.
She told lawmakers that with the revisions, two counties would have to vote to dismantle the commission, not just one. It would also add four commissioners to the existing five.
Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz spoke with Jeff Tarte, the former mayor of Cornelius and former state senator, who helped facilitate the bill and has lived on the lake for decades.
“This clarifies and adds specificity to the real authorities and responsibilities of the Marine Commission going forward,” he said.
Still, current Marine Commissioners have concerns. Commissioner David Scott told Sáenz last month that he has concerns, including lake safety, water quality, and maintenance.
“The Wild West, deaths will go up, I believe,” Scott said.
He also questioned law enforcement’s ability to patrol, worried about jurisdictional boundaries.
But Tarte said patrols will remain in place.
“Everything will be fine, even if the marine commission didn’t exist,” he said. “Their ability to patrol the lake changes not one iota.”
If the bill passes, the counties surrounding the lake would still need to work together to form the commission.
Tarte said he hopes that could happen by July 4.
“The main thing is, most of it is common sense,” he said.
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