[Adopted 8-26-2002 by Ord. No. 3-02-0230 (Ch. 4, Art. IV, of the 1991 Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A vessel which uses an inboard motor powering a water jet
pump as its primary source of motive power and which is designed to
be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel,
rather than the conventional method of sitting or standing inside
the vessel.
A person who operates or who has charge of the navigation
or use of a watercraft.
The body of water commonly known as "Tiogue Lake," including
the attached body of water immediately west of the Arnold Road Causeway.
A.
All operators of PWC shall adhere to all municipal,
state and federal regulations, laws and ordinances.
B.
No person under the age of 16 shall operate a personal
watercraft on the waters of Tiogue Lake.
C.
It is unlawful for the owner of any personal watercraft
or any person having charge over or control of a personal watercraft
to authorize or knowingly permit the watercraft to be operated by
a person under 16 years of age.
D.
Retail establishments are prohibited from using Tiogue
Lake for prospective buyers to test drive personal watercraft.
E.
Rental PWC use is prohibited on Tiogue Lake.
A.
No person shall operate a personal watercraft on Tiogue
Lake that is not registered with the Town of Coventry.
B.
Application for a Town personal watercraft registration
shall be made in writing to the office of the Coventry Department
of Parks and Recreation. Application for a personal watercraft registration
shall be granted by the Coventry Department of Parks and Recreation's
office for a term of one year. All personal watercraft registrations
shall expire together on the last day of March.
C.
The annual fee for a Town personal watercraft registration shall be as set forth in Chapter 122, Fees. Proof of residency, proof of successful boater safety course completion, and proof of a valid, current state registration with ID number shall be required upon application. Applicants must show four-stroke engine verification when applying for a Town PWC registration valid beyond March 31, 2007.[1]
D.
Upon the receipt of the completed application and
correct registration fee, the Town will conduct a records check with
the Coventry Municipal Court on the PWC and applicant. Upon successful
completion of a Coventry Municipal Court records check and provided
a previous offense does not prohibit registration, the Town of Coventry
shall enter the application and registration fee into its records,
and issue to the owner a certificate of registration and a Town registration
sticker. The owner shall attach the registration sticker to the bow
of the personal watercraft in order that it may be clearly visible
at all times.
E.
A personal watercraft shall not be required to be
registered with the Town of Coventry if it is used by a police, fire
or emergency services agency.
All money, registration fees and fines collected
under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid into a restricted
receipt account of the Town of Coventry to be made available and shall
be allocated, distributed and used in amounts sufficient to fund:
A.
First, Parks and Recreation Department personnel monitoring
areas where personal watercraft may gain access to Tiogue Lake.
B.
Second, Parks and Recreation Department projects involving
improvements to the Briar Point Beach area.
C.
Third, Coventry Police Department enforcement of Town
ordinances and Rhode Island general laws on Tiogue Lake.
D.
Fourth, hydrocarbon testing on Lake Tiogue.
A.
The Coventry Police Department shall enforce this
article.
B.
Any person in violation of this article shall be issued a citation that will require the person to appear in Coventry Municipal Court. The Coventry Municipal Court shall impose a fine as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-2, of the Code of the Town of Coventry, for the first offense; a fine as set forth in § 1-2 and a one-month suspension of the Town personal watercraft registration for the second offense; and a fine as set forth in § 1-2 and a one-year suspension of the Town personal watercraft registration for the third offense and each additional offense. In addition to all fines, the Coventry Municipal Court may impose court costs.[1]
