Huckleberries: Lake cat-and-mouse game with CdA City Hall nears end
Huckleberries Thursday:
It shouldn’t be long now before owners Rob Riley and Clint Kauer hoist the white flag above “Hooligan Island.”
For more than a month, the two men have played a cat-and-mouse game with the city of Coeur d’Alene in their attempt to anchor a floating jungle gym off the shoreline. They did so without city permission or vendor permit – and have been thwarted at every turn.
In early May, they plopped their water toy off City Beach, sparking complaints from residents and safety-conscious city officials. They pulled the floating island from the lake shortly afterward. But it was back on the water Wednesday, some 1,200 feet off North Idaho College Beach.
Seems the owners were told by the Coeur d’Alene Police Department Tuesday that their device wasn’t wanted within the city’s jurisdiction, which extends 1,000 feet into the lake. According to Deputy City Administrator Sam Taylor, the police learned that the owners were charging people $12 to ferry them to the on-water jungle gym “which means they were engaging in business despite their past statements to us that they were just citizens with a vessel not conducting business.”
Now, “Hooligan Island” is outside the city jurisdiction. But the city is still responsible for fire rescues and demanding a public safety plan. North Idaho College doesn’t want them using its docks or beach for commercial purposes. And the Idaho Department of Lands isn’t thrilled with their present location. Strike one. Strike two. And strike three.
You can fight City Hall. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to win. Complete Huckleberries column here.
