Police to refurbish buoys, add no-wake signage and step up canal patrols after speeding incidents

Ocean Shores police and advisory board members described planned buoy repairs, additional no-wake markers and stepped-up enforcement for the city27s canals during the Aug. 4 Fresh Waterways Advisory Board meeting. The board was told the city currently has 13 buoys deployed, with several needing maintenance; the police department said it stores four buoys in the city yard and will research two buoys currently tied to a private dock. The department recommended adding three to four new buoys in specific gaps shown on a map provided to the board. At the meeting a board member recounted that officers confronted a speeding boat on the Grand Canal, issued a warning and later arrested the same boater after a second speeding sighting and a video submission. The police plan also includes greater attention to expired boat registrations: officers will issue a warning for an expired registration and a citation if the issue is not corrected on a subsequent patrol; meeting discussion said expired-registration citations can carry fines of about $250. Police sergeants named in the meeting notes were Sergeant Dan Foti and Sergeant Tony Viera, who joined board staff in reviewing buoy locations and signage. The department said it will refurbish existing buoys, replace worn signs and roll out no-wake signage at canal access points previously labeled 5 mph. The board discussed volunteer help for buoy retrieval and maintenance; members noted that some older buoys are set in concrete-filled anchors that are difficult to remove without heavier equipment. The police department also plans to step up on-water presence and boat inspections in coming weeks. Board members asked that a video of previous buoy installations be posted to the board27s Facebook page for public information and to aid volunteers. No formal Council action was taken; the board and police described operational steps and agreed to coordinate buoy maintenance and placement. The advisory board offered to coordinate volunteer assistance and to provide equipment if needed for retrieval and replacement operations.